Lincoln's Letter to his Son's Teacher

തന്റെ മകന്‍ പഠിക്കുന്ന സ്‌കൂളിലെ അധ്യാപകന് അമേരിക്കന്‍ പ്രസിഡണ്ട് അബ്രഹാം ലിങ്കണ്‍ എഴുതിയതെന്ന് കരുതപ്പെടുന്ന കത്തിന്റെ മലയാളം ചുവടെ. എല്ലാ അധ്യാപകരും നിര്‍ബന്ധ

മായും വായിച്ചിരിക്കേണ്ട ഒന്ന്. എങ്ങനെയായിരിക്കണം തന്റെ വിദ്യാര്‍ത്ഥി വളരേണ്ടത് എന്നതിനുള്ള വലിയ ഉത്തരം കവിത തുളുമ്പുന്ന ഈ ചെറിയ കത്തില്‍ കാണാം. കത്തിന്റെ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് രൂപവും താഴെ കൊടുക്കുന്നു.


''എല്ലാവരും
നീതിമാന്മാരല്ലെന്നും
സത്യസന്ധല്ലെന്നും
അവന് പഠിക്കേണ്ടിവരും,എനിക്കറിയാം.
പക്ഷേ ഓരോ തെമ്മാടിക്കും
പകരമൊരു നായകനുണ്ടെന്നും
ഓരോ കപടരാഷ്ട്രീയക്കാരനും
പകരം അര്‍പ്പണബോധമുള്ള
ഒരു നേതാവുണ്ടെന്നും അവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കണം.
എല്ലാ ശത്രുക്കള്‍ക്കുമപ്പുറം
ഒരു സുഹൃത്തുണ്ടാവുമെന്ന് അവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.

അസൂയയില്‍ നിന്നവനെ
അകറ്റി നിര്‍ത്തുക, നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കാവുമെങ്കില്‍
നിശബ്ദമായ പൊട്ടിച്ചിരിയുടെ മൂല്യമവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.

വഴക്കാളികളെയാണ് തോല്പിക്കാനെളുപ്പമെന്ന്
ആദ്യമേയവന്‍ പഠിക്കട്ടെ.
പുസ്തകങ്ങള്‍ കൊണ്ട്
അല്‍ഭുതം സൃഷ്ടിക്കാനാവുമെന്ന് അവന്റെ കാതുകളിലോതുക.

പക്ഷേ അവന്റെ മാത്രമായ ലോകം
അവന് നല്കണം.
ശാന്തിയില്‍ മുങ്ങിയൊരു
ലോകം.
അവിടെയിരുന്ന്
ആകാശത്തിലെ പക്ഷികളുടേയും
പച്ചക്കുന്നിന്‍ചെരിവുകളിലെ
പൂക്കളുടെ നിതാന്തവിസ്മയത്തെക്കുറിച്ചും
അവന്‍ ചിന്തിക്കട്ടെ.

സ്‌കൂളില്‍ തോല്‍ക്കുന്നതാണ്
ചതിച്ച് നേടുന്നതിനേക്കാള്‍
മാന്യമാണെന്നവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.
എല്ലാവരും തെറ്റാണെന്ന്
തള്ളിപ്പറഞ്ഞാലും
സ്വന്തം ആശയങ്ങളില്‍ വിശ്വസിക്കാനവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.

മൃദുലരായ മനുഷ്യരോട്
മൃദുലമാകാനും
കഠിനരായവരോട്
കഠിനമാകാനും പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.
നാടോടുമ്പോള്‍
നടുവേ ഓടാതിരിക്കാനുള്ള കരുത്ത്
എന്റെ മകനേകുക.

എല്ലാവരും പറയുന്നത്
ശ്രദ്ധിക്കാനവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക,
പക്ഷേ നന്മയെ മാത്രം സ്വീകരിക്കാന്‍ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.
നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കാവുമെങ്കില്‍ ദു:ഖിതനായിരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍
പൊട്ടിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നതെങ്ങനെയെന്നവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.
കണ്ണീരില്‍ ലജ്ജിക്കാനൊന്നുമില്ലെന്നും
അവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക. ദോഷൈകദൃക്കുകളെ
ആട്ടിയകറ്റാനും
അതിമധുരം പറയുന്നവരെ സൂക്ഷിക്കാനുമവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.

സ്വന്തം ബുദ്ധിയും ശക്തിയും
ഏറ്റവും വില പറയുന്നവന് വില്ക്കാന്‍ അവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.,
പക്ഷേ സ്വന്തം
ആത്മാവിനും ഹൃദയത്തിനും വിലയിടാതിരിക്കാനും.

ആര്‍ത്തലയക്കുന്ന ആള്‍ക്കൂട്ടത്തിന്
നേരെ ചെവിയടച്ച് വെച്ച്
തനിക്ക് ശരിയാണെന്ന് തോന്നുന്ന
കാര്യത്തില്‍ ഉറച്ച് വിശ്വസിക്കാനും
അതിന് വേണ്ടി നിലകൊള്ളാനും
പോരാടാനും അവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക.
അവനോട് മാന്യതയോടെ പെരുമാറുക,
പക്ഷേ അവനെ താലോലിക്കരുത്,
അഗ്‌നിപരീക്ഷയില്‍ നിന്നേ ഈടുറ്റ ലോഹമുണ്ടാവുകയുള്ളൂ.

അക്ഷമനായിരിക്കാനുള്ള ധൈര്യമവന് നല്കുക.
ധൈര്യവാനായിരിക്കാനുള്ള ക്ഷമയവന് നല്കുക.
തന്നെക്കുറിച്ച് വലിയ രീതിയില്‍
സ്വയം
വിശ്വസിക്കാനാവനെ പഠിപ്പിക്കുക, എന്നാല്‍ മാത്രമേ മനുഷ്യരില്‍
വലുതായ വിശ്വാസമുണ്ടാവൂ.

ഇത് വലിയൊരാവശ്യമാണ്,
നിങ്ങള്‍ക്കെന്ത് ചെയ്യാനാവുമെന്ന് നോക്കൂ
കാരണം എന്റെ മകനൊരു കൊച്ചുമിടുക്കനാണ്
ഞാന്‍ അവനെ ഏറെ സ്‌നേഹിക്കുന്നു."


Lincoln's Letter to his Son's Teacher
 

He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician,
there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,
Steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that
the bullies are the easiest to lick…
Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books…
But also give him quiet time
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school teach him
it is far honorable to fail
than to cheat…
Teach him to have faith
in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him
they are wrong…
Teach him to be gentle
with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon…
Teach him to listen to all men…
but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good
that comes through.
Teach him if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad…
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff at cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness…
Teach him to sell his brawn
and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag
on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears
o a howling mob
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him,
because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage
to be impatient…
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do…
He is such a fine little fellow,
my son! - Abraham Lincoln

All About Teacher

ALL ABOUT TEACHER

ORIGIN OF "TEACHER"

The word "teacher" is the noun form of the verb "teach". The word "teach" derives from the Old English word tæcan which means to show, point out, or give instruction.  In 1290, the word teacher began to be used for the index finger, or "one that points out". By 1300, it took on its modern meaning, or "one who teaches".           

   In  India, the word guru is widely used with the general meaning of "teacher". "The word guru means teacher in Sanskrit and other Sanskrit-derived languages like Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, etc. The syllable  'gu means darkness and 'ru' means light ­ therefore 'guru' literally means 'the one who brings you from darkness to light'.  Thus a guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others.

Necessities of a teacher

Teaching is not only a noble profession but a humanistic contribution to the society as a whole with a view of ensuring the holistic and materialistic development of the child. In order to accomplish it the teacher should follow certain value oriented professional and personal ethics. Respecting and recognizing each and every child’s psychological and physiological need is essential to mould him/ her to a brighter and eclectic future. Thus a person who wishes to make use of his human potential in the field of teaching should perform a number of inspiring and idealistic roles throughout the course of life with utmost sincerity. Teacher should be a pivot of all sorts of good qualities which are essential for attaining self actualization. The success and sustainability of the teaching career is surely depends on such qualities.    They are explained below:

TEACHER AS A FRIEND

A good teacher is essentially a best friend of his students. He can be a friend in and off the class room in many ways. He can help the students by assisting them in their classroom activities, by giving proper directions and helps to complete their assigned tasks, by ensuring a healthy companionship in their outdoor activities, by stretching a hand in their problems and troubles, by counselling them to rectify their mistakes and advise them to behave well, to act well, to study well and finally to become a good human being.

Good teach­ers are always wel­come their stu­dents. Their doors are always open for the inquiry of their students’ knowl­edge. The teacher and the taught both endeav­our together in search of knowledge and truth.   Thus he should be too friendly to approach his students whenever and whatever they need and turned into a “My teacher My friend” concept.

TEACHER AS A PHILOSOPHER

It is rightly said that teacher as a philosopher, because he teaches his students the philosophy of  life such as Dharma  - the right conduct, Artha – the right wealth, Kama – the right desire and Moksha – the right exit or the liberation of the soul. Simply say, a teacher is a philosopher who makes understand the good and bad of life.

As the dispeller of ignorance and the promoter of wisdom he leads his disciples to the ultimate light that is to the ultimate reality.   He also teaches the philosophy of education, the philosophy truth, goodness and beauty. Besides all he teach his students the eternal truths and the essence of all religions, harmony and the need for universal brotherhood.

TEACHER AS A GUIDE

A teacher can be a guide; he should be real guide in the classroom by giving proper direction in their learning, he should help them to find the right way and right directions in life, he should lead them to the heights of life and guide them in the midst of their troubles and helplessness. Finally he leads his students to the ultimate aim of education and to the all-round development of their personality. Here we remember that  “A teacher is complete only when she is a friend, philosopher and guide....”.

TEACHER AS A SOCIAL ENGINEER

The role of a teacher in the society is both significant and valuable. It has far-reaching influence on the society he lives in and no other personality can have an influence more profound than that of a teacher. Students are deeply affected by the teacher's love and affection, his character, his competence, and his moral commitment. He should actively participate in the social activities in a positive way.

Teachers are the pillar and makers of the society. They are the source of knowledge and skill. He is a social engineer and sculptor because by his esteem knowledge and skills he moulds his students according to his ideals in his classroom.   Whatever they teach they give their ideas, beliefs, customs, folkways, values, morals, etc. to their students. It is the teacher who moulds the character, personality and show the right direction which leads to the final destination.

Thus a teacher is able to mould a single individual according to the needs and demands of the society. He can inculcate desirable changes and behavior modifications in him through his effective efforts. Through this individual a family is transformed and hence it paved the way for the reconstruction of the society, nation and the entire world. In the process of developing a healthy society, great attention has to be paid to education and learning, as well as good morals, and nobody is more suited to assist in this process than the humble teacher.

TEACHER AS A NATION BUILDER

Teacher can be rightly called a nation builder. Without good teachers, no country can progress. The future of the nation is built by him through the process of education.  The teacher influences the immature minds of-the youth.  He treats and moulds the young mind into various forms. How a child thinks, acts, behaves, his knowledge, his actions all depends on how a teacher nourishes him throughout his teaching.  As nation which tries to march ahead on the road to progress must do so with the help of able teachers.

          It is the teacher who has shown us the right path in which great men have built our nation. It is the teachers who incited the moral and national values in the children that remain with them for the lifetime.  Thus teachers play an important role in nation building as nation runs with the young minds and they are the creator of the nation.  According to a philosopher, "The world of tomorrow will be born from the schools of today." Thus the teacher is very significant as the builder of the nation.

FOR WHAT A TEACHER STANDs FOR ?

          There are various ideas about the expansion of the word teacher. Each letter is explained differently in different ways. The most commonly used of them is explained below:

T stands for Tolerance. A teacher must be capable of infinite patience. He should accept a fact that children should often makes mistake.   Hence should have a great amount of tolerance in and off the classroom. He should be a mentally and emotionally balanced person.   He should be calm and quiet, polite and patient to his students. Unless the result of which is the hatred of students and utter failure in his own classroom activities.

E stands for Efficiency. An ideal teacher should be efficient   in all of his classroom activities, he should have a high knowledge in his subjects, he should possess all the skills to impart his knowledge effectively and most conveniently, he should be able to meet the new and modern challenges in the field of his profession, he should be very competent to satisfy the needs and demands of his students.

A stands for Alert. The teacher should be vigilant and alert throughout his class. He should refresh his subject matter accordingly and adopt suitable strategies for the teaching learning process. He should maintain an order and discipline in and out of the classroom through his eye contact rather punishment. He should never be careless about the activities of his students.

C stand for Confidence. One of the essential qualities of a teacher is that he should be enough confident to express his ideas effectively to his audience. Being confident he should be well trained, well prepared and have thorough knowledge over the content and control over his students. 

H stand for Honesty.  Be honest and being honesty is the primary duty of all teachers.  Teacher is the chief exponent and propagator of truth. He should motivate his children to tell the truth always though it has painful experiences and inculcate in them the virtue of being truthful.

E stands for Enthusiasm.   "An enthusiastic teacher is the one who enters the class with a 1000 watt smile, highly charged attitude and strong commitment."  He should be very active and energetic in his classroom. It is essential to enlighten his students and ensure their active participation. If the teacher is not enthusiastic the teaching - learning process may become dull and passive.

R stands for Resourceful. Resourcefulness is the gate way to the world of knowledge. The teacher should be rich in content enough to satisfy the quest of his students’ queries. He should have a thorough knowledge about the what and why of education and have an average knowledge on the overall happenings over the universe.

TEACHER AS A ROLE MODEL

Who is a role model?  A role model is a person whose behavior is imitated by others.   True role models are those who possess the qualities that we would like to have and those who have affected us in a way that maksses us want to be better people.    

There was a time when the teacher was known as epitome of all virtues. The rules, kings and their progeny would listen in rapt attention when the teacher spoke. To them, the teacher was their guide, their counselor and their truest friend. The teacher's word was regarded as the word of God.

Today there are some questions arises like Where are those teachers of yesteryears? Where are those epitomes of truth and knowledge? Where are those teachers of Role Models?

The answer is that, today a very few teachers satisfy these criteria and a few have fallen in disgrace. To some extent because of their own doings, and to some because of the norms of a decadent society in which we all exist. Such is the state of affairs that it is considered a stigma of these days to be called a teacher or a mash.

To overcome this stigma, it is the responsibility of the new generation teachers to work hard as sincere as in the gurus and rishies of the ancient times. And strongly hold in mind that teaching profession is one of the most respected jobs in the society. It is a great field which requires dedication with lots of responsibilities. It should not be just treated as a way of making money.   

Along with these, teachers should come forward to make necessary changes and modifications in their behaviour within the classroom and even outside the campus. The reason is that students see their teachers as a role models. they spend a great part of their day in front of their teachers. The each and every act of teacher is closely observed and sometimes may be imitated by the students.  In short ‘Students are the teachers of tomorrows and teachers have a great role in their character formation’. A teacher who understands this will be a model to the students and the society.  

WHY A TEACHER IS IMPORTANT?

The role of teacher in our life is more important than that of our parents and other beloveds. Because it is the teacher or guru who, he leads us to the ultimate aim of life, to the ultimate reality, God the Almighty. It is better explained by the phrase matha-pitha-guru-daivam. But according to the great Indian philosopher Kabeer Das, guru is important than that of god.
He says “Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?  I bow before Guru who introduced God to me”.
Now-a-day we had better read, understand and keep in mind the meaning underlying in  the following sloka:

"Guru Brahma Gurur Vishnu

Guru Devo Maheshwaraha

Guru Saakshat Para Brahma 

Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha..."

Guru is verily the representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He creates,  sustains knowledge and destroys the weeds of ignorance. I salute such a Guru.

  With best wishes…..

Pee,Yes,Bee…