Creating a Better World - The Teacher’s Way

Priya Sanjay Tandon -

One often realizes the value of a ‘value’ while striving to teach it to one’s child. Parents aspire to impart values to their children, but they may not always know how to do so.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba states, “The End of Education is Character.”

Parents wish to provide their children with the best possible education; however, are schools able to impart human values alongside academics? Are highly educated young adults, who lack qualities like kindness, honesty, good character, and respect for elders and women, of any value to society? Are they assets or liabilities?

The recent tragic incident in Kolkata has shaken the conscience of the nation. The offender is not just guilty of this crime as a singular offense; his past is marked by many big and small offenses for which he went unpunished. His growing confidence eventually led him to commit atrocious acts. The police, CBI, judiciary, and government all have work to do in ensuring capital punishment for the offender and amending the laws to deter others from following the same path.

Here’s a thought: Can our teachers consciously work on grooming children to become citizens of good character? In Bharatiya culture, teachers are revered next in hierarchy only to parents.

The Taittiriya Upanishad states:

  • Maathru Devo Bhava (Honour your mother as God.)
  • Pithru Devo Bhava (Honour your father as God.)
  • Acharya Devo Bhava (Honour your teacher as God.)
  • Atithi Devo Bhava (Honour your guest as God.)

Alongside parents, school teachers spend considerable time with children during their formative years, leaving lasting impressions on their minds. Children’s minds resemble clean slates; parents, teachers, society, TV, mobile phones, YouTube, and the atmosphere in the house leave impressions on them. 

Therefore, it is crucial for teachers to be well-trained and equipped to impact the tender minds positively. While the academic and intellectual development of a child is important, we must not overlook their physical, emotional, and spiritual growth. Education must be holistic, nurturing the child’s social, creative, and artistic potential.

In the past, the focus in education was on teaching methodologies; now, emphasis is placed on learning outcomes. The goal is to ensure that effective learning occurs. Valuable citizens of the country are those who have excelled academically and possess strong values, which are fundamentally instilled in childhood.

Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini (SSSVV) comprises a cluster of about 1,500 dedicated volunteers working diligently to create value-infused educational content. Headquartered in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, it operates under the auspices of its parent organization, the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust. I am fortunate to offer service here, so I wanted to share an overview of our work on Teachers’ Day. Our aim is to cultivate children into wise, humane, God-loving, responsible individuals of integrity. 

SSSVV provides digital educational content for school teachers and trains them to create an environment where school becomes a happy place, filled with guidance, learning, and support. Our program integrates human values into the curriculum, ensuring that these values are not obvious or overt but are instead seamlessly woven into the content, akin to sugar dissolving in tea; you can taste them but not see them.

SSSVV is the single largest contributor to the Prime Minister’s DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) portal. We have uploaded over 40,000 digital assets compliant with CBSE and various state boards for classes 1-9, available free of charge. These assets serve as a gift to teachers and, consequently, to the children of the nation. We are also preparing content for ‘Inclusive Education’ aimed at benefiting educators who work with special children, expected to be available soon.

The Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini aspires to make education insightful, inspiring, enjoyable, and participative in every aspect! 

  • Insightful: Every concept is explained innovatively, making it easier for children to understand. Learning by rote is outdated.
  • Inspiring: Children are motivated to be the best version of themselves. Each child learns to compete with themselves rather than with others, aiming for holistic growth.
  • Enjoyable: When children enjoy their education, it no longer feels like a burden. The objective is for children to look forward to attending school, with learning being fun rather than tedious.
  • Participative: It is often observed that only a handful of children actively participate in academics, sports, and extra-curricular activities. This program is designed to engage every child. Each domain to which a child is exposed has been carefully considered, resulting in a comprehensive plan of action for the 4Cs: Classroom, Corridor, Campus, and Community. We call it the IIEPx4C format.
  • Classroom: The teaching-learning experience must be positive for both students and teachers. Teachers should not feel overwhelmed with excessive work. Frequently, teachers must invest significant time preparing lessons, researching interesting content to capture their class’s attention. All this research, refinement, tabulation, and categorization has been undertaken by our dedicated SSSVV volunteers, making it easy for time-pressed teachers.
  • Corridor: This is a space where children absorb what they see or read. We view it as a passive learning area. Bulletin boards serve as excellent platforms for displaying inspirational charts, drawings, and write-ups while showcasing students’ creativity.
  • Campus: Learning occurs not just in classrooms but also in playgrounds, labs, washrooms, and during school assemblies. Each of these areas presents opportunities for teaching and learning.
  • Community: Subtle lessons occur when children engage with community spaces like parks, marketplaces, and fairs. This program seeks to convert such spaces into opportunities for passive learning. Additionally, schools can invite community members to share their experiences with children, providing firsthand learning and insights. Potential speakers might include policemen, postmen, civil engineers, architects, doctors, and traffic officers.

The significance of quality education cannot be overstated. Each of us has a purpose in life, and good education teaches us how to uncover it.

Ultimately, if we can instill the right Sanskaar (values) in our children, we can foster a better Sanskriti (culture). A better Sanskriti will lead to a better Srishti (world).

The SSSVV program is holistic, aiming to chisel and polish each child into a valuable human being. If you are a school teacher or know someone who is, please share this treasure trove of knowledge with them.

Happy Teachers’ Day!

Here is the link to the SSSVV website: Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini

Happy learning!

This piece has been published in AcadNewsNetwork on 08.09.2024. It can be viewed here https://acadnews.com/creating-a-better-world-the-teachers-way/

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