The scientist or an artist is equally perceptive; else they would not ever have sized up assessing a need or a context for research or a piece to create. But what pulls them away generally is the focus required in value adding to the work and how presentable, it would be. This is a very generic statement though, and we do have scientists of the caliber of Jagadish Chandra Bose, who turned out to be a polymath—physicist, biologist, biophysicist, botanist, archaeologist, as well as an early writer of science fiction. Couldn’t have been what he was, if he wasn’t perceptive. Likewise, we had Raja Ravi Varma, the painter from Kerala who travelled across the country for his choice of subjects and recalled his traditional Sanskrit learning, his Thanjavur training and also the training he acknowledged from the Dutch oil painter Theodor Jenson. Anchored and patronized by the Travancore Maharaja, the Maharaja of Vadodara and the Maharaja of Mysore, Ravi Varma was “sensitized” to a variety of subcultures, which reflected in his work. His dabbling with the press and coming close to the then freedom fighters added another dimension to his perspective. His family members were also involved either as subjects or as promoters because he was perceptive to their needs.
I have preferred talking about teachers, because unlike the previous chapter where I have dealt with writers, who go with the flow of events and their perceptiveness toward them, in vocations such as that of a teacher, perceptiveness is a dire necessity in contextual times for every moment of delivery. And I include trainers in this category.
Please see the following diagram, which pictorially depicts the role of perceptiveness in the performance of a teacher.
If we are to scrutinize this illustration carefully, we find that the underlying and all-pervasive feature of the profession, like all others, is passion. The straight line on top depicts the essence of passion in every communication made by the teacher, whatever the interface—whether it be students or be it the information-world. It’s only the prevalence of passion that will send through the sense of involvement in each performer. Else both the source of information and the audience would get to sense the smallest presence of apathy, which in turn would escalate with time and numbers and eventually go to ruin the performance.
Figure 2 Perceptiveness in teachers
Now we examine as to why perceptiveness becomes the quintessential feature of this profession. O*NET OnLine, which partners the American Job Center® Network, visibly allocates “social perceptiveness” as a critical skill required for educational administrators and counselors. Without idealizing the previous fact, let us accept that the information flow in today’s context is unfathomable and seamless with the presence of the Internet, print and electronic media and the churning out of books in much larger volumes than it ever happened before. It depends on the teacher, therefore as to what he should access, how much should he filter and what portions could be registered as relevant knowledge. At the same time, it is significantly true that the teacher has to have admittance to all the information available. The teacher is not sensitized to deliver if this part of his homework has not been done, even if he or she may have the syllabi and the course material on his or her finger-tips. The findings of contemporary research are available to the teachers to add value to the syllabus and make the subject more interesting than ever. The interest generated in fresh or topical events is much more than what has happened in the past and if such events add value to the context or the concept, the excitement is much more. For instance, highlighting a comparison drawn out in the beliefs of Stephen Hawking (a contemporary physicist) and that of Sir Isaac Newton would invariably catch more attention with the student. Therefore, the use of the knowledge acquired on an ongoing basis also has to catch the attention of the teacher. This brings us to the second interface of the teacher. But before we start discussing that, it is imperative that we understand as to what would tutor the teachers’ actions in using such knowledge.
What would be the tools that would not only help them to utilize the knowledge, but also to shortlist the information that needs to be transformed into knowledge (a) for immediate transference to the audience and (b) for the repository?
(a) Clear Vision
As late as 2009, Karen Hammerness from the Brandeis University, Waltham, USA has completed her work titled “The Relationship between Teacher Education Program Visions and Teacher’s Visions,” which simply goes to emphasize the vision of the teacher and its significance in the framework of teaching. According to me the teacher should have a career vision separated from an achievement vision and should lay down the foundation stone for the latter prioritizing over her “career vision.” The achievement vision should spell out what best as a teacher one could deliver and eventually get into a mentoring syndrome—the guiding philosophy being the “Guru Shishya Parampara.”
(b) Benchmark
They should fix timelines with each batch or batches of students and impart the value-add within that timeline. The value-add is a step closer to the vision in terms of information, knowledge and delivery including its strategy and method. That would mean that the content would be communicated in a manner most appropriate, left to the assessment of the teacher. This also means that the teacher should be adept in the state of the art styles of pedagogy, because only then can the teacher keep the interest of the audience in place and continue to have the latter energized to learn. The value adds need to persist with every benchmark and help the teacher-student team journey on a spiral reaching closer to the vision every time.
Now the second interface. This requires a regular count of perceptiveness. Although the alertness and social awareness does not have to wander far and wide as in the first interface, it has to be exercised day in and day out, watching events (including personal and familial), responses to behavior and situations and the traditions and norms that are being adhered to since birth. Empathy with the audience and its individual members is the key. This would set the platform to bringing in cues, even when you have not made a deliberate move to acquire them. Not to make the mistake of ignoring the information not required at that time. On the contrary they should be carefully catalogued in the repository of the mind. This has a dual advantage. The teacher is able to communicate and transfer the “knowledge” in the desired perspective and more effectively for certain. The second gain that the teacher derives is that he or she is better off learning what the needs of the students are, their likes and dislikes, aptitudes and ambitions. It would provide the teacher the occasion to discover whether the ambitions were in sync with the aptitudes, and a great podium to guide the students to achieve symmetry between what they cherish and what they should work for. The teacher has to assume the role of a mentor.
In order to illustrate, let us see in real life how an ideal teacher has set himself as a role-model. One of the greatest teachers in this part of the world was Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who subsequently became the first Vice President of India and the second President. Fundamentally, Dr. Radhakrishnan was a teacher and which is why the whole of India celebrates his birthday as “Teachers’ Day.” Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, B.H.U. wrote in his paper, “The Great Teacher Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: Life, Vision and Actions,” the following.
His actions as a Teacher began in 1909 and continued even after completion of Teachers Training in 1910. Once he was asked by his student if he had been abroad for education. He replied, no but I will go there to teach. Such was his determination. He was very friendly with his students. At Mysore while giving tutorials to students at his residence, he used to receive students himself, offer tea and used to see off them to door. He used to shake hands with each of them. He was given a unique farewell by students when he left for Calcutta University. His carriage during departure was pulled by students and not by horses and the entire platform was full of cries, “Radhakrishnan ki jai” [Victory to Radhakrishnan].
Even in Calcutta University he took active part in bodies of the university. He was very popular among teachers and students. He was an eloquent speaker. As narrated by a student, once a foreign scholar spoke for 50 min on Greek Philosophy in Calcutta but audience could not understand him. Dr. Radhakrishnan spoke the gist within 10 min and audience was satisfied. As Vice-Chancellor of B.H.U. he solved many problems and even saved the university from atrocities of British forces. He also ensured its educational development. He was not only a teacher for his students but also for his colleagues and diplomats too. According to him a teacher should have openness of mind. He said that, “the True Teacher helps us to deepen our insight, not alter our view. He gives us a better access to our own scriptures.” Further according to him:
The true teachers help us to think for ourselves in the new situations which arise. We would be unworthy disciples if we do not question and criticize them. They try to widen our knowledge and help us to see clearly. The true teacher is like Krsna in the Bhagavadgita, who advises Arjuna to think for himself and do as he chooses yatha icchasi tatha kuru. (Banerjee 1991, p. 15)
He was a great teacher because he reinterpreted the past to weave something new for us in all spheres of life particularly teaching, philosophy, politics and religion. As he himself quoted Confucius saying that, “He who by re-animating the Old can gain knowledge of the New is fit to be a teacher.”
Further, Dr. Santosh Kumar Behera, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Education, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia, West Bengal has added and compiled in his “Educational Thoughts of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan” all the ideas of Dr. Radhakrishnan on what an ideal framework of education needs to be. What I have reproduced here are the excerpts that are most relevant, in terms of the perceptiveness of a teacher.
According to Radhakrishnan a true teacher always helps us to think for ourselves in the new situations which arise. They try to widen our knowledge and help us to see clearly. The Indian education system did not change much from what he cautioned 67 years ago.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
The process of education becomes dull and boring if we are unable to interest the live minds of the students. What they learn unwillingly becomes dead knowledge which is worse than ignorance. Learning is an activity of thought. It is not stuffing the mind with facts. We must be able to use what we learn, test it, throw it into fresh combinations. It must become vibrant with power, radiant with light. (First University Education Commission Report 1948)
He believed that,
A good teacher must know how to arouse the interest of the pupil in the field of study for which he is responsible. He must himself be a master in the field of study and be in touch with the latest developments in the subjects, he must himself be a fellow traveler in the exciting pursuit of knowledge.
He says,
A teacher who has attained the goal may help the aspiring soul. Truth was not only to be demonstrated but also communicated. It is relatively easy to demonstrate, a trust but it can be communicated only by one who has thought, willed and felt the truth. Only a teacher can give it with his concrete quality. He that has must be a proper teacher who embodies truth and tradition, only those who have the flame in them can stir the five in others.
Teachers as Removers of Spiritual Blindness: Guru is the combination of two words—“Gu” means darkness and “ru” means to remove. In our country we look upon teachers as “gurus,” and “acharyas,” which indicates “achar” or conduct that is exemplary or good. Teachers must love the good and detest the bad. “Andhakar” [Darkness] is not merely intellectual ignorance but spiritual blindness as well. One who is able to remove that kind of spiritual blindness is called a “guru.”
Teachers–Reservoirs of New Spirit—Teachers are the reservoirs of this new spirit, the new spirit of adventure in intellectual matters, in social matters, in political matters. If you do not have that spirit, you cannot communicate that spirit to the youth, who are entrusted to your care. Teacher must know what this country stands for and they must be able to communicate the vitality not merely the instruction.
Teacher to Set Example—It is education, it is instruction, it is knowledge and it is also the example which the teacher gives (Aggarwal 2002, pp. 260–61).4
Many of these paragraphs are self-explanatory. Not only did Radhakrishnan teach, but also always “walked the talk.” I am tempted to reassert a few lines from the previous excerpts, only to display those innate qualities that the teacher needed to possess for building perceptiveness leading to performance, as indicated in the earlier parts of this Chapter. (Pages 17 and 18) …while giving tutorials to students at his residence, he used to receive students himself, offer tea and used to see them off at the door…a clear instance of his empathy which he needed to demonstrate for building his rapport with students. ...According to him a teacher should have openness of mind…The true teachers help us to think for ourselves in the new situations which arise…an obvious indication of working as a mentor to evolve the student on his/her independent merits. …A good teacher must know how to arouse the interest of the pupil in the field of study for which he is responsible. He must himself be a master in the field of study and be in touch with the latest developments in the subjects…the audience has to be kept engaged and there has to be continuing benchmarks created for upgrading oneself. … Only a teacher can give it (values) with his concrete quality. He that has (that concrete quality) must be a proper teacher who embodies truth and tradition, only those who have the flame in them can stir the five in others…the highlight here is the role of passionate communication and the passing on of the values to the audience. …Teachers are the reservoirs of this new spirit, the new spirit of adventure in intellectual matters, in social matters, in political matters. If you do not have that spirit, you cannot communicate that spirit to the youth, who are entrusted to your care…this is, I feel, a reinforcement of what has been said about maintaining repositories, bandwidth and passion in the chapter. Figure 2 will help in putting fingers on them.
Since we are discussing teachers, I wish to bring in a marked distinction between “withitness,” a term coined by John Kounin in 1970 and perceptiveness here. “Withitness” is the art of running a classroom while having eyes in the back of your head. Kounin’s model focuses on preventive discipline—techniques and strategies designed to prevent the occurrence of discipline problems in the first place, whereas perceptiveness is more inclusive—social background, ambitions, conduct, behavioral attributes and futuristic trends. Kathleen T. Talvacchia, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D., Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York University in her book “Minds and Discerning Hearts—A Spirituality of Multicultural Teaching” (Chalice Press 2003) refers to Perceptive Attentiveness needed by teachers, which is closer to what we are trying to understand here. She unambiguously declares in her book,
…. Perceptive teachers hold the ability to keenly discern and sensitively understand themselves and their learners in all of their possibilities and limitations. Perceptive teachers in diverse learning environments focus specially on an awareness of the culture and social context of the learners and themselves.... Perceptiveness and Attentiveness focus both on others and ourselves. It is impossible to perceive others and be attentive to them if we are unable to perceive and be attentive to ourselves...
Our conclusion therefore, would be that perceptiveness is the only integrated approach that can propel the performance of a teacher and dispel the gospel of holding on fast to the prescribed norms of pedagogy that no doubt help you to launch yourself in the profession but keep your observations hindered in exploring what to do next.
4 Aggarwal, J.C. 2002. Philosophical and Sociological Perspectives on Education. Shipra Publications.