Friday, October 17, 2008

Spare the rod…

Social attitudes are changing, fine. But I am appalled at the fact that teachers are not getting the respect they deserve. Teachers are the backbone of a society. During my school days, if I made a mistake and the teacher punished me, my father would not only thank the teacher, but also request him/her to be more strict with me. But look at a contradiction. A teacher was taking lessons at a Mumbai coaching institute, when a girl repeatedly disturbed the class. The angry instructor reprimanded the girl, and after repeated warnings failed, asked her to leave. Lo and behold, next day, the teacher was sacked by the institute. “Parents are complaining that you are too strict,” was all that the teacher was told.
What a shame! If I had the powers, I would force all parents to read the letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to a teacher.
Please, please, parents..read this
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Excerpts from Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher



He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish Politician, there is a dedicated leader... Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,
Steer him away from envy,if you can, teach him the secret of quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick... Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books... But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him it is far honourable to fail than to cheat... Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong... Teach him to be gentle with gentle people, and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the band wagon...
Teach him to listen to all men... but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him if you can, how to laugh when he is sad... Teach him there is no shame in tears, Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness... Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right. Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient... let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order, but see what you can do... He is such a fine fellow, my son!
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2 comments:

The Good Witch said...

It is becoming increasingly difficult to nurture discipline in the children of today, because they feel that discipline limits their independence.

Many of them do not appreciate the value of discipline. They do not realize that discipline is the bridge between setting goals and accomplishing them.

Anonymous said...

Yes....social attitudes have made a sea change..generation next of today.are different..and its the moolah flaunted by the students who makeup the educational market who wiled the power..what's more....if students have the moolah to go to a caoching class...they have the competitive edge...in a world of increaisng conusmerism, materialism and a philistine market..its hard today to find parents and students dedicated to the teaching ..fraternity..besides teachers can also be bought easily with money...

the values nurtured by society in days of yore..would indeed be even hard to fathom by those of today...and this is evident in the social attitudes and behaviour...are teachers really developing students whose finer sensibilities to elders, peers and other aspects of culture are more evolved and devbeloped....? do parents at home...who are supposed to contribute to atleast 50 per cent of the personality of their off spring...really imparting that culture education by influencing their off springs in the right ways..as it was before...do they impart that value education? do parents today have even the time to do that..in the nuclear set ups of today....or...do parents understand the fact....that time and patience..is is the dire need in today's society wherein every one wants a quick fix solution....and then just keep moving on....is that an acievement? do they even understand...that to attain success their are no short cuts......that its really about 99 per cent perspiration and one per cent inspiration? Then...how many have the grit to last out the time...tested route of steely determination.....to accept all the odds and wrestle on...to go forth with fortitude....few..very few individuals would probbaly would use this harder path......most would like to use their mighty leverage of influece, a word in a highly planced source here or there to make it big....

does the education system take the effort to churn out teachers ..who also provide for teh kind of environment/...that's filled with a culture of bringing in the students a questioning mind? to be curious ...about things...to really use their brains and talent...and use tehir creativity...Creativity in most cases..is completely stilted and throttled in a society numbed by the hooch of coaching classes and spoon feeding........the issues that plague this society that is inundated with stress on all sides...with competition again,as its ally again....is a wholly different world ..far from that of what was of yours or mine..where the teacher was the Guru...impartig gyan ....in teh truest sense ....who got the due respect and reverance....a thousand teacher's day may come and go....with marketeeers grabbing that as yet another day to promote and rake in the moolah....

In trusth Discipline is another dimension un known to children or even parents for that matter....and why?even parents today have to negotiate with their chidren.....and altough its hard to think that you had dared not raise your voice at your own parent's catagorical rules to be followed at home.....the geneartion of the day would probably demand an explaination out of you...and negotiate with you....to have their way....and before you know it....you'd be hooked in....such is the change in values over time.....and values .changin is always hard to digest....today even money is losing its value....its becoming so pedestrian....more notional....and ...will the next generation ever know...of what it meant to us....aboutcomng to possess so many of the lil perks that we had to work hard for to earn ..or get it from our parents....i still remmeber that my husband had to send home a small part of his own schoalr ship money..during his post graduate days..to please his father....and manage his ebtore living as a student only with the remaining....that was the spartan virtue that he valued and yet he follows a different rule when it comes to our children....where what i feel is over whelmoing indulgence is too little for them....times are achanging ...and have so...and how much ....it would need gargarntau's mouth to reveal it all.....sudha