Learning is a continuous process and it can be obtained from anything and everything around us. It’s a process that builds up our character and helps us define our personality. Learning has the potential to build or break one’s character.

We all find solace in a thought that says we will learn enough from books and it will give us the much sought after “Education”. But take an instance where a well-educated person who has a good number of certificates from reputed institutions doesn’t stop to help someone who has met with an accident, or worse, when that person is accompanied by his or her child. What does the child learn from this situation? What is the psychology behind not helping the other human in need?

In today’s technologically competitive world, we have forgotten the fact that books are only a medium to show what goes around in the world. Its aim is to build us into capable humans who will lead their lives happily and meaningfully. Books aren’t the only source of knowledge. What we learn from the classroom environment is only a part of education that we are supposed to attain to become good humans. But now a days, we have put moral values, humanity, care, affection, etc., on hold and are running a blind race to attain certificates for career and money. But have we ever considered the fact that with all these years, time, and efforts we have put in to earn this money, what do we ultimately do with it? Spend? Yes, we spend this money to either buy us comfort or to earn a lot more. In this process, when did we learn anything? We are careless of the gifts that nature has bestowed upon us, we are ruthlessly exploiting the resources, we are mindless of the presence of our loved ones around us, we are affection-less of our peers and care givers, and helpless because we can’t control doing all the above. We have innately become robots with hidden and suppressed emotions and are totally incapable of caring and for that matter, caring for anything but ourselves.

Inculcating sensitivity in students

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As an educator I believe if I practice what I want to preach, learners would be more receptive towards the idea, so I try to inculcate sensitivity in them through my teaching and my conduct. I never leave any minute avenue I find to pass on the virtue to them.

A few weeks ago, a lot of water was spilled across the classroom floor, so I raised questions one by one to inquire about their knowledge of the environment activist Greta Thunberg and her recent march to UN Climate Summit at New York. Some of them were aware about her and rest became enthusiastic to know and discuss more about her accomplishments.

I have also started working with a group of 4 students to construct a device useful to conserve water.

To stop students from littering, I at times, pick up the litter from classroom floor. This behavior somewhere affects them and encourages them to come forward and help. It proves that they have sensitivity towards surroundings imbedded somewhere inside them but they are too lazy and careless to practice.

Recently through the school’s interact club, around 10-12 students were taken to a plantation drive. They were hesitant initially but once they reached the spot, they forgot about their inhibitions and enthusiastically participated in planting more and more trees. At the end, we had to pull the students back to school.

CHIREC as a school tries to inculcate the values of sharing and giving by incorporating Community Service as an integral part of their day to day learning.

As parents, we should teach them skills needed in real life situations. It is important to be extra careful in conducting ourselves in daily life because even science has proven that kids learn more by imitating their elders rather than listening to ‘lectures’.

The aim behind this article is to instigate our minds to become good humans first. We can’t care less for the values that ultimately make us different from other creatures who exist on this planet.

Humanity is not a virtue that we chose to inculcate in us and our kids, it is need of the hour. If we don’t learn to be humane, one day will come when we will only be surrounded by machines who will not care that we are their creators!

Aditi Das
Class Teacher of Grade VIII G

I am Aditi Das, a Science and Biology teacher at CHIREC. I am a person who is driven more by values and less by what people expect out of you. I have seen this world through the eyes of my father who has taught me to be compassionate, loving, and courageous. I am a person who can go to any sane extent for someone I love and care for. I am a nature lover and a passionate traveler, who loves to explore new places for history and cuisine.