hai friends, how are we?*:-h wave

this mail is exclusively for students, teachers, professors, scientists, engineers and all those who are in the profession of TEACHING or TRAINING!...in schools, colleges, universities, organisations....as to how they should groom themselves or how to plan their career...

for those who ask 'are you qualified to speak on this?'...i have been a student at two of the best engg colleges of the country...have worked with teachers and professors in schools and colleges in labs, setting up training or lab facilities, seen their plight, heard their grievances, have been a student attending classes at various universities all through out my life, and still i am (when i enter the class room or exam hall students think Professor or Examiner has come and get up...and when i go and sit with them saying 'i am a student!' they laugh!!*:)) laughing...'old' student and 'oldest' student of PSG Tech!!!), have been a professor myself, a hostel warden, HOD, Registrar, Controller of examinations and vice principal of the asia's largest institution meant only for aeronautical engg with 125 faculty ex IITs and IISc and with students from abroad. In fact all this is not necessary to write the following...just a three year study in any college is sufficient...!!

the mail might sound to be relevant to only teachers in a college, but it can be applied to teachers in schools also....

Prof S Narasimhan, Ex IISc, Professor and Head of the Dept of Aerospace engg at MIT for about 26 years (!!!) who has taught many famous scientists and engineers spread all over the globe, including Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (who, once when he was the chief guest of a convocation at Anna Univ, was moving up to the stage along with Chancellor (governor of TN), VC and other dignitaries, sites Prof SN amidst the audience, turns back and rushes to the audience, when every one was stunned and wondering 'what the bloody hell is happening here!!!'...seeing chief guest running down the stage and rushing to audience...finding his way to reach the prof amidst chairs and people, touches his feet, takes his blessings and comes back to stage!!!)...

wofff..introduction has taken so much...anyway, I also had the privilege of being his student...the point here is, once he narrated 'how post graduations and doctorates came into existence'...here it is...verbatim...

'there were about 30 students in that graduation class...only 10 of them got jobs...remaining did not know what to do...institution also felt they have to do something...to add to their knowledge so that they can get job later...so they created a course called MTech...made them to study for two more years...out of 20 only 08 got jobs...12 remained...both students and institution puzzled...they started MPhil so that they can learn more to get jobs...after that also only 04 got jobs...again scratching...they decided to start PhD and all 08 were grilled...after that also only 04 got...o4 remained unemployed...again scratching...then the institution decided to employ them as lecturers in the same institution so that they are forced to study while they teach the students!!!'

i don't know if he said this as a joke or real thing that happened, but i understood the following from this:-

1. all weak students can follow this approach to improve their knowledge, qualifications, communication skills and public speaking ability so that they can get a job, earn stipend or salary during the above process and earn qualifications which will pay them throughout their life.

2. PhD is a must to get promotions till the top in academic world

3. once we have decided that teaching is our profession we should invest knowledge in this business of making money, getting fame and respect in society and producing many students and followers. We should not enter or remain in this profession with lesser qualification than PhD.

4. any student should not stop his studies saying 'i am happy with my graduation. I got job. I am earning to make my living. That is enough!'...as  continuous studies only will make him move forward and upwards in his profession. The day he stops learning, he becomes a dead body, redundant, obsolete and unwanted in any organisation.

(hey guns and roses! don't draw negative corollaries from the Prof's talk that 'professors are left overs in their classes!!!'...that is not correct...may be such courses might have come up like that or due to the need for higher level of knowledge in institutions, organisations and for the country's growth. But let us draw only positive corollaries!!!)

I have seen many school teachers or college lecturers crying and delivering substandard teaching service with cribs like 'I am not promoted!'...'I am not given that coveted appointment (HOD, COE, Principal, VC etc)'...Is it right?...i have seen many of them really not deserving what ever they have been cribbing for...all of them have not got  what they are cribbing for because  1. they never aspired for it    2. as they have never aspired they never prepared themselves with the 'potential'...they only 'performed' which is only a necessary condition and not sufficient condition.

Let us see what all a lecturer can do...

1. become a good teacher
2. become a good researcher
3. become a good academic manager
4. become a good administrator of a academic institution or university

now, what is the meaning of each?...whether one can become master of more than one above?

in my definition 'good teacher is one who can make a dull student to understand more difficult theories in minimum time'...today we have to teach sooooo much in less time...not just lecturing, but to ensure that students understand to the level of the teacher about the subject. So, it is not so easy. The teacher has to spend lots of time downloading / preparing CBTs, clips, videos, PPTs, tutorials, questions and answers, solving all possible types of problems and more problems, refer all books under the earth on the subject, refer all research publications (to teach latest), making working models to explain difficult theories, making simulations, conducting experiments in labs, taking them to field visits, industries...the list goes on...he has to spend lots of time to make his teaching / training material simple, best, exhaustive, user friendly etc...even if he has taught the subject for many years, he has to add information, prepare, because every day new changes do happen in the subject, even if it is a fundamental science like physics or chemistry or bio...without this, i am sorry to say that no one can do justice to his profession.

the crux is it is not easy to be a good, 'students liked', 'industry preferred' teacher unless he toils his mid night oil and spends the whole day with students, labs, internet, computer etc. It requires time, focus and efforts.

some are interested in research...so they do lots of research, industry sponsored projects, guide phd scholars (real guidance spending days and nights with them in labs), publish lots of papers in national and international journals, attend and present papers in conferences and seminars all over the world...so they add value to the dept and institution in another dimension...they may be good teachers too...but they don't have time to do all that is required to be a good teacher of today's world...without doing all i said above they can not be good teachers...if some one takes hours to make a dull student understand a difficult theory i don't grade him or her as a good teacher...so, lots of research is required to be a good teacher...to find out thousand ways to make him understand one difficult or simple thing!!

some are good academic managers...i.e they can manage all the academic processes in a dept or college well...right from finding out the needs of industry, making a syllabus, getting it approved, getting study materials made...to...examinations, entering marks and what not?...they can manage all the teaching and clerical staff well, keep all happy, ensure that all classes are handled well by people, ensure students conduct well, handle all grievances of students and parents...even staff...so, other than teaching and research they can manage everything under the sky of an educational institution...may be they can teach well also...may be they are good researchers also...but they don't have time...as either they like management more than the others...or the institution wants him or her to do it...

all of us in an institution do all the above in some proportions...some less teaching, more research and less management...some more teaching, less research and average management...like this all probabilistic combinations are possible...

We should be very clear when we start our career...as to what we want to become in life...

a good teacher?
a good researcher?
a good manager?
a good administrator?

a good teacher who is less in research and management can not expect to become a HOD or above, as this job requires more of management than teaching or researching. Of course, he or she should have done research and got a PhD so that they know what is research all about to mange PhDs, research scholars and internal and external projects of the department.

similarly a good researcher who may or may not be a good teacher can not expect to become a HOD or above, as he also might not have spent enough time in management or may not be interested in doing management of academic processes.

so, in case one's aim is to become a HOD then he or she should complete PhD, be a good or average teacher and spend lots of time in management of academic processes in the department.

If the aim is to become a GOOD Principal or VC, then one has to expose himself or herself to management of academic processes in the dept, experience of a hostel warden, controller of examinations, conducting seminars, conferences and workshops...i.e everything other than teaching and researching!...it does not mean that we should not teach or research...as PhD is a must to become a Princi or VC...and also he or she should have taught subjects till becoming HOD to understand the difficulties of teaching a subject and all academic processes involved as a teacher...i am only saying that they are only necessary conditions and not sufficient conditions.

Many join teaching after MTech, enjoy their salary, enjoy teaching and continue teaching only...with minimal interest in research or management or administration and after a decade or so feel bad that they have not been promoted.

Many get involved in research and later on crib that they have not been promoted.

Many get involved in only writing books and crib that they have not been promoted.

So, all teachers...we need to know what we like, what we enjoy, what we want to be in future, what is our aim etc very clear from the beginning and accordingly prepare...not only 'perform' but also 'potentially' become deserving for the next post or elevation.

so, what you want to become?...a good teacher...a good researcher...a good manager or a good administrator??

ok guys and gals...we will discuss more about the career of teachers and trainers later...

bye...keep rocking...*:-h wave

rams