December 14, 2023

All our students whatever their background are affected by us, the facilities in college from seating to library, our teaching style, our behaviour, attitude, our communication abilities and concern or lack of concern for them. All our students benefit from a caring attitude, good class room teaching, opportunities available for growth & development, fair dealing, transparent policies, respect communicated and moderate discipline. Open communication makes it clear to them that they can always turn to us when in doubt and expect us to do the best by them. Listed here below are tried and tested methods of getting our students to be fine specimens of human beings who we can be proud of.

1. Pride of your college:

Whether we like it or not, there are students who do well inspite of the meagre attention we give them and students who perform poorly inspite of our best efforts. These two categories exist at two ends of the continuum of academic performance in a college. Well! Why don’t we seriously think of enhancing the performance of the good performer to help him feel like a hero and strive to reach higher levels of satisfaction rather than the reverse? These ‘bright sparks’ are very good in their subjects because they have been working conscientiously at it and are class toppers, sometimes even better gifted than their teachers. Utilise them to clarify the doubts of the peers, juniors or freshmen in college with regard to subject matter, how to be successful, how to study, what resources to use, how to plan a career or higher studies, work towards satisfactory employment etc. Even those who may not have been effective public speakers would blossom under your care to truly deserve the title of ‘Pride of the college’!

2. Remedial courses/ bridge courses for the needy:

We have students who enter the institute for education, from different parts of the country, different mediums of instruction, different educational boards and, sometimes, students from outside the country. There is invariably inadequate emphasis on certain subjects that may have direct bearing on the subjects being taught in the new set up. The student finds it difficult to cope on account of his being poor in the fundamentals of that subject. It becomes imperative that we advise him to join do remedial work well before joining our institute by seeking help from agencies that offer help, when he has the time, so that he is able to go on with the flow of the class. Alternately, we may have to have a ‘bridge’ course or remedial course on the basics to enable understanding. Senior students may also be engaged/employed to do this successfully. Our thoughtful concern would create a favourable impression with the family and the student who has opted for this course of study. In turn, we would minimise failures in the subject and the various problems that can be the outcome of a student not understanding a subject in class- mischief, absence, and malpractice in submission of assignments or in examinations. We have a ‘win – win’ formula here if we stop to pay a little attention to it.

3. Interactive sessions in the classroom:

While we have very bright and dull students, majority come under the middle category. These students look for sustenance from us but do not trouble us. An interactive classroom is one where students work in groups of five. They are thrown a question or a problem to solve. They answer carefully after discussing with each other. This would enable participation of all, team work and bright ideas from the otherwise middle rung category too, because there are bright sparks in each of us, the opportunity provided to relax, think, discuss and respond would enable all of them to be active learners-winners. Teacher’ instructions need to be clear to ensure that all are engaged in the exercise and everyone in the group take turns to answer during a semester. Try it! There would be animation and excitement and absorption of concepts in an interactive class where student participation happens naturally by a facilitating teacher. The teacher would also be challenged to improve his own levels of awareness/ knowledge/delivery which would be far more exciting than the traditional monologue delivery.

4. Induction for teachers is a necessity:

There may be a necessity to educate every new ‘teacher to be’ who mayu have entered the college with a Post-graduation and not a B.Ed., by a minimum of a month long induction programme on student psychology, expectations, ways of dealing with students with the help of effective teachers who are student’ friendly. Assistance of Colleges of Education in the area would help. Following induction, the next three months could be class room sessions where the teacher is closely observed while he handles class and active remedial feedback given to make him more effective. This would give the new teachers confidence to effectively carry out their roles and prevent damage that can occur to the young minds who may adopt unhealthful ways of coping with issues that may have originated from the teacher’s lack of maturity or experience. It is a system of creating a win- win situation that prepares the teacher endowing them with confidence in a streamlined way, giving a clear message to the students and parents that the college deeply cares; and that avoidable mischief would be taken note of and dealt with. It paves way for a trusting relationship between the teacher, the taught and the management.

5. Celebrate Diversity:

All of us want our students to achieve success in college as an outcome of their investment in college life. Needless to say, our own existence depends on their success and the positivity that arises out of our commitment to their wellbeing. We have diverse students from all backgrounds, with bio -psycho-socio- economic- cultural and intellectual differences and equally diverse teachers trapped in their own experiences. New teachers need to be engaged in regularly scheduled discussions with learned teacher mentors at periodically for supervision to register observations, perceptions, apprehensions and discomfort so that they are expressed and assisted to deal with the challenges, they face. Where observed behaviours or practices are truly unhealthy and unproductive, individualized interventions may be carried out seeking professional help where necessary, in a politically correct manner to enable growth and build trust.

6. Need for professional counselling in colleges:

Experience clearly indicates that 25% of our students at any given point of time have difficulties that affect their academic performance and wellbeing. This inadequacy can result in poor performers (for comfort and acceptance), hanging out with ‘losers’ (who have not had the benefit of your care and mentoring), who wait for an opportunity to ensnare the vulnerable innocent loners, to increase their strength of numbers to feel secure. They welcome these unhappy struggling souls most lovingly, in their difficult times and introduce them slowly and steadily to unhealthy choices by giving it a ‘cool’ façade. This is what increases the number of people who smoke, drink, spend time at ‘pool’, get hooked on to gaming/ play stations, pornography, sexual adventures, illegal drugs, partying, pubbing, drunken driving, inadvertent lying, excessive spending of parents’ hard-earned money, trouble with the law, accidents, deaths or suicides. These are youngsters who originated from middle/upper middle/high socio-economic homes who’ve had close supervision till 12th, who have experienced the adolescent struggles of peer acceptance and pressure, body image issues, negative comparison with those who are brighter, smarter, richer, more successful with the opposite sex.

There has always been a need for professional counselling in colleges, because the adolescents go through a phase of paying scant attention to parental advice and groan when it is doled out. Supremely confident of their new found freedom, with distractions galore and in their attempt to fit in, the youngsters fall prey to several unhealthy habits that would result in their losing time, wasting energy and health.

From fear of ragging to adjustment to a new environment to dealing with the various pulls of mid to late adolescent life, along with persistent academic demands to dealing with anxieties of various kinds, there’s a definite need for an avenue to seek ready help when a youngster needs it and takes courage to seek it.

A well trained counsellor would be able to create a friendly atmosphere for students or teachers to voice their concerns-frustrations-unhappiness to pave way for clearing the garbage out of their mind that would have otherwise been shelved into the crevices of their bottom most layer of the unconscious to harm them, and eventually frustrate all stakeholders – the students, parents, the administrators, the society, eventually. All concerned universities should care to have professional help available for their students and teachers in order to help them deal with troubling issues however minor so that it can be the stitch in time.

7. Teachers’ methods of dealing with frustrations:

The new teachers, unfortunately share their frustrations/ difficulty in coping with a challenging bunch of students with equally ignorant, raw teachers who have had no training in human behaviour and chalk out a plan to ‘teach a lesson’. Invariably it is something that they themselves have received and buried as unpleasant in their unconscious. It is necessary that teachers air it to breathe free, utilising trusted counselling services to be better version of themselves to be able to deal with the youngsters with compassion.

I wish to focus on student’ needs more, as they are eager to work on improving their situation when they trust the counsellor. They are fearful of teacher’ motives and capabilities which are magnified in their minds. It’s almost akin to the fear of ragging by seniors. They do not speak about it fearing that their academic progress would be jeopardized. They do poorly in the subject the ‘tormenting’ teacher takes.

8. The Course objective:

The teachers need to clearly spell out to the students as to what is expected of their students at the end of the course period by way of skills and knowledge in order to utilise it to find acceptance in a global constantly evolving world.

9. Traditional IQ is not an indicator of success in a college:

We need to know that our students are diverse. They come from various backgrounds, live in situations very different from each other’s and possess common and uncommon characteristics. Even people from apparently similar backgrounds have some similar yet many different practices, belief systems and aspirations their method of learning may be different, their language ability different and their exposure to the world varies too. It is important for a teacher to know that traditionally tested IQ is not the only criterion that makes for his confidence and success in college or later life.

Being differently endowed (refer Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner), one may be verbally, linguistically gifted, artistically special, mathematically brilliant, possess exceptional physical or inter personal or intra personal skills or may have special abilities of understanding nature, societies or cultures.

Each of these students we need to know are talented, possess abilities or have potential to do well in one or two areas of life and it becomes our responsibility as their care takers for the best part of the time to give them opportunities to develop and express those skills to develop a sense of wellbeing. We do know that a confident person is more productive, more cooperative and more creative in problem solving and dealing with the different challenges of his life with optimism.

10. Know your students as individuals:

Create a system of knowing each of your students and recording their baseline status, observed talents/ potential to enhance the abilities and minimize inadequacies. Constantly think and brain storm on what can be done to help students do better by including them in plans for their life.

For example, if a student who comes into college is poor in his ability to interact with others owing to English language deficit, have a special programme to work on this through a language laboratory at the earliest so that he is not pulled down by low self-esteem.

11. Orientation to freshers:

Students in a new environment, especially when they enter a college are excited, anxious and full of misconceptions about college life. To them what they see on popular small screen or the big screen seem real and they need to be clearly educated on what to expect by way of an anticipatory guidance programme on the first day in college. This programme should clearly indicate who would be available to provide guidance when needed, when and where. The Fresher’s orientation should also have ingredients that make the students chalk out goals for themselves both short term and long term, individually first and in small groups, to help them define and focus on specific objectives.

12. A helpline for students:

It would help immensely to have a helpline on campus to call when in distress to prevent disasters. It would also give clear guidelines to the college on what facilities need to be provided to fulfil aspirations of students.

Several of our students who in their desperate need to fit in, go through conflicts, before submitting to peer pressure of beginning smoking or trying cannabis or consuming alcohol or even giving in to sexual demands by a date. It is at such times and at times when someone is extorting them through black mail, that they need to have a professional helpline offering them prompt, reliable guidance. While we may say that parents are there to guide them, in truth parents are the last to be consulted on such issues.

13. Parents as an asset:

Parents have a right to know what is happening to their ward at any given point of time. His/her/their progress, achievements, lack of progress, misdemeanours may have to be communicated to them at regular intervals and their assistance sought if possible to deal with issues needing a diverse perspective. Parental involvement in the students’ wellbeing is of paramount importance and would pay dividends in the long run as they would be our well-wishers willing to contribute ideas and efforts to take the institute a notch higher by partnering in the development of the college. They could give guest lectures, conduct seminars and workshops on related topics to expose students to a world hitherto unknown to them.

14. Student clubs & associations:

Clubs and associations where students have the opportunity to participate to express talent, learn new skills, engage in activities of common interest would help develop inter personal communication, co-operation, healthy pursuits, a competitive spirit, team work, lasting friendships, experiences of success and enhance their sense of well-being to combat loneliness or indulgence in unhealthy habits.

15. Special care of the quiet ones:

A student who comes from a rural, impoverished, troubled or low socio economic background or an over protected environment needs special care as he finds it most difficult to adapt to a new environment. Similarly a student with a long standing illness like juvenile diabetes, HIV, haemophilia, asthma, a mental illness or a physical disability. A system of identifying such students and assigning them to trained teacher guardians for closer supervision and allotting them to peer helpers or senior students who’ve been guided to do such work, would be of immense value.

16. Students as a Major Resource:

It is perfectly possible to utilise the talents and energies of our diverse student body by mapping their potential talents through an organized directory to help others in need of such services. From helping with language facility to adjustment, building confidence to dealing with ragging, providing tutorials to guidance in specific subjects, from making it possible to learn extra-curricular skills to supervision, they do it all, as it fulfils their need for extension and service.

These student volunteers also identify problems in the population they serve and refer them promptly too when the need arises.

17. Inculcating the habit of reading:

Most of our students unfortunately are not into the habit of reading. They’ve been passively switching on the TV and watching reality shows or soaps and are adept in downloading movies or music tracks from the internet. Reading newspapers or useful magazines or articles has never been a part of their life. It helps to acquaint them with easy to read books to begin with, so that that they are gifted with a possibility of spending time with books that can be used again and again without relying on power or gadgets that enable it. The modern version of ‘Kindle’ helps the avid readers.

18. Movie appreciation:

Most movies that are shown on the big screen are commercial hits that mostly titillate and do little to energise or generate any positive thinking or activity. While it appears fashionable to see a popular movie in a multiplex, you can change the perspective of students by giving them assignment of a movie review at least once in a year so that they can discuss intelligently on its merits and demerits. If there are 30 students in a class it is thirty movies reviewed and dissected. To have a catalogue and directory of good movies of all languages would be far more educative than you can imagine to help them appreciate art, history, culture, concepts, and various aspects of life. I’m reminded of a movie we showed to our students on subtle apartheid through a family drama in the movie ‘To kill a mocking bird’ by Harper lee. The students had reviewed the book first and were provided with an opportunity to review the movie too. Similar books and movie reviews can happen through ‘Sir with love’, ‘One flew over the cuckoo’s nest’ or ‘Hitler’s downfall’ for that matter. Movies made in our soil of the likes of ‘3 idiots’ seen by all, ‘Life of Pi’, ‘Morning Raga’, ‘Rock on’, Baghban etc, are worthy of review too. They provide entertainment while educating and make way for a healthy expression of views. We could expect our students to be more mature, wise and feeling good that they have not just been entertained but are richer in thinking and feeling.

19. Inculcating Civic sense:

Much as we boast of our rich cultural heritage, there is little to show for it in our behaviour that speaks in favour of us as a proud nation. We woefully lack the civic sense. All that has been taught in school, seems to evaporate into thin air when we see our interaction with each other, with nature and with facilities made available to us by honest tax payers. We eliminate our body wastes without any sense of shame, anywhere. We throw garbage wherever we wish and into a neighbour’s plot or compound. We scratch a bench or desk or wall to etch some graffiti. We pelt stones at window panes, spit on stairs, burn buses and vehicles as a mark of protest, we cut trees or allow trees to be cut mercilessly, we tolerate eve teasing and don’t utter a word to stop someone doing it as it is being done to someone who is not our girlfriend, spouse or sister... we are so complacent that it appears as though we are lacking in that fervour of righteous living. It is perhaps inevitable to gather concerned citizens together to put a collective effort at combating these evils that make us a disgusting society. It can begin in college through efforts at educating, sensitizing to prepare leaders of today. Only then can we have hope and the right to call ourselves civilized.

20. Fostering Nationalism

While we are very happy to listen to or gyrate to any number of sheela ki jawanis, Chipki chamelis or fevicol se, Natu naatu... in essence, the trash that Bollywood dishes out, we do not do anything to foster a sense of nationalism in our students. A land that has had the likes of the Mahatma or a Mother Teresa, APJ Abdul Kalam, JRD Tata, Swami Vivekananda, Sir M Visvesvariah, Vinobha Bhave, who have been inspirations to the best of world leaders, is certainly not impoverished. We need to bring the Mahatma up and the likes of him again and again in our discussions so that their contribution and message to the nation and world are not forgotten. We need to celebrate their birthdays or the day they attained martyrdom with debates, discussions and plans to air the virtues they lived by. The national song Vande Mataram or the National anthem do not get entertained in our celebrations in college. There is a need to inculcate a sense of nationalism not by coercion, but as a choice, in our young men and women because a strong national identity and pride is what we need to inculcate in our students.

21. Teaching them the joy of Giving:

Receiving a gift makes us feel good, so is giving something to someone when we have it in excess. The positive feelings and the feel good chemicals that generate in a human being when he does a good turn to others is not experienced by many because most are seekers and not givers. We have not given them an opportunity of reaching out to the needy by example. The student clubs and associations need to look for opportunities to contribute their mite to the wellbeing of others, by their knowledge, skills and time, along with sharing of material possessions. This can be a guided activity to begin with and with them experiencing the satisfaction that emanates out of the Joy of Giving, it would sustain itself.

22. Negative reinforcement through opportunities for community service:

Our students err in some way or other, by not showing adequate discipline of submitting an assignment in time, registering for an activity late, fraudulent behaviour of some kind, any unscrupulous practice, or breaking of a rule, say operating a mobile phone in class-not earth shattering offences, but if not checked they would make it difficult for you to maintain discipline in your system that has to handle thousands of students.

While punishment through a penalty would be the first step one adopts, a second line of management could be to identify the person’s capabilities and registering him/her in a student directory as an asset with those skill sets. The unforgettable punishment can be to get them to impart those skills to a group of deserving students in the near vicinity in a planned manner and giving them a certificate at the end of it all that they have done it. You have just converted a ‘lose- lose’ situation into a ‘win- win’ one. Having experimented with this, I’ve seen that my students not only stopped erring, but continued to help others well after the period of community service. What was even more beautiful was when students who weren’t being given this negative reinforcement, desired to register to help others in need!

Well! While working with students, one can’t just do the traditional; one has to think out of the box to fulfil the role of a sensitive care taker to support the cause of true education of making a finer person of the person who is entrusted to us. With this objective achieved, our students would be compassionate thinking HUMAN beings, capable of designing their life and, become much sought after by the employers as we give them not just graduates but wholesome citizens who would do the country proud wherever they may be posted.