Characteristics of Teaching
In Education Commission (1964-66) has
Some of the characteristics of
Teaching are discussed
below:
1. Teaching is a social
phenomenon: Teaching is influenced
by social and human factors. But
human and social factors
are dynamic i.e. they are continuously
changing and evolving
and so teaching is also dynamic.
2. Teaching is causing to learn:
Teaching is a task that teacher
does with his students for causing the
latter to learn something.
3. Teaching is an interactive
process: It is carried out for the
attainment of some specific purposes
and objectives.
4. Teaching is both art as well as
science: It is the name of
giving scientific form to art of skills by
using suitable methods
and strategies.
5. Teaching is both formal and
informal: Teaching is conducted
both inside the classroom and outside
the classroom.
6. Teaching is a tri-polar process:
The three poles in Teaching
are students, teacher and subject
matter.
7. Teaching is professional activity:
The teachers are
professionals and they use their
professional skills on their
pupils in a planned manner.
8. Teaching is basically a
communication process.
9. Teaching provides guidance,
direction and encouragement
to the learners.
10. Teaching can be observed,
analyzed and evaluated
Relation of Teaching with
Learning
We have learned that teaching is the
interaction between
the teacher and the learner, under the
teacher’s responsibility in
order to bring about desirable change
in learner’s behaviour. Now
you may ask me, what is learning? In
short, we can say that learning
is the process of bringing desirable
and stable changes in the
behaviour of students. Learning
occupies a dominant place in the
field of education. Learning is the focal
point at which all the activities
and processes of education converge.
Now let us a look on the
relation of teaching with learning.
this connection we can mention also stated,
Robertson, an educationist, who has “The destiny of India is now being
defined the relation between shaped in her classrooms
teaching and learning in the following
words - The National Policy in Education,
“Teaching is a generic term which 1986 thus comments on the role
denotes actions of teacher in the society as follows:
undertaken with the intention of “The status of the teachers reflects the
bringing about learning in another.” socio-cultural ethos of a
So, we can say that teaching is society: it is said that no people can
effective only when it results rise above the level of its teachers
into learning. Teaching would be
worthless and meaningless if professional
learning is not produced.
According to another educationist
training in particular can help
Cage, you to acquire those qualities.
“The process of teaching and learning
must be adapted to i. Professional Training enables
each other so as to make whatever teachers to have a better
combination of procedures pay understanding of the students
off best.” Since the aim of teaching is an all-
Therefore, where teaching must make round development of the
a central concern of personality of a student, as a teacher
the process of education, the leaning, you must have a thorough
in turn, should be make a knowledge of child psychology and
central theme and goal for every kind principles of pedagogy. This
of teaching. training will enable you to understand
the child better and will help
you to deal with your students /
children scientifically so as to bring
ROLE OF TEACHERS IN about their all-round development.
ii. Professional Training boost
SOCIETY teachers’ confidence
Teacher training is essential to build
Regarding confidence in the teacher. As a
the role of teachers in society, Dr. trained teacher, with the scientific
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan has aptly knowledge of class management,
remarked, you will be able to tackle any odd or
“The teacher’s place of society is of problematic situations in the
vital importance, he acts as the classroom with confidence.
point for the transmission of iii. Professional Training is
intellectual tradition and technical skill important to have mastery over
from teaching
generation to generation and helps to skills
keep the lamp of civilization burning.” A thorough knowledge of the subject
Children are the potential wealth of a matter on which you teach is a
nation. Since classrooms are must for you to be able to face your
controlled by class teachers, therefore students confidently. But as a
the children are always exposed to
teacher, along with the knowledge of
the influence of the teacher. Hence, the subject, you also require
the teacher seems to play the most various skills to communicate the
dominant role in moulding and knowledge effectively to your
shaping the attitudes, habits, manners students. Some of the skills are: skills
and of planning and preparing
above all, the character and
classroom instruction, classroom
personality of the young students. management, guiding pupils,
Thus, we teaching techniques, evaluating the
can say that the progress of the nation progress of the students, contact
and of mankind depends to a large with parents, etc. This training will help
on the teachers. The teachers occupy you to master these skills.
an important place in the society as iv. Professional Training is needed
an architect of our future generation. to understand the methodology
In this connection, the Kothari of teaching
As a teacher, you should be able to
contrive and use a number of
Education, Society and Curriculum 91
Teacher and Society Unit 4
suitable teaching methods and
devices. This course will make you
familiar with the various
methodologies of teaching and
thereby will
help you to choose suitable methods
and devices according to the
demand of the subject as well as the
interest or need of the students.
v. Professional Training develops
organization capacity of teacher
A teacher should be able to organize,
supervise and participate in
co-curricular activities of the school.
This training course will help
you to develop these qualities.
vi. Professional Training is a must
for teaching in a democratic
country
A teacher in a democratic country
should be able to teach with zeal
and zest and strengthen the
democratic setup of the country. This
training will help you not only to
become a good teacher but also a
good citizen.
Teaching as a Profession:
The teacher offers the beacon light of
knowledge to the new
generation for leading a good and
useful life in the society. As a teacher,
your main duty is to teach. You know
what you are teaching. But you must
also know the purpose of teaching.
You are teaching for the individual
growth, social progress, national
development, etc. We have already
discussed in section 4.4 how the
teachers have to play a very vital role
in
any society or community. Because of
their role in individual and social
uplift, the teachers are referred to as
professionals and teaching as a
profession.
Profession generally means an
occupation which requires
specialized knowledge or advanced
learning. A professional is one who is
able to acquire a fund of knowledge,
range of skills in a particular area and
apply their knowledge and skills in the
service of humanity. A teacher is
considered to be a professional
because he/she is a person who
needs to
be trained in teaching skills. In fact,
teaching is regarded as one of the
noblest professions in the world
because it helps in the all-round
development of an individual – in
mind, spirit and body. The modern
society
is full of professional persons such as
doctors, engineers, weavers, cobblers,
tailors etc. A doctor’s profession is
concerned with the physical side of
man’s
personality and the engineer looks
after the physical side of development
social aspects like building roads,
bridges, dams, houses, devising new
methods and machines. He enriches
national life and adds to the comfort
of common and convenience of the
common man; similarly a weaver by
making clothes, a cobbler by making
shoes, a tailor by stitching clothes
serve mankind by their own
professions. Though their professions
are useful
to the society, still they are limited to
the physical side of human life. But the
highest service consists in the all-
round development of an individual
and
this is carried out by the teachers. The
teacher is concerned with the
development of the whole child:
intellectually, emotionally, socially,
spiritually
and, to some degree, physically. That
is why teaching has been accepted
as the noblest profession.
Every profession has its own
professional ethics. The professional
ethics means certain code of conduct
which should be followed by every
person belonging to a particular
profession.
Obligation towards Students:
It shall be our primary duty
l to treat all our students with love and
affection
l to be just and impartial to all our
students irrespective of their
caste, creed, religion, sex, economic
status, disability, language
and place of birth
l to promote their physical, social,
intellectual, emotional, and moral
development
l to respect the basic human dignity of
the child in all aspects of
school life
l to make planned and systematic
efforts so that the children
can actualize their potential and talent
l to transact the curriculum in
conformity with the values enshrined
in the Constitution of India
l to adapt our teaching to the
individual needs of students
l to maintain the confidentiality of the
information concerning our
students and dispense such
information only to those who are
legitimately entitled to it
l to refrain from subjecting any child to
fear, trauma, anxiety,
physical punishment, sexual abuse,
and mental or emotional
harassment
l to set before them a high standard of
character, discipline and
personality
2) Obligation towards Parents,
Community and Society:
It shall be
our primary duty
l to establish a relationship of trust
with parents or guardians in
the interest of all round development
of students
l to resist from doing anything which is
derogatory to the respect
of the children or their
parents/guardians
l to strive to develop respect for the
composite culture of India
among students, to keep the country
uppermost in mind, refrain
from taking part in such activities
which may spread feelings of
hatred or enmity among different
communities, religious or
linguistic groups
3) Obligation towards Profession
and Colleagues:
It shall be our
primary duty
l to strive for our continuous
professional development
l to create a culture that encourages
purposeful collaboration
and dialogue among colleagues and
stakeholders
Education, Society and Curriculum 95
Teacher and Society Unit 4
l to take pride in our profession and
treat other members of the
profession with respect and dignity
l to refrain from engaging in private
teaching activities
l to refrain from accepting any gift or
favour that might impair or
appear to influence professional
decisions or actions
l to refrain from making unsubstantial
allegations against
colleagues or higher authorities
l to avoid making derogatory
statements about colleagues,
especially in the presence of pupils,
other teachers, officials or
parents self. Accountability to self implies that
l to respect the professional standing as a teacher, you yourself evaluate
and opinions of our your work and conduct. You must
colleagues, to maintain confidentiality perform your duties to the best of your
of information concerning abilities and not because of any
colleagues and dispenses such outside pressure but because of your
information only when own
authorized to do so. realization that this is right and
virtuous. You should feel morally,
Teaching: Its Autonomy and socially
Accountability and emotionally attached to your
profession and discharge your
We have learned that the profession obligations
of teaching demands the in keeping with the standard of the
teachers to be idealist in thinking and professional ethics.
to follow certain code of conduct.
Now, when we try to examine the
autonomy of the teaching profession,
we
find that under the current system of
administration, the teachers have to
play a limited role while deciding the
goals or objectives of school
education,
in the construction or reformation of
curriculum, examination procedures,
etc. Even though teachers’
representatives are included in various
educational committees and their
opinions are sought, still actually they
have the same limited power like the
students in running the administration
of a school. However, as a teacher,
you can enjoy academic freedom
while
dealing with your students inside the
classroom. However, while doing so
you must keep in mind that you are
the
one who is ultimately responsible for
what and how much your students
have learned. This means you are
accountable for your action.

Accountability means that one is

answerable for one’s conduct,
performance of duty, etc. The
teachers’ accountability, therefore,
means
their obligation to account for their
actions. It is essentially a devotion to
the teaching profession and a
commitment to impart knowledge and
skills
to the students. It is an obligation to
discharge one’s duty with sincerity
and dedication. Hence, to be
accountable implies a sense of moral
thinking
and an ethical consciousness. By and
large, the teacher’s accountability
implies that a teacher is ultimately
responsible to the students, to the
community or society, to the
authorities and of course, to your own