Fr Dr P S Varghese
Principal, MGM College, Dimapur
“The great teacher is not the man who supplies the most facts, but the one in whose presence we become different people."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American philosopher and essayist, led the transcendentalist movement in the mid-19th century and oversaw the first school of American philosophy. In the American Romantic Movement, he had a profound impact on the thinkers, writers, and poets that followed. He said: the greatest teachers aren't always those who provide the most facts, but those who transform us in their presence.
There may be times when we are delighted by the presence of certain people. Perhaps they are less vocal. Simple people with a rich life experience. When you sit with them, the ambiance itself creates an aura. In the same way, we experience God through silence; I believe they can teach us a lot with their silence. We may all know a person like this either in our village, our church or even in our family. When wavelengths are the same between two people, the human relationship becomes unique.
Educators in the great Indian ancient educational concept are like catalysts; their mere presence itself is a blessing. Every day, millions of students walk with their teachers. They are torchbearers, guides, and signboards. When we lose our light, our vision, and our own destination, we fail to show others the way.
Our light wasn't extinguished or lost, nor did we lose our destination. We need to be so conscious that we are teachers all the time that God is with us. I will never have my divine light dim, no matter what happens, I will always be guided by your free will as I became your star. Let us pray this prayer each day from our inner being. This prayer will help us succeed in the remaining part of our lives.
Ultimately, education aims to create enlightened and new human beings who will think for their society. A person who is more concerned with others than themselves will have a holistic view of growth. Each teacher must grow to the level of the universal teacher along with knowledge and wisdom. Even though God is the universal guru, he has planted the same potential in each of us. We must provide sufficient sunlight, minerals, and water for the development of this potential. Every teacher must approach each student in the classroom with love, care, compassion, and patience in order to impart the concept of this natural resource.
The pandemic taught us that learning is no longer restricted to a particular person, place, or time. Through these days' abundant experiences, we have discovered new spheres of learning. Today, we can learn from anywhere and at any time. The universalization of learning offers enormous knowledge and information. We become more creative, humble, and dynamic when we have a good teacher or mentor by our side. You must be with your children, teachers, and by simply being with them, they will grow into more dynamic, creative, humble, simple, compassionate humans who take care of each other.
According to Tolstoy, if a person feels pain, then they are alive, and if they feel the pain of others, then they become a human being. In the context of education, we should understand this statement. "If you feel pain, you're alive, if you feel other people’s pain, you're a human being."
