Follow up questions related to school, subject, teachers

1. For children these days, do you think it is easier to make friends in a smaller school or a larger school?
I think it is easier to make friends in a small school because there are less number of students and you can easily interact with them and find someone your type.
OR
I think it is easier to make friends in a big school because there are many students and you can easily interact with them and find someone your type.
OR
I think size of the school does not matter in ability to make friends.

2. In your opinion, what are the benefits of studying in a larger school?
There are many benefits of studying in a larger school. In a larger school you have many facilities like larger playgrounds and better labs and libraries. There are also better extra-curricular activities.

3. Do you think social education is important in schools? What are the advantages?
I think social education is very important in schools. As it is, children today are being cut off from society and community because they have burden of studies and even their recreational activities are done alone. Their parents also don’t have time to give them any social education. In nuclear families no one is there to teach them such values. So, I think schools should take the onus of imparting social education.

4. How do you think schools can help pupils in developing their social skills?
Schools can help in many ways. First of all teachers can act as role models and teach children basic manners and ethics. Then, schools can have compulsory community service as part of high school curriculum. There can be extra-curricular activities which impart social values.

5. What difference is there in moving from a large to a small school?
There are many differences in moving from a bigger to a smaller school. On the one hand, the student may find he has come to a smaller place with lesser facilities such as playgrounds and labs. But on the other hand he may get personal attention as there are lesser number of students in a small school.

6. What qualifications should a teacher have?
A teacher should have the qualifications needed for the subject he has to teach. For example, a science teacher should be a graduate in science subjects. Apart from that a B.Ed. degree is mandatory for all teachers in my country.

7. Why teachers give so many assignments to pupils?
Teachers give assignments to students so that they learn by doing things. In this way it creates interest in the subject also. Students also develop their writing skills. They learn how to gather material for the assignment. It also helps in internal assessment of students.

8. What are the qualities necessary to become a good teacher?
A good teacher should have many qualities. He should have good communication skills. If a teacher doesn’t have good communication skills, how will he teach. Secondly, a good teacher should have depth of knowledge. Because, if a teacher doesn’t have depth of knowledge, what will he teach. Then, a teacher should be impartial and should not favour any student. A teacher should be able to come down to the level of the student and teach him accordingly. A teacher should know where to be strict and where to be lenient.

9. Why do some people like to be a teacher and what are the effects of being a teacher on those people?
Some people like to become teachers because it is a noble profession. They have a passion for teaching. Some like to be teachers because they want to remain in touch with academics. Moreover, nowadays teachers are getting handsome pay packages. It is a fixed hours job. So it suits women because they have to look after their families also. They remain happy because they are doing what they like to do and it gives them job-satisfaction.

10. Is it easy for a young person these days to become a teacher?
Yes, it is very easy for young persons these days to become teachers because there are so many schools and colleges which require teachers. There are so many institutes providing B.Ed. courses. Moreover teaching is a highly lucrative profession. Teachers are earning very high pay packages.

11. Is it a good job for young people?
Yes, definitely. Teaching is a highly lucrative profession. Teachers are earning very high pay packages.

12. What is the difference in teaching young people and elderly?
When a teacher has to teach young children, the content is decided by the teacher. So the education is teacher oriented. Moreover, young children can be easily handled by the teacher.
When a teacher has to teach the elderly, then the students decide the content. So, the education is student centred. The elderly have many other sources to learn, like the internet. So they only want their doubts clarified by the teacher. To teach the elderly, depth of knowledge is required by the teacher.

13. What do you prefer – studying in a small class or a larger class.
I prefer to study in a small class because in a small class I can get more attention of the teacher.

14. Do young children need strict rules to cope with homework?
Yes, definitely. If teachers are not strict with homework then children will become careless. As it is, they have so many distractions at home like TV and video games. So if teachers are not strict they will not do their homework.

15. What is the difference in teacher taught relation today and in earlier days?
Nowadays the teacher taught relation is very strained. There are mainly two reasons for this. The first is that, earlier teaching was teacher-oriented. Teacher was the only source of knowledge. Now students have so many other sources like the internet and libraries. Secondly, the ugly claws of commercialism have crept into the field of education. Education has become a business and the student is the customer.

16. Do you think teaching is a tough job?
Yes, definitely, teaching is a tough job. You need very good communication skills and depth of knowledge. As it is, students have so many sources of learning like libraries and the internet, so, a teacher has to be really really very good to be able to teach well.

17. What are the characteristics of a good learner?
He should be very attentive in the class. He should be diligent. He should be regular in his homework and other assignments. He should have the guts to approach the teacher if he doesn’t understand anything.

18. What is the best thing you remember about your teacher?
The best thing I remember about my teacher is his warm smile. That made him very approachable.

19. Do you think there is any age limitation in studies?
No, I don’t think there is any age limitation in studies. A person can study at any age. A few days ago I was watching the news when I saw that a grandmother and granddaughter passed their graduation together.

20. Would you choose teaching as a profession?
Yes, definitely, I would choose teaching as a profession. It is a highly lucrative profession nowadays and there is no dearth of jobs in this profession.

21. What do you think of people not being into teaching nowadays?
Well, maybe they don’t have the aptitude for teaching. Maybe, they have better paid jobs elsewhere. Maybe they don’t have good communication skills. Maybe they don’t have the mandatory B.Ed. degree.

22. What can a government do to encourage people to take up teaching?
What actions should governments take to help a graduate student become a teacher?
Governments can provide good salary to teachers. Government can provide good facilities to teachers. Governments can give incentives in the form of free education to their children, free transport facilities, free health facilities and free meals in school hours. Governments can award good teachers. Governments can give good pension for teachers. Governments can provide free higher education to those students who would take up teaching job later on.

23. Can a good teacher remain good even if her students are bad in class?
Well, yes a good teacher can remain good at all times. It is his capability to convert bad students to good students.

24. How do teachers contribute to society?
Well, teachers are nation builders. They can contribute a lot to society. They can teach moral values and turn students into good professionals and citizens.

25. How do teachers motivate students to learn?
Teachers can do so in many ways. They can give them incentives in the form of prizes and also give them group assignments which make learning fun.
They can use innovative methods of teaching by using AV aids (audiovisual aids)

26. Who do you think children nowadays should follow - their parents or their teachers?
Children should follow both. They need guidance from both parents and teachers. If parents are illiterate, then of course teachers play a better role.

27. Do you think nowadays there is less value in a teacher’s job?
Well, no, and yes.
No, because teaching is a highly lucrative profession these days
and
Yes, because nowadays the teacher taught relation is very strained. There are mainly two reasons for this. The first is that, earlier teaching was teacher-oriented. Teacher was the only source of knowledge. Now students have so many other sources like the internet and libraries. Secondly, the ugly claws of commercialism have crept into the field of education. Education has become a business and the student is the customer.