Dear Teacher Human Brain Is Limitless Please Help Them Explore

(Salma Ali, Islamabad)

Today, while browsing for some good quotes for my teachers’ workshop, I focused Albert Einstein and the very first quote I saw was “Everybody is a genius but if we judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. The quote I have read many times and ignored, caught my attention and forced me to dive in to the ocean of thinking.

Dear Einstein, thank you so much for identifying the core issue of world’s education system. You are truly a genius.

The mentioned quote truly represents our Education system where every student has been judged with his/her math and language ability. The teachers focus and use the same approach for all and expect the students to pay attention and give good result. Resultantly, many intelligent minds after getting education fail to get desired positions and contribute to the society.

After reading the above quote, I planned my session on “Multiple Intelligence”. A brain theory introduced by Harward Gardner who has the similar thinking and views. The world will always admire him for his endless contribution in education.

Harward Gardner who through his theory brought a storm in 1983 when he published a book “The frames of mind” that awaken the educational world and changed their direction.

Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University suggested to change the traditional concept of intelligence and shared that human has eight intelligences; (Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Musical, Visual/Spatial, Body/Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal) that help them to explore and contribute to the world. He defined intelligence as “The ability to solve problems or to create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings”. Gardner believed that all Eight intelligences are equally valuable and practical. He suggested the teachers to use such activities that fulfil the needs of all intelligences and provide students an opportunity to learn with fun and polish their inner potential. Despite critique on this theory, I still believe that it not only widens the thinking horizon of the teachers but gives a clear direction for producing active and competent human resource.

Sadly, still in majority schools, the teachers follow jug and mug theory. They believe that students do not know much so they need an adult to help and pour knowledge from a full jug to an empty mug. Still the schools encourage and promote lecture method to acquire good result and come up with confused, non-confident and less creative students.

Whereas, schools are built to ignite the thinking process of the students and help them think out of the box for personal and social change.

Darling Hammond (2000) stated that student learning “depends, primarily, on what teachers know and what they can do. Teachers are the nation builders. They are the one who change the fate of a nation with their wisdom. Thus, this profession demands passion, preparation and patience for professional development and students best learning.

Today’s contemporary world demands tireless efforts from teachers to help students reach their full potential and contribute to the world. Thus, teachers should update their knowledge of different theories and use various activities that can fulfil the need of every individual. The teachers must give themselves tough time and develop such lesson plans that not only provide knowledge of a specific topic but lead a student beyond for discoveries and creation.

For effective teaching, the teacher should provide experiential learning opportunities by engaging students from head to toe and help them dive in the ocean of knowledge for exploration.
Dear Teachers, please develop reading habits, please read books, students abilities, students interest; demand of the era and change your practices. We do not want to repeat and give the same experiences that we had as a learner. Lets’ not judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree rather by swimming in the water. Let’s change our practices and bring innovations in teaching and produce genius minds. Let’s make VAKT (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile) part of our daily classroom activities to develop the students holistically.

Dear Teachers, we need creative thinkers not Parrots.

Dear School owners, please arrange professional development opportunities for your teachers. Please encourage creativity and positive competition. Please make sharing and exploration a norm of staff room. Please share updated knowledge with your staff. Please develop multiple intelligence zones so students can spend their leisure time and enhance their skills further.

This world not just only needs doctors and engineers but researchers, athletes, musicians, philosophers, environmentalists, entrepreneurs etc. as well.
Dear parents, please do not discourage your children for what they show interest. Rather, provide a platform where they can improve their skills with encouragement and appreciation.

 

Salma Ali
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