Teachers are Our Nation-builders by ITM Business School

"It can't be denied that teachers remain Special Architects of human destiny".

From the Gurukul system to today's Digital system, education has evolved, and the teacher has metamorphosed from stage to stage. The Gurukul system is, in specific measures, coming back in the form of multi-disciplinary education as spelled out by the National Education Policy. Just hoping that the respect, love, and care for the teachers in the Gurukul system replays through the new form of education, emphasizing on developing impeccable discipline, attitude, and moral values in students. The purpose of the Gurukul system was to bring education closer to reality, and the ITM business school is back with the same philosophy in education 5.0. They returns to experiential learning, the teacher is drawn toward setting an experimental live student-centric learning environment. 

September 5th is celebrated as "Teachers' Day", a day when we pay special obeisance to all our teachers. Every individual is sure to have a teacher or many teachers who inspired his course of life journey. Not surprisingly, this day was gifted to teachers by a dedicated, eminent teacher, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. After his academic career, in 1962, Dr. Radhakrishnan became the President of India. His students and followers wanted to celebrate his birthday on September 5th. Still, he asked them to commemorate the day as "Teachers' Day" and dedicate the day to cherishing and celebrating the nation's builders. 

Dr. Radhakrishnan was a researcher, writer, mentor, and passionate teacher. According to him, Innovation and Industrialisation are vital components of education and encouraged teachers to drive this to make our students competent to face modern challenges, some of which are:

Build an innovative mindset: Teachers must drive innovation through their teaching and academic engagement. In the earlier days, students were made to byheart while learning, but times have changed, and teachers must encourage self-discovery and innovative attitudes in students. This will enable students to think out of the box.

Industry Collaboration: One of the purposes of education is to make the students employable. This requires an understanding of the business environment. Gone are the days when a teacher was required to teach a chapter and move to the next one. In today's times, a teacher with 20th-century knowledge will not match the requirements of 21st-century students. Industry, too, is forthcoming towards adding value to education. This could lead to inviting industry professionals to class, promoting industrial visits and helping students gain industry perspectives.

Impetus to Research: A well-researched teacher can share her expertise with the students and can make the class interesting. While it is essential for teachers to research, it is equally vital for them to instil a research mind in every student. The research will propel students to dive deep into learning.

Practical approach: While a teacher plans to cover the syllabus, the greater intention should be for the overall development of the student. Building the right attitude and values is an ongoing process for a student, and the teachers can subtly introduce such learnings in the regular course of the Teaching -learning process. It is pertinent for a teacher to transform Teaching- learning to the current needs. Picking up problems of society or business and encouraging students to find solutions can be a novel way to push students to connect with society.

Align with Tech Transformation: Technology is an enabler, and teachers can use technology as a teaching tool and for the teaching or assessment process. Students are familiar with AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality) and AI ( Artificial Intelligence), which makes it essential for teachers to be well aware of the speed of technological progress and use it in the best possible way.

Pedagogical Practices: Teachers must design learning environments. They need to understand the depleting attention span of students and plan accordingly. University collaborations can bring variety to the students. Working closely with stakeholders can bring new flavours to the classroom. Pedagogical tools can convert monotony into interactive and energised learning platforms.

Echoing our Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words, "Teaching is not a profession; it is a way of life ." Teachers are fortunate to be endowed with the divine responsibility of enlightening young minds. Teachers shape the nation's destiny; they are the architects who lay the firm foundations of society, and we are proud of them!