The Noble Profession Of Teaching

Have you ever wondered, why in the movies the teacher is depicted as someone who earns respect without any provocation? Even the uneducated show it with gestures, if not with words. The very mention of the word teacher magnets a great deal of respect. It is nothing but because of the nature of the profession-teaching.

Everyone knows and acknowledges that teaching is not an easy thing to do. The responsibility that lies on the shoulders of a person who teaches is not something to be taken for granted. Teaching ignites the minds of tomorrow. It can create a better future for an individual and of course, subsequently for the country.

Teaching is the only profession that nurtures the young minds to take up other professions in the future. A teacher might have to deal with a number of students with different personalities and attitudes. The art of teaching channelises these different minds into seeing a vision of what they wish to become and what should contribute to the society. This is why teaching is considered a noble profession.

The duty of the priests is considered pious for they serve as a medium to communicate with God, or it is better to say that they intermediate between the ordinary man and God. The work of a teacher is given greater importance because God only creates mankind but it is teaching that teaches a man to dream big and never give up no matter what. Teachers are Gods themselves and that is why it is said "Matha Pitha Guru Daivam".

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, himself a teacher, once said, "Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber and future of an individual." Teaching is not only about making a child ready for the future, to achieve his career goals, but it is more about developing the personality as a whole. One cannot be stable in one's career with lack of character and caliber. Teaching is the discovery of that. It does not happen in an instant. It is tedious and takes its own time.

There is no better way than teaching to get to know the different faculties in the mind of a child. It helps a child unearth new facets of himself and gives provision for improvement at every stage. Each stage in a child's life poses different challenges and teachings act as an aid to confront and tackle them with courage and ease.

Kalam has paid tribute to his science teacher Sivasubramania Iyer in his autobiography, The Wings of Fire. Even after reaching great heights, Kalam never forgot that this teacher was his inspiration to become a scientist. It was the care and guidance given by the teacher that made the difference in Kalam's life.

Good teachings never fade with time. With regard to the Indian scenario, even in this modern age, one refers to the words of Dronacharya in the epic of Mahabharata and that is because of the quality and the impact it has had on the perspectives and life of a person.

However teaching can never be noble without the presence of a teacher. Sidney Hook said, "A teacher is the heart of the educational system." This is very true. Having all the amenities like a building, boards, desks, chalk without a good teacher is useless. The interesting fact to be noted here is that a teacher can survive and impart knowledge despite the facilities available. The noblest of all professions is nothing without a teacher.