As we all increase our knowledge base through various information platforms to have better understanding for execution and implementation of our ideas into our work zones, I too attended  many workshops and seminars to have effective ways and pedagogies in my teaching profession. These were quite helpful tools and techniques which made me confident and in connect with current education system demand , however I found myself helpless when it came to implementing the methodologies. I was doing more of classroom management , event management, Data Management (UDISE+APAAR) and extra curricular program management which was making my professional life difficult. This reduced my role from academic mentor to low-level administrative clerk or an event manager.

Today there is rise of education as a commercial industry that has fundamentally altered the teacher-student dynamic. In the institutions, now education is treated as a service and students/parents as "customers." This has shifted the power balance, leaving teachers vulnerable to managerial pressure, arbitrary dismissals, and disrespect from entitled Heads of the Institutes on one hand and  students or aggressive parents on the other hand.

The other day I planned to attend one of the online platforms workshop on ‘Restoring Teachers’ Dignity and Credibility’ as my patience and tolerance towards loss of authority was under testing times. With a prudent thought that the learned and experienced intellectuals will help me arrest this professional crises I committedly registered for this three hour session. To my utter surprise I heard them explaining that teachers dignity today lies in hands of Students and Parents , hence teachers need to earn this respect from their students by being polite, empathetic, resilient …… and gave all the soft skills list. This compelled me to think is earning respect and dignity lies not in our strong subject knowledge, having good communication skills, being a patient listener and in proper execution of all above ?

I always felt that despite of all challenges -be it administrative activities pressure, timelines pressure or management duties pressure – my showing up everyday with a heart ready to teach and a mind ready to adapt would help me sail through all frictions. Yet the work remains endless, post covid, the work from home continues for teachers ,the major reason is the schools are either understaffed or have very low retention rates. According to newly released research from Pew Research Center,(US) it was found the mood among teachers is grim. More than half of respondents would not recommend the career to a young person. More than two-thirds of them said they find teaching overwhelming, perhaps partly because, according to 70% of them, their school is understaffed.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first Vice-President had said that it would be his honour if students celebrate his birthday in respect of all teachers. He said “there is huge role of teachers in nation building and for that sake teachers should be respected more”. However , As every year we get close to celebrate ‘Teachers Day’ I feel that the teachers have come a long way in losing their ‘GURU’ status.