A Teacher's
Missing Connect With Students
by Vijai Pant
The Parent Teacher Meetings
(PTMs) in the school come with their own set of
problems for me. With more than three decades of
teaching behind me, it is not that I’m not
able to deal with parents patiently and politely,
something which is expected, and rightly so, of
the teaching fraternity. Difficulties arise if
the child does not accompany the parent, despite
the school’s instructions.
The standard question,
“How’s he in English?” is fended
easily enough with the help of the class tests
records, but if the parent comes up with, “Otherwise,
(meaning besides marks) how’s he in the
class? Does he answer questions? What about his
class behaviour?” these leave me fumbling
for the ‘right’ words to describe the
child’s response. Unable to zero in on the
child, I try to wriggle out of the situation with
a counter. “Why’s he not here?”
The parent, put on the defensive, gives a lame
excuse and decides to co-operate in the matter by
describing his son’s looks, but my dead
memory refuses to ignite.
Barring the very few who
create an impression- whether right or wrong that’s
another matter- on me, my memory is a clean slate
so far as children’s names are concerned.
My problems get compounded
if I happen to come across such a ‘low
profile’ child’s parents outside the
school, say in a social do. Then I would employ
the tried and tested method of making perfectly
safe and generalized statements, giving me ample
room to revise my opinion about the child, as per
the feeds provided by the parents during the
course of the conversation.
Using the same modus
operandi, I’m overcoming my porous memory
during the Parent Teacher Meetings too. I now
avoid extremes and take to the middle ground
while briefing the parents who come unescorted by
their wards. Without blinking an eyelid I respond
that the child is OK, but has the ability to do
better. That leaves me smug and the parents
satisfied. I see no point in unsuccessfully
exerting my mind to recollect the child being
discussed. I agree with you that it is not very
honest, but it is the only approach to save
myself the blushes.
Now, when there is the
school’s annual inspection coming up, I’m
on to this extremely difficult mission of
remembering as many names as possible of my class
children. I know you would suggest me to get busy
in preparing my lesson plans and teaching aids
and update my knowledge in the topics to be
taught, like the rest of my colleagues are doing.
Actually, in the inspection
last year the visiting officer had generously
complemented me for my lucid explanation, but had
tempered it with the need for a closer bond
between the teacher and the taught.
This time, when my lesson
will be observed, I’ve been suggested to
call students by their names while interacting
with them to establish that apparently missing
connect.
I wonder will I be able to
do it. Still, please wish me luck.
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