11 environmental science Modern and Effective Teacher part 1
Introduction
“We are, however, convinced that the most important factor in the contemplated
educational reconstruction is the teacher-his personal qualities, his educational qualifications,
his professional training and the place that he occupies in the school as well as in the
community. The reputation of a school! And its influence on the life of the community
invariably depends on the kind of teachers working in it.
—Secondary Education Commission (1952-53)
Since ancient times, the teacher’s role in the teaching-learning process has been pivotal,
because the teacher is that person who influences the personality of the child at a large
extent. So, he himself should have some desirable qualities of physical, moral and executive.
The importance of the teacher has enhanced even after that, the role and importance of the
teacher has not declined because for the concerned subject that he teaches. So, up to a great
extent, the success or failure of commerce education depends on the Environment teacher.
—Kothari Education Commission (1964-66)
Stated-Of all the different tractors which influence the quality of education and its
contribution to national development, the quality, competence and characters of teachers
are undoubtedly the most significant, nothing recruits to the teaching profession, providing
them with the best possible preparation and creating satisfactory conditions of work in
which they can be fully effective. In view of the rapid expansion of educational facilities
expected during the next three plans, and specially in view of the urgent need to raise
standards to the highest level and to keep them continually improving, these problems have
now acquired unprecedented importance and urgency. The efficiency of the teaching profession
and its contribution to national development in general and educational importance in
particular will depend largely on its social status and morale. This will, in its turn, depend
upon two Inter-related factors: economic status and civic rights of teachers, and their
professional competence, characters and sense of dedication.”
1. Sir John Adam
“In case the teacher wants to be a man-maker then it is essential that he should possess
specific qualities of character, intellect, and personality.”
2. Dr. Radha Krishnan
“The teacher’s place in society is of vital importance. He acts as the pivot for the
transmission of intellectual traditions and technical skill, from generation to generation he
helps to keep the lamp of civilization burning.”
3. Binning and Binning
“Teaching is a progressive occupation and the teacher must ever be a student.”
4. Henry Adams
“A parent gives life, but a parent gives no more. A murderer takes life and his deeds
stop there. A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops.”
5. Prof. Humanyun Kabir
“Teachers are literally the arbiters of a nation’s destiny.” The above mentioned definitions
show that a teacher of commerce or other subject cannot do justice to his teaching profession
unless he is also efficient and experienced in inculcating the interest of subject in the
students.
QUALITIES OF A ENVIRONMENT TEACHER
A.S. Barr (1958), mentioned the following characteristics of successful teacher (as
quoted by N.R. Saxena):
1. Good cultural background.
2. Substantial knowledge of the subject taught.
3. Substantial knowledge of professional practices and techniques.
4. Substantial knowledge of human development and learning.
5. Skill in the use of language-spoken and written.
6. Skill in human relationships.
7. Skill in research and educational problem solving.
8. Effective work habits.
9. Interest in professional growth.
10. Interest in school and community.
11. Interest in professional cooperation.
12. Interest in teaching.
13. Interest in the subject.
14. Interest in the pupils.
In America, Dr. F.L. Clapp (1913) suggested 10 qualities for being a good teacher such
1. Address
2. Personal Appearance
3. Optimism
4. Reserve
5. Enthusiasm
6. Fairness of mind
7. Sincerity
8. Sympathy
9. Vitality
10. Scholarship
Bagle and Keith (U.S.A.) suggested 3 more traits along with above mentioned ten
traits of a good teacher.
1. Tact
2. Capacity for leadership
3. Good Voice
The 15th Annual Gallup Pool of the Public Attitude towards the Public Schools in the
U.S.A. in 1983 mentioned the following qualities of a teacher (as quoted by M.H. Siddiqui):
1. Ability to communicate, to be firm and fair
2. Patience
3. Ability to discipline-to be firm and fair
4. High Moral character
5. Friendliness
6. Good Personality
7. Sense of Humor
8. Dedicated to teaching profession
9. Enthusiasm
10. Ability to inspire and motivate students
11. Intelligence and
12. Caring about students.
In New York, Education Department mentioned the following traits of a teacher:
T—Thoughtful
G—Gregarious
R—Reliability
O—Open mindedness
A—Abilities in Leadership
O—Originality
I—Integrity
D—Discernment
T—Tidiness/Tact
A—Ability to do creditable college work
E—Enthusiasm
A—Adaptability
C—Cooperativeness
H—Health
E—Effectiveness
R—Resourcefulness
S—Sense of Humor
O—Objectivity
F—Fluency
From above mentioned traits of teacher, we can show the significance of each letter of
the word ‘Environment teacher’ in the following way:
C—Champion of Commerce subject
O—Orator
M—Manner, Mastery over the subject
M—Marks-man in child psychology
E—Expositor
R—Recitative
C—Conscience
E—Euphony in Language use
T—Tact, thoughtful
E—Effectiveness
A—Alertness
C—Co-operativeness with students
H—Health (Physical and Mental)
E—Enthusiasm
R—Reliability, Resourcefulness
CLASSIFICATION OF AN EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENT TEACHER
The quality and effectiveness is very necessary for a subject teacher. The effectiveness
is defined in different manners by so many educationists. In my option the quality and
effectiveness of subject teachers is also effected by their background and providing of teaching
aids as well as the environment of teaching and learning situation. But after all we should
not forget that there are some common skills for teaching and it is required for any subject
1. Individual Qualities
2. Interest in Commerce
3. Patience and Self Confidence
4. Good Health
5. Resourcefulness
6. Pleasing Personality of Teacher
7. Humorous Temperament
8. Professional Qualities
9. Educational Qualification
10. Knowledge of Subject
11. Knowledge of Psychology
12. Ability of Self-Expression
13. Knowledge of different Teaching Methods
14. Studious and Scientific Attitude
15. Knowledge of different Teaching Aids
16. Interest in the Research Work
17. Social Qualities
18. Quality of leadership
19. Democratic Attitude
20. Justice Loving
21. Faith in the World Citizenship
22. Honesty and Impartiality
23. Friendly and Sympathetic
24. Individual Qualities
1. Interest in Commerce
A Environment teacher must have zeal and zest in his teaching subject commerce and
should have full mastery over subject matter. Otherwise he would feel that he has been
assigned a very boring job.
2. Patience and Self-Confidence
As we know that commerce is not an easy subject, so a Environment teacher should
have full confidence and patience while teaching Book-keeping, Income Tax or Accountancy
etc. These both traits of Environment teacher help him to a large extent in solving the
problems of students effectively.
3. Good Health
As a proverb says ‘A healthy mind lives in a healthy body.’ It suits up to a great extent
with Environment teacher can teach efficiently with long hours. Here Good health denotes
both mental and physical health.teacher what ever their background. Some important are given below:
4. Resourcefulness
‘Teacher of Commerce’ should be creative and imaginative in arranging the different
available teaching means according to needs of the class. If there is no availability of any
teaching mean in the school, he can borrow the teaching means, such as Typewriter,
Duplicator, Xerox machine etc. from the community or the guardian of the students.
5. Pleasing Personality of Teacher
The Environment teacher should have a pleasing personality. Healthy physique, proper
clothes and impressive way of talking with others, are included in the pleasing personality.
6. Humorous Temperament
Jolly mood of the teacher keeps the students active and his humorous temperament
creates the suitable environment in the classroom.
Professional Qualities
1. Educational Qualifications
An Environment teacher must have some basic essential academic qualification for
teaching commerce to a particular class. Along with some basic academic qualifications, he
should have some professional qualifications for teaching purposes, i.e., B.Ed, or M.Ed. etc.
A teacher who wants to teach commerce at +2 level, should possess the B.Ed. Degree.
2. Knowledge of Subject
Environment teacher should have thorough knowledge of commerce and should have
good mastery so well that his students may get convinced of his teacher’s mastery over
subject easily. It is necessary for being a successful teacher.
3. Knowledge of Psychology
Environment teacher should have the knowledge of psychology because it helps the
teacher in understanding the child psychology, individual differences, stages of mental and
physical growth etc.
4. Ability of Self Expression
For being a good teacher, the teacher should have the ability of self-expression according
to the class standard and mental level of the students. He should express his views in lucid
language. He should not be too slow, nor unnecessarily high and shrill while teaching the
students. In between his teaching, he should take the help of blackboard to elucidate the
content/topic. The teacher should use following methods:
1. Laboratory method
2. Project method
3. Problem method
4. Analytic and Synthetic method
5. Socialized Recitation method
6. Discussion method
7. Supervised study method
8. Unit method
He should have mastery even the techniques usually used in teaching commerce:
1. Questioning Techniques
2. Assignment Techniques
3. Narration Techniques
4. Illustration Techniques
5. Examination Techniques
6. Drill techniques
7. Demonstration Techniques
6. Students and Scientific Attitude
Not one can become a good teacher unless he is studious and endeavors to acquire the
mastery over the subject. An Environment teacher should be studious and should devote his
sufficient time in increasing the subject knowledge. R.N. Tagore has rightly said, “A lamp
cannot light another lamp unless it continues its own flame burning.”
7. Knowledge of Different Teaching Aids
The teacher should have the full knowledge of different teaching aids. i.e., how to
operate them, and when to use them in the classroom for making of his teaching effective.
8. Interest in the Research Work
For being a good teacher of commerce, one must be good at research work. The
Environment teacher can use discovery methods, for the solution of different managerial
problems and high cost of the product problem.
Social Qualities
1. Quality of Leadership
Environment teacher’s leadership is totally based upon his personality and character.
A teacher having sound character and personality can motivate the student to do the task
in the group collectively. This quality of the teacher makes him active and famous in the
school.
2. Democratic Attitude
“Teacher can foster the qualities of ideal citizenship.” –Bining
The teacher should provide freedom, fairness, equality and brotherhood to the students
while dealing with them. This attitude denotes the democratic attitude of the teacher.
3. Justice Loving
The Environment teacher should have the quality of justice loving and should not be
biased while he is in the chair of judge. This quality of the teacher will convert him as an
ideal for the students.
4. Honesty and Impartiality
Environment teacher should behave all the pupils impartially. Teacher’s working and
his deeds both should be same. Those teachers, who have something in minds/hearts and
something else on their tongues, do not get any respect from others.
5. Friendly and Sympathetic
Environment teacher’s behaviour with his students should be like a friend. He should
try to trace the problems of the children and try to tackle with their problems effectively
as far as possible.
PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF ENVIRONMENT TEACHER
As we know that education is dynamic process. It changes with advent of every new
research in the field of education. Commerce is a practical subject, which plays a significant
role in the development of commercial sector. So, now it is the duty of an Environment
teacher to avoid the old and outdated information’s for this very purpose. He must continue
to grow professionally, abreast of up to date scholarly contributions in the field of commerce.
R.N Tagore rightly remarked in this context “A lamp cannot light another lamp unless it
continues its own flame burning.”
An Environment teacher can avail of the following programs to grow professionally.
They are such as:
1. Professional Refresher Course
2. Professional Orientation Course
3. Extension Lecture
4. Professional Seminar
5. Professional Workshop