Instructors in Nepal seem to believe that teachers should have standard characteristics that cannot be modified. I am afraid this is completely a regressive form of doctrine that has been passed on from generations that has strong roots in our culture. Teaching is an organic process and cannot be operationalised with a standard operating procedure
Majority of the teachers at the college level in Nepal seem to believe subject matter expertise solely qualifies them to be a sound instructor. Ironically, there are many teachers in Nepal who lack subject matter knowledge to teach at the Bachelor's level; however, for this article, let us focus on those who have the required level of knowledge and qualification in his/her field.
Furthermore, I won't dwell on proven teaching techniques such as contextual learning, application-based learning or participatory learning; here, I want to focus on more nuanced topics that often get overlooked in the myriad of pedagogical research and opinion articles.
Teenage is the time period when we go through biological, psychological, physical and emotional changes. During this phase of our life, we are trying to figure out our place in this society. As such, we are extremely sensitive and vulnerable to criticism and anything that can be perceived as challenging to our developing identity.
Thus, teachers, coaches and counselors should realise this and create an environment where students feel comfortable "being themselves".
This can only be achieved when an instructor has a radical open mind and a complete non-judgmental attitude. This skill can be honed through practice, but colleges and universities should provide ample training to the teachers to get them aligned with the emotional and psychological predisposition of these adolescents.
Secondly, teachers in Nepal should start treating their students as adults.
Treating teenagers as an adult will help you earn their respect, and they will feel more comfortable opening up and engaging with you. If we treat these students as kids, they will be only rebellious. The key is to collaborate with students as an adult while understanding they are still adolescents.
Furthermore, as a teacher, you have to be an insider who knows what it is like to be a teenager, but at the same time, you are an outsider whose knowledge and life accomplishments are something from which students can learn and grow. This insider/outsider mentality will help you resonate with students in both personal and professional ways.
Teaching is one of those human endeavours where one not only does one's job in a bureaucratic fashion but also grows and learns alongside his/her students.
To truly learn and grow with students, at times, you have to be one of them, but you have to rein in that character and quickly switch back to your professional role of a counselor and a facilitator.
I have found this to be challenging to most teachers in Nepal. Instructors in Nepal seem to believe that teachers should have standard characteristics and personality that cannot be modified. I am afraid this is completely a regressive form of doctrine that has been passed on from generations that has strong roots in our culture.
Teaching, by definition, is an organic process and cannot be operationalised with a standard operating procedure. Every student is different, and you are constantly evolving with each student. Help them learn and learn from them.
Moreover, giving examples and relating to real life events is one of the best ways to help students internalise the concepts. For instance, suppose you are explaining the concept of "marginal cost" and "average cost"-a fundamental topic in microeconomics.
You can show all the math, but if you can connect these concepts to the scenario that students can relate to, then your job and their understanding both improve infinitely. You could say, average cost is akin to your cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) while marginal cost is analogous to the grade you received in the next subject.
Another example – let us say you are trying to explain the concept of "positioning" in a marketing class. You could play a TV commercial of two soaps – Liril and Dove – and ask students to find the main difference between the two in terms of target audience.
Then you can say that Liril, through its commercials, is positioned to give value to younger women while Dove has positioned itself to offer value to older women with kids (housewives).
After doing this you can give the textbook definition of positioning. But if you start with the definition and cannot relate to the things students find intriguing, then you are not likely to succeed in this profession.
This brings me to another crucial point. In Nepal, there are a few institutions that provide formal training or education to be an instructor at the college level. Most teachers enter the profession on the basis of subject matter expertise, which is a quintessential feature, but other soft-skills such as emotional intelligence, digital intelligence, awareness of socio-economic differences and, above all, the mentality of the facilitator and counselor seem to be lacking among teachers in Nepal.
Also, we need a strong teachers' union that has a very stringent requirement for membership, such as passing a rigorous licensing exam and bearing a sound moral and ethical character. If this happens, maybe, the union can negotiate higher salary and other benefits.
In conclusion, one of the quintessential characteristics of a teacher is to be able to create an environment where students' curiosity is aroused, and they feel comfortable to make mistakes.
It is our job as an educator to question, challenge, praise and, at times, criticise (constructively) students' transformation to adulthood.
This is a difficult job, and higher learning institutions, policy makers and civil society in Nepal have to acknowledge it. We cannot blame the institutional evaluation process that evaluates both teachers and students, culture, drive or socialisation of the students.
These students - even before meeting us - already think we (teachers) are an expert in that field. It is our job to sustain and enhance that assumption not only by our erudition but my empathy, compassion and dedication.
Pathak is education management consultant at Islington College
A version of this article appears in the print on March 28, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
