Teaching is an art and so is the learning!

Teaching is an art and so is the learning. Both are like the two sides of the coin. If one soars, the other can't sink. So, for all those parents and teachers who have been discussing about the learning getting impacted during the pandemic, a holistic review of the teaching also becomes inevitable.

We have been harping on the fact that parents are the first teachers to the students. If that be the case, the review journey has to start from home. The challenges of the working parents as well as stay at home parents are the same. All of you have umpteen number of tasks and the associated priority list. For how many of you teaching the kids or spending time with the kids is an important task that comes up in top three of the priority list? 

If your list has this, kudos to you for being on the right track. This reflects that you and your offspring share a special bond and that you give due importance to the mental well being while physically existing!!

Unfortunately, if your list could not prioritize this, then either you have been a Corona warrior or have been on duty at the forefront guarding the nation where social duty has taken up the top most priority and it's fair to let your kids know about it and make them feel proud of it.

However, if you don't fall in the above categories, then probably you have assumed that work is life! This could be your personal or professional work. With this state of mind, you are killing yourself bit by bit and I would term it as a cold blood shed. This priority has led to stressful relationships, upset mindsets, perplexed existence and a meaningless life. Its time to break through the glass and welcome the little pleasures of life. 

Teaching is a noble act and with this service you are actually giving back to the society. You are instilling a sense of confidence in the next generation and making them learn through your experience.

As a parent, as a teacher and as a tutor it should be our endeavor to let our kids visualize and experience a situation through candid discussions and absorb the learning outcomes. This is the art of teaching! 

Academic guidance is always available in the books and this can be assimilated through the print and digital media effectively. However, soft skills are the ones that need to be taught to the next generation. These skills are now becoming vital for existence and they cannot be learnt unless the need arises or the experience teaches.

Do you remember how in Mahabharata, Arjuna displayed immense focus and concentration while aiming his bow and arrow? We talk about it even today. We talk of similar examples from mythology and regional folk tales. This is for the fact that our parents and teachers beautifully conditioned our minds by spending time with us. They read us the stories, they shared their experiences and then in a subtle way taught us the moral values too! This basic strategy is slowly losing its importance. However, to me this still means a lot.

So, while academic teaching is taking a sharp leap, emotional and mental well being is an essential and cohesive teaching element to be focused on for a holistic learning. The child is always eager and anxious to learn and waiting with open arms to embrace the newness in everything. 

To ensure that the child regains interest in learning, revisit the strategies you use for teaching, club your personal experiences so that the child can relate to, and above all leave aside your mundane tasks to prioritize your child over anything. The learning will automatically happen! The child will learn that art naturally and will be able to reflect upon the teachings effectively. 

Your sense of achievement will be immense when the child outgrows you, however you will never get that sense of achievement even if you complete all your household chores.

Let me know what you think about it. I'll be eager to know your experiences.