What Do You Wish Your Teachers Did Differently?
Here’s what people told us …
At Learning Matters — an early childhood education organization in India, our educators are our strength. Since we work with children as young as zero to toddlers, we need to ensure that our educators are authentic and constantly reskilling themselves to understand child behaviour.
However, when we, as adults, think back to our childhood days, that was not always the case. Today, with the education sector’s evolution, fortunately, there’s a greater emphasis on recognising children as curious, strong and smart individuals. Authentic educators consider teaching an honour as much as a responsibility to raise tomorrow's compassionate, resilient, and empathetic leaders.
But what has changed? Or what is the need of the hour to achieve this goal?
We wanted to know from adults and from parents so that we can integrate those into our learning habitats. We asked parents what they wish their educators did differently, and the answers were insightful, interesting, and can be a game-changer if implemented well.
Here, we share some of those answers:
What do you wish your teachers did differently when you were a child?
“Be more compassionate and listened to their students.”
“Be more encouraging and interactive.”
“Encouraged art-based learning.”
“Valued students’ opinion.”
“Acnowlegded and treated a child as an individual rather that being dismissive and saying, “You’re just a kid.””
“Gave freedom of choice and valued that choice.”
“Had more empathy, especially towards children with learning difficulties.”
“Encouraged free play.”
“Combined different subjects, for example art and history to enable better learning.”
“Thought about emotional safety and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community.”
“Paid more attention to student counseling.”
“Emphasized on and encouraged humanities as a discipline.”
“Showcased a sense of forgiveness towards children.”
“Practised and integrated sensory play activities.”
“Listened more and preached less.”
This poll and some of these answers serve as a great guide into what children need today so that they can grow up in more inclusive and healthier environments. If we, as educators and parents, think about what we lacked during our education and formative years, we can consciously work towards providing those elements for our children at the right time and in the right manner.
