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If there is ever a profession that gets taken for granted, it’s teaching. It is unfortunate that even now, in the 21st century, we consider teaching to be a profession that anyone can take up. In most developed countries, one would be required to have a teaching degree, or some form of qualification, to teach. However, in my country, anyone can become a teacher, and that’s not always a good thing. As the phrase goes, “those who can’t do, teach”. This has led to though multiple issues within the education framework. You have a high turnover rate for teachers, teachers who are uninterested, teachers who encourage rote learning, teachers that are impatient, and the list goes on. Not only do these teachers demotivate their learners, but some students end up hating a subject that they could have otherwise excelled at. One good teacher, who has inculcated the necessary skills into their method, can change the life of millions. Their patience, good listening skills, and creativity motivate a child to learn. The biggest misconception is believing that all you need is knowledge to teach. There are many intelligent people that have received accolades for their achievements, but that does not necessarily make them good teachers. This is why I believe that teaching is an art. It is essential to learn the same way you would study to become a lawyer or an engineer. When I think back to the few teachers who have left their mark on me, I realise they all felt strongly about what they taught. It seeped into their words and the message they wanted to send across. For example, chemistry became more than just chemicals and numbers. I still remember that first class where we learning what molecules were. Our teacher had labelled us as different atoms. We were then told to go and hold hands with our friends. We had become molecules. In psychology, we define learning as a permanent change in behaviour as a result of experience. That day we had all learnt that atoms bonded to form molecules. Teaching is all about communication. It’s not about sounding smart, but rather what is the best way you can share your idea with someone else. For this purpose, the teacher him/herself must become a student. Granted, they must have knowledge about what they are about to teach; but more than that, they must know what the best way is to get that across. Some basic skills that help with this are patience, confidence, dedication, and organisation. The most important, though, in my opinion, is enthusiasm. When someone is excited about what they’re about to say, you can’t help but be excited with them. It’s contagious. A teacher’s excitement resonates with the entire class as they look up to you waiting to see what happens next. Sometimes you as a teacher don’t even realise the weight of the lesson you’ve taught and the ripple effect it causes. The world has seen some great leaders, some terrible ones. It’s seen Nobel prize winners, mechanics, opera singers, doctors, architects, armed offices, you name it. From the highly esteemed, to the simple nut in the machine, and though the lives of these people may be so different from another, they all had one thing in common. They had a teacher.
