Dr. M.A.Maleque :
Teachers by profession have been transferring knowledge, skills and habits of a group of people from one generation to another generation from the beginning to date in every corner of the world.
Our learned teachers efficiently accomplish this great job through teaching, training and research on their respective disciplines. For this reason, students and alumni can always remember some devoted teachers for their effective classroom teaching and contribution. Teacher’s deliberations and earnest efforts in teaching in fact touch the mind of learners. It consequently matters in changing the behaviour of students. Socrates (469-399 B.C), Greek philosopher and also called teacher of mankind, views that a teacher in teaching process drags out the idea from students’ mind through question and answer as the gardener blooms the flower in the garden. Aristotle (384-322 B.C) says education is such an instrument through which a teacher can reveal the hidden power of human being. John Dewey (1851-1952) US educationist and called father of education, opines that education is the way of self-realization. It constantly reorganizes the experiences and buds the potentialities of human being for better performance.
Students from the beginning to date have been learning the new knowledge, skills and habits from teachers. The issue of teaching-learning activities happen directly or indirectly from inside or outside of the classroom and the environment prevailing therein. Knowledge sharing between teachers and students interacts with each other in pedagogical and andragogical forms. In pedagogical form, young learners grasp the ideas and explanation of teachers without any protest. It seems as the sand quickly absorbs water. But in andragogical form, adult learners hardly receive the analysis of the teachers if the new idea does not go with their experience. Thus students with growing and earning process of knowledge and skills gradually begin to change their thinking in relation to life and the world. Learners thus earn knowledge and skills through interaction and increasingly get ready themselves for the inside and outside competition ahead. Teacher often reminds them those who full of young are the right time to join the struggle of life. Once students rightly join the competition and most of them successfully won the struggle. It is very interesting to note that some of the learners do not only succeed in the rigorous competition but also qualify themselves for better establishment than they ever think of. Teachers then really feel virtual proud of their students as their parents do. Teachers also think that real flowers bloom in the garden of life.
This is always a noble idea to develop a positive relationship between teachers and students. This relationship virtually assists both the young and adult learners in the knowledge sharing or teaching learning process that happens inside and outside of the classroom. Developing a positive relationship with teacher, of course, takes time and efforts to reach at an excellent level. Aristotle says the term ‘excellent’ is not an act, but a sum of habits that we repeatedly do. Here, I would like to draw a student’s attention to the following basic tips that can promote positive relationship with teacher if s/he repeatedly practises:
1. Attend the class regularly and be in time. If you must be absent, do contact your teacher and explain your situation. Ask what lesson will be discussed so that you can be prepared for the session to come.
2. Participate in class discussions. Relate current issues to course content.
3. Ask questions and be prepared for class.
4. Avoid loose talks and negative attention such as talking with other students, receiving phone calls, eating and drinking during class, leaving early, sleeping in class or making excuses.
5. Turn in assignments and exams on time;
6. Sit toward the front and center of the classroom;
7. Sit up straight and get direct eye-contact with the teacher. Make sure your teacher knows your name.
8. Address teacher’s title and pronounce his/her name correctly.
9. Be open-minded and respect the opinions of the teacher and other classmates;
10. Schedule a meeting with your teacher. Regular meetings with your teacher has many benefits;
11. Shows your interest and enthusiasm in the course
12. Get advice on how to improve on future assignments
13. Get assistance in determining your major or career goals.
14. Be Prepared to meet your teachers. Ask for a specific appointment during
his/her office hours. Don’t be late.
15. Avoid meeting your teacher just after class. It is hard to get good one on time and teacher may not be available to concentrate;
16. Be organized. Have the materials you wish to discuss during the meeting such as books, class notes, power points materials, website etc.
The aforesaid tips may be more helpful for any committed students for improving mutual relationship. Teacher-student relationship not only paves the way of being prepared for examination but also matters the understanding of content well together with further discussion and interaction on the respective discipline. Most of the students could hardly forget some teachers’ teaching method and mood of effective discussion. At the same way, some teachers could hardly avoid some students’ questions and interactions that took place in the classroom. Sometimes, it has been observed that teachers have to attend the next class with well preparation in order to face the probable questions of meritorious students. A proverb goes that where there’s a will there is a way. If a student determines that he/she will ask the relevant questions in the class, teacher should also whole heartedly strives to answer and explain to some extent. M.K. Gandhi once says, ‘if a man does not ask, he will not get’. It means without questions, teachers also could not prepare him well for appropriate delivery. The questions and answers held in the classroom determine the mutual understanding on the content as well as it brings close contact in teacher-student relationship. The Q & A reveals the gap of discussion inside and outside of the classroom. It also hints the curiosity of learners at the same time. Thus teachers should invariably identify the intrinsic curiosity and capacity of students on the content he/she discusses. This is one of the most important determinant factors through which a teacher can remember a student for a long time. On the other hand, students also can assess the depth of knowledge of teachers through Q & A on the relevant content. As a result, both teachers and students in the campus and in the classroom situation can come in close contact with each other. For developing this excellent relationship between teachers and students both of the group will have to come forward. In the present situation, students with good intention should come forward first where teachers have already been devoted in this noble profession.
Teachers also must prepare themselves well on the subject he/she teaches. Teachers’ efficiency, nowadays, relates not only in delivering lecture on the topic but also on the capacity as to how to visualize the issue of discussion before the students applying teaching aids including power point presentation.
Teacher must apply IT in teaching learning process and provide the learners different website addresses through which students can browse and earn more knowledge and skills needful for facing the challenges of globalization.
The teaching learning environment prevailing in Bangladesh must be improved. Teachers and students are more eagerly searching information through the use of IT than any time before. Bangladesh Government invests only 2.2 percent of GDP in education sector. It must be enhanced up to 4 percent of GDP in education in the days ahead.
The neighbouring countries India and Nepal have already invested 3.2 % and 4.7% of GDP in education sector respectively. In addition, monitoring in education services both in public and private sector must also be enhanced for improving teacher-students’ relationships in the years to come.
(Dr. M. A. Maleque, Associate professor of Political Science and Vice Principal of Government Safar Ali College, Narayangonj. E-mail: abdulmaleque @yahoo.com)
