Mihir Pathak | મિહિર પાઠક

Teacher's Riyaz

· Mihir Pathak

The Question

It’s Teacher’s Day, and I have a question for you.

Just as a musician has their riyaz (daily practice), and a writer has theirs, what would you say is the riyaz of a teacher? What should a teacher engage in every day—not tied to any particular subject or grade, but as a practice of life itself? Could you share 2–3 such practices that you personally follow? I would be delighted to hear them.

I want to give more interesting prompt. Think about something which is not directly connected to classroom teaching.. for example doing yoga or doing nothing for 10 min everyday.. will that help in my interaction with children? Think about looking the same tree every day.. will that help…

Responses :

Srivi

Mahendra sir

Chetana

Read, meditate, gardening :)

Disha

  1. Plan your class well, but be ready to improvise, always.
  2. Read about current affairs relevant to the kids to strike a conversation with them

Antara

There are a few things I can think of -

Practicing gratitude and acknowledgement of the elements like sun, water and air not just in my head but when I am interacting with them…

Listening practice on my terrace - Birds sounds

Observations - plants, insects, worms, in my garden.. I also like to smell for unique smells in the dried fruits, leaves or compost bin, I like to imagine and name the smells - amonia or sulphur Hahaha… Mostly this is my routine in the morning…

Current fascination is fermentation…and colour making

It directly connects to doing some exploration or experiments during nature walks…

Yes… Also challenge them for what’s bad, ugly, and keep a look out for hidden phenomena

When ( time of the day) the sun rays are soft on our skin warm and not hot vs. when the skin burns… transition from warm to hot… Experiencing it was fun For children

On the same line I chanced upon atmospherics in paintings and how monet use to paint only in a certain light and switched canvas as soon as the light changed….

As a city folk…I find it very challenging to come from a space of rest/settled state…

I also try affirmations in the morning - Asking the universal will to attune me to what I need to attend today. It’s helpful the days I do it…

Lately I have realised most city folk are challenged by negative self talk and poor self care habits…

We are drowned in this condition and we just bounce around spilling it in the environment.. mostly unknowingly

Seema Hegde

Hmmm.

I had a teacher from my college, who is retired now, he used to say, one should always be up to date with the information. He was an exception among other elder teachers who would come to class without study and just blabber old, outdated things.

I think riyaz to a teacher (at least for me) is to refresh the lesson plan, no matter how many times it has been taught in previous years. There is always something new, which can be added this year.

Also, a teacher should always go beyond textbooks, experience hands on, expand their own knowledge, and in turn create interest in students.

For this, I follow a few things:

  1. Reading magazines
  2. Learning with students, especially while answering their questions. You see one question leads to many new things,, its like a chain reaction
  3. Doing things myself

Samyak Bhuta

Students are jiv, chetana no punj ….chetanan to pind … Knowing what this jiv tatva is and what chaitanya it entails makes sense

I mean everyone is working with their material or dravya

Dhara ben

Good morning, Beautiful question.

The first thing I practise every morning is “NETI NETI” recognising all the roles I play and remind myself I am beyond all of that, I mediate on the chants of nirvan shatakam every morning.

  1. I take full responsibility of myself, my mind, my emotions and my body. I practise yoga 3 times a week, I dance, I go for walks, I am very particular about my diet (I let go fully when I am travelling or on a vacation) I spend good time in nature, parks, rivers, ocean .. all of these rejuvenate me.

  2. I READ, I read a lot. All kinds of topics, I don’t complete a lot of books if there don’t hold my interest but I do explore. I also listen to podcast and audio books when I go for walks.

  3. I love my family, very very deeply and I look after their needs, that keep me anchored and does not allow the rest of the things become centre stage. I have very few friends but they are my life lines.

Above all I keep a check on my self - Am I Happy, if not, then I check on what is the entanglement and I go back to “SHIVOHAM- SHIVOHAM”

https://youtu.be/LXtNqL2vxoA?si=BksqMD2_A48Osacv

Aditya

Roohe

  1. Listening attentively
  2. Being present and observant towards the child’s needs- said and unsaid
  3. Expressing your feelings to them with utmost patience and care instead of getting agitated

Jayashree Ashok (Creative School)

Who is A Teacher?

Sri Aurobindo clearly mentions that the first principle of true teaching is that nothing can be taught! What then is the role of the teacher?

A teacher is a role model, who points the way for students to unfold the knowledge that lies deep within them. Makes space for exploration, stays present and caring through many trials and mistakes and helps unfold wisdom that lies within. A Compassionate guide who holds space for self growth and learning to unfold. Helping students reflect and come to understanding within oneself. Who believes in each child’s potential and helps children see this!

Being a teacher is a path of yoga, of hard work, self discipline, self development and cultivating compassion for others. Teaching is a Sadhana that can lead one to self mastery.

Let us take back the dignity of this role - from just teaching a skill to holding a compassionate space for the unfolding of ourselves and the young souls in our lives!

Happy teachers day!

Nidhi Gulati

Mostly what I love is reading and writing, the more I read and write the better teacher I am becoming. The second most important thing is to develop a sense of calmness and tolerance through breath work, walking, taking breaks

Reva Swaraj

Karishma

Waah! What a question!

Mera riyaaz!

~ Khush raho ~ Connect with your needs and the child’s needs ~ Whatever is the question - Love is the answer

  1. Do something that you really like doing just for yourself.
  2. Self work (meditation and introspection)
  3. Laughing at non sensical something even if it feels fake

Ankita Apu

Happy Teacher’s Day!!!

Most of them are just basic things which many of the teachers follow. The last one I think is also important and at times neglected. Teaching and dealing with children is not always rosy.

I hope I answered your question.

Additional Response: Connected to my last point, yes, it would help.

To engage in your interest it could be drawing, taking a walk or as you said doing absolutely nothing. I do have an hour after I come from school and just lie down to decompress for an hour. Of course, it will be subjective depending upon the person’s personality and interests.

Dancing is another go-to for me. Once in two months or at times every month when I feel overwhelmed or overworked, dancing helps me regulate.

Alok Ulfat

Don’t ask just witness without judgement. Be attentive awake and engaged.

Rest and do nothing when doing something 🪷

त्यागते हुए भोग करो

Rameshwari ben

Good morning… Not one practice… Many I follow…

  1. What do I need to learn new to connect with these new generation kids… through books and other sources…stories, methods, new ways, new topics etc…

  2. How can I become more empathetic towards children while I am with them… especially meeting demands of corporates and still continuing what we wish to do…

  3. Not loosing connection: consistency of inputs…

  4. Being a mother of children - loving them and all around them and their circumstances…at times friend to them n remain available all time so they can access me

  5. I work with different age groups so different connection methods I particularly try to learn them and serve

  6. My end goal remains my learning and their questions, their involvement…. avoiding teaching rather communicating during sessions…

  7. For anything I, we or my team do - child centric approach kai rite follow Thai shake that is what I try…..balako ne majja plus learning male e try karu, activities, games, quizzes…

  8. Love myself, my improvements and them and their presence…but still remaining detached with them and outcomes…enjoy the process

  9. Remaining happy…a happy teacher creates happy world…

Thank you for asking this question to reflect and engage with my ownself

Sandhya ben

Hello… Yes, I would be delighted to share.

Although it’s not that I do the same practice everyday but yes with changing times and needs I do keep changing my Riaz but do it for sure…

The very first thing is gratitude…coz I feel am blessed and happy to BE !!!

Secondly I remind myself that I carry a responsibility of BEING happy thus to extend it to the souls around me.

Thirdly what I get is much more than I give so giving 2.0

And fourth but not the last is that I am going to a place promising the Future of humanity, am lucky to enjoy it 🙏

Tanuj Bhai

Awareness of one’s relationship with students and fellow colleagues

Vaibhav

https://youtu.be/LoUIthdIglc

Mihir

Bansi

When I used to work with children, it gradually became very important for me to go back to school after dinner, around 6-7 pm when the girls had more time to themselves. To chat, meet, read together, work on library stuff, to do extra padhai. It became very important to be with them when neither of us were under pressure to conform to a role, a task or a value.

It greatly affected how I carried myself in school the next day, how I persisted getting over the resentment in what I felt school as a deeply conflicting space.

Jinal

Riyaz of attentive listening without judgement (to just the surrounding sound, not music or podcast or someone talking)

Vishal Bhadani

અભ્યાસ અને અભિવ્યક્તિ શુદ્ધિ

Isha Talsaniya

Hey! Such an insightful question..

For me - constantly learning myself is a non-negotiable. Which requires myriad inputs - books, travel, conversations, courses, podcasts etc

Hence practice 1 - Life-long learning.

The other is, reflection and reflective action. Cumulative time to look back and constant awareness of actions as I perform them.

So practice 2 is - Reflection and awareness (of self and other)

All about child

First of all Happy Teachers Day! Hmmm this made me think 🤔. Meditation is very important to keep a calm demeanour. Leave all your negative baggage behind before entering the school/ work space. Always keep the attitude of learning from your students.

Spending time with children, be interested in them, loving them respecting them. I find this the most important. When this happens and when a connection is made, a lot of many things will start coming to the surface. I feel its also a process which unfolds in its own time and hence one shouldn’t hurry. Dont take yourself too seriously, someone who is very knowledgeable and knows the best for the children, this attitude always comes in the way we relate.

Chhaya

I missed your ‘ન’ in previous prompt

Still, can’t detach myself from ‘work’, cz it has never been work only - life creeped in n out of it.

જીવનની પ્રેક્ટિસ –

For last few years I have tried following to break patterns and to do what I wanted to but couldn’t in the hustle:

  1. Learning watercolor: it has become extremely interesting journey
  2. Making friends of other faculty - like short story writers - I have realised that it is altogether a new universe than that of friends in education
  3. Reading challenging stuff
  4. Sitting quietly - doing nothing: I have found that I keep on doing one or other things like crochet or painting
  5. Writing: I mostly write when I feel an urge. It amazes me how much n many चित्त has collected n accumulated: it is now helping me to become detached of them
  6. Right now I am on trip with my colleagues - we are very different when it comes to approach to life, for them traveling without family is a very big deal.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Deborah

Hi Mihir, thanks for sharing the question. I would love to hear your thoughts on this, too.

In comparing a teacher to a writer, or a musician, there are implicit assumptions of teaching being akin to an art, more specifically, a performing art. The specific content of what they teach is actually secondary to how they are able to interact with, and motivate students. This is a reason why subject expertise doesn’t necessarily make one a good teacher, who is not dealing with empty containers to be filled with knowledge, but people with rich, complex inner lives who should feel motivated to learn.

This makes teaching a particularly hard occupation (I won’t go into the issues of conventional teacher training which is still running with a factory model of education). I do believe teaching is a calling, and suitable only to specific temperaments (whether these can be learned would be another discussion).

The core of teaching lies in deep empathy, and developing the skill to channelise it into specific forms of teaching. How then to continuously develop this empathy? I think it comes from the practice of daily attention and reflection. Many good teachers maintain journals outlining their daily practices, and that becomes its own piece of learning over the years. Through such reflexive practices, they are able to hone the innate knack of teaching into an intuitive skill.

Sahmata

Rachna Mam - MSU

Very interesting questions, thank you! Don’t think anyone is interested in teachers or teaching processes in such depth these days 😁

Mitali Baxi

To me, this reyaz means: To work on own self much deeper, much objectively. Means, to grow cooler and cooler day by day by being more accepting, by understanding difference between expectations and real needs - of life.

I understand that when I grow wide, my increased compassion and acceptance connects me more with students and with all the people around children.

One more riyaz is to challenge own knowledge continuously to learn better for making students learn better.

What a beautiful question you asked!

For everyday practice: Reflection about the whole day is the key. For that, I dine around 6.30 pm, turn off my internet after 8 pm. And go to sleep between 10 and 10.30.

Also, whenever I get upset about anything, I start reflecting on it right in that moment.

(Till date I have found that any irritation has its root in me and only I can overcome it; the outer conditions are not at fault.)

Radika

For me, it has been self reflection so far.

Another one, Observing children, Noticing how they think, what excites them, where they struggle or what is something they don’t like. Watching with curiosity rather than judgement

Bansari

For me it is otherwise around I think because I do some practices as a person or as a human being, and those practices makes me teacher.

The most important practice is to understand that everyone’s reality is different there experience is a different and so the knowledge and their perception is. I practice this with all age groups. This practice also helps me to see every age groups as equal human beings.

Whenever I am asking a teach with a learning group, I do practice to put my self as I am. Also try to break stereotype of conventional teaching learning processes and perception of how a teacher is.

Muskan

What a lovely question :)

Happy Teacher’s Day Mihir! 😁

For me, reading something and doing some form of exercise for physical fitness are 2 important practices.

Reading opens up my mind, and is fun! Physical fitness helps balance my emotions, and thus allows me to understand myself & others better :)

Suraj

It’s interesting and takes a deep thinking

  1. Continuous Learning, upgrading knowledge, attending training, reading, reflecting…
  2. Adjusting methods when something isn’t work… Should have multiple methods to teach or learn…

These are from my side 😊

Pratika

  1. Roz naya kuchh padhte rehna. Har mamle mai updated nahi raha ja sakta. Lekin jitna jyada raha ja sakta hai utna rehna. Naya padhna naye ideas deta hai, naya nazariya deta hai

  2. Teacher ke role ki practice karna

Teacher koi insaan hota hai. Aur har insaan ke apne belief hote hai. Ab chunki wo teacher hai buae poori tarah un belief se bhare teacher ae alag nahi kar sakte. Wo teacher samaj ke 10 aur role mai hota hai, sambhav nahi aesa karna. Lekin as a teacher uski kya bhumikaye hai, ye use yaad karte rehna chahiye, taki uske niji vishwas aur mantaye uske kaam pe havi na ho.

Jo kinaam taur pe har teacher ke ho hi jati hai.

Tabhi schools mai saraswati pooja ya admission nke time ygya-hawan hote hai. Ameer gareeb bachcho ke sath bhedbhaav hote hai. Apne role ko nibhane ki practice.

Deeksha

Hey Mihir,

Apologies for the late reply.

I think first thing for me is to bring myself back to the point where everything originated for me. Which is to ask is my work making way for more sensitivity and does it helps myself and others to understand the vast interconnectedness and expance of life, or does it merely conditions others with my point of view, making the mind dull and narrow.

Second thing is to not put myself at pedestal, especially when I am with kids. I try to learn with them. Thigh I miss many times.

Thirds is a fairely new one, as a result of realisation of socio economic injustice, I tend to draw away form places which serve only class. Which is happening more and more into alternate spaces.

I thing quality education is for all and it should reach every child. Though it becomes difficult because ai have to earn and privileged space are usually the one paying teachers well. But I tend to be aware of it, even if I have to do it.

#blog #learning resources #teacher's day

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