The Teacher: Beyond Intelligence
"Mero ta Moj cha Yaar,"- “I am having extreme fun” – my friend Ramesh replied when I asked him about his well-being over the phone. Ramesh and I had been intimate friends since childhood, growing up in the same countryside, studying together at the local college, Ramesh was always the top student; his intelligence was far superior to that of his peers, a fact reflected in his academic results as well.
After earning his bachelor's degree, he headed to Kathmandu to pursue further education and continued to shine in his academic journey. He excelled at the top of his master's degree program at a prestigious university. His academic achievements were the talk of our village, and we all celebrated his success.
However, during the conversation, Ramesh revealed another side of his life. "During the day, I teach at three different private colleges as a part-time English teacher in Kathmandu," he admitted. "But mostly on Friday nights, I spend time drinking whiskey at bars in Thamel with some students. They pay for everything since they belong to rich families."
I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. Somewhere deep down, those words compelled me to question the ethics of his professional life, as they seemed to reflect a lack of wisdom and character despite his engaging classes, knowledge, and the success of his students under his guidance.
Some philosophers argue that wisdom is a broader term than intelligence. Wisdom includes ethical values and actions, and those who possess wisdom can distinguish between wrong and right.
However, despite being a teacher who is supposed to be full of wisdom, Ramesh’s choice to visit bars and drink with students made me feel that he lacks such qualities. During our conversation, he also mentioned that he does not feel the positive burden of duties and responsibilities, as he is a part-time teacher and most of his fellow teachers are unfamiliar with him.
"Who comes and goes doesn’t matter. No one knows except the person who hired you," he said. Ramesh is a clear illustration of the moral deficiencies prevalent among many teachers today. It is truly disheartening to realize that they undermine the integrity of the educational system.
The conversation made me ponder what makes a good teacher. Is intelligence the only criterion for being a good teacher? What about wisdom and character? What is the right process for selecting teachers? Do educational institutions train teachers to be honest and moral? How can they motivate teachers to be duty-bound and self-disciplined?
In recent years, with the rise of science and technology, teachers have become more resourceful and knowledgeable than ever.
However, it is crucial for them to also embody wisdom and good character. The role of a teacher is not only to impart academic knowledge but also to serve as a role model for students. The impact of a teacher on a student's life spreads beyond the classroom; Teachers’ values, ethics, overall personality, and character absolutely influence students.
Therefore, the following considerations should be made during the selection process and after the selection of teachers.
Selection of Teachers
When selecting teachers, the education institutions should initiate a mechanism to evaluate candidates' ethical values, in addition to their excellent academic qualifications. The mechanism could include thorough background checks, psychological well-being assessments, and interviews focusing on ethical issues. By doing so, schools can ensure they are hiring teachers who are not only knowledgeable but also capable of serving as positive role models for their students.
Teachers’ Trainings beyond Curriculum and Methodology
Educational institutions often focus teacher training solely on curriculum, syllabus, and teaching methodologies. However, training should encompass more than these aspects. It should also cover ethics, self-discipline, and teachers' roles and responsibilities.
The cushioning role of the principal
The principal should create an environment where teachers feel that the institution is their second home by bridging the communication gap among staff members. Rewarding good behavior can motivate teachers to strive for excellence in all aspects of their roles. Additionally, the principal should make teachers feel like the school's true foundation by recognizing them as valuable employees. Fostering a sense of permanence and belonging will encourage teachers to dedicate both their hearts and minds to the organization.
This can be achieved through regular meetings, team-building activities, and, if needed, one-on-one positive counseling.
In a nutshell, the role of a teacher goes beyond imparting academic knowledge. Teachers should serve as role models embodying wisdom, good character, and ethical values.
Therefore, educational institutions should prioritize selecting teachers who possess these qualities and provide professional as well as ethical training to help them grow in all aspects of their profession. Thus, schools can ensure that teachers are highly motivated, duty-bound, and self-disciplined. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on pupils. Over time, students will grow into individuals with strong moral values and ethical standards.
[Sushant Kumar B.K. is a Nepali poet, translator, educator, and freelance writer from Gulariya, Bardiya, Nepal. He holds two degrees: an MA in English Literature and Political Science. He primarily writes poems in English and Nepali. His poems have been featured in national and international anthologies, magazines, newspapers, and online portals. He can be reached at sushantacademia@gmail.com.".]
Whispers between us are sweeter than any love poem
and the feel of your hand on my arm still thrills me
When the dawn comes and I feel your gaze upon me
It is the way you still look in my sleepy eyes
that will always make life worth living.
Longing
Arms of mine, long to wrap around you
Lips as delicate as rose petals, yearn to touch yours
Eyes so inviting, I can’t help but dive into them
Hands so strong, I always feel safe holding them
Heartbeat so fast, I ache to feel yours beating with mine
Words so sweet, I hunger to hear more of them
Memories of times together, I wish for many more
Love so deep, I desire never to lose you
Kristy Raines was born in Oakland, CA. She is a poet, prose writer, and advocate for human rights internationally. She has received many literary awards and advocates for the Rohingya people and for an orphanage in India. She is most known internationally for her unique style of writing.
Kristy has just launched her first book, titled, “The Passion Within Me,” which is a beautiful collection of poems from a passionate heart. She is now working on her first children’s book, titled, “Princess and The Lion.” See her first book, The Passion Within Me, on Amazon.
Write a critical survey of Samuel Beckett’s modern Irish theatrical drama and stage production Waiting for Godot with references to its cultural, theatrical, historical and political contexts.
(Image of two men, one seated and the other standing, with boots and coats, on a rock by a tree.)
Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” is a surrealist and existentialist poetic drama in the anglophone and the francophone traditions. Beckett harnessed the vogue of experimentation by breaking from the stereotypical stylistic forms of artistic expressions but considered concentrating modernism. Vaudeville comedians and archetypal clownish buffoons showcasing their popular slick routines concerning circus antics with props, pratfalls and idiosyncratic discourses bereft of substantive information. This void of meaning is implied in Estragon’s speech-act: “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes. It’s awful!” Estragon and Vladimir are humbugs and chums passing their idyllic time together upon a somber environment that might have caused themselves to be mutated, disintegrated and superimposed.
Allegorically Becket and Suzanne were desexualized, lackadaisical, lachrymose and lugubrious out of their wits, just waiting for the abominable genocidal holocaust concentration camps to end like the tramps wandering for Godot. Antagonism between Didi and Gogo biographically allegorizes the existentialist antagonism between the symbiotically dependent couple. Counterfeiting dualistic antagonism, Beckett underscores reciprocal friendship in sacrificial subversion of Didi’s earlier response of “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes. It’s awful!” to afterthoughts of “We always find something, eh Didi, giving us the impression that we exist.” Elemental human experience and fundamental truths of human condition concerning time and evanescence, mysteriousness of existence, the paradox of change and stability, necessity and absurdity have been brought into focus by these pauper-like tramps.
Vladimir and Estragon are the everyman epitomizing archetypes of all humanity; with Vladimir representing the mental spirit and Estragon representing physical spirit exposed to the existentialist dilemma; ie existentialist truths potentially transforming themselves with transcended worldview and manner of living in terms of motivations, ideals, values and behaviour. Thus mind/body duality comprises this composite humanity in these tramps split into two beings with the body and the mind. Their outfits consist of old dress pants, baggy jackets, scuffed shoes and bowler hats. Vladimir is concerned with intellectualist operation upon retrospection and clairvoyance while Estragon is concerned with creature comforts such as materialistic hedonism and sensual gratification. These vagabonds are differentiated selves of a composite being: Vladimir as stalwart of despondency and Estragon as stalwart of presumption. “I’m accursed! …I’m in hell…recoils in horror”, implicates Estragon’s sinisterish hearsay of blasphemy toward the Saviour. On the contrary, Vladimir’s supplication in contextualizing the redemptive quest toward salvation is implied in “It’s Godot! At last, Gogo. It’s Godot! We’re saved! Let’s go and meet him!”
“All my lousy life I’ve crawled about in the mud! And you talk about the scenery! Look at this muckheap! I’ve never stirred from it!” exemplifies the admonishment of nihilistic existentialism embodied in the protagonist Estragon. The less spiritual and the less metaphysical but aesthetic containment of consciousness with the more hedonism and the more materialism. Nation and worldly realms are the domain of Judaism of Estragon waiting for the Messiah while otherworldly and extraterrestrial realms are the domain of the Christian Vladimir waiting for the Messiah. Estragon and Vladimir’s ruminations reveal the philosophizing of humankind in accord with the elusive nature of the mysterious Godot figure. In metafiction these biblical allusions are vestiges of culture corresponding to the parables of the fig tree correlating to wilting and then blooming, and the ten virgins correlating to Vladimir and Estragon’s own suspense while awaiting Godot.
(Image of two people in black coats and black hats and collared shirts surrounding a man in a striped shirt, pants, and a vest, one on each side).
Further Reading
Biography of Beckett and Conception of Godot, Reviews of Godot in text and in production, Beckett’s friends, pp. 8-23, The friendship of Didi and Gogo in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for The friendship of Didi and Gogo in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Student Work 8-1-1994, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNODigitalCommons@UNO
Waiting for Godot through the lens of Christian Existentialism, Master’s Theses and Doctoral Dissertations and Graduate Capstone Projects 2007, Eastern Michigan University DigitalCommons@EMUDigitalCommons@EMU pp. 1-107
ORGANIZING EDUCATIONAL LESSONS BASED ON INNOVATIVE APPROACHES
Sevinchoy San’at qizi Shomurotova Urganch State Pedagogical Institute Faculty of Pedagogy, 3rd-year student of Primary Education
Abstract: Education is considered the most ancient and eternal value that ensures humanity’s dignity. This article explores the organization of educational lessons using innovative approaches.
As President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized in his meeting with a group of scientists and representatives of science on December 30, 2016: “The first stage in nurturing a generation of capable cadres is to radically improve school education, ensuring the continuity of the process of training scientific personnel and highly qualified specialists. We will spare no effort in this endeavor.” In this meeting, our President also highlighted the significant role of science in the development of all sectors of our economy, noting that the collaboration between science and production is especially critical for our state’s progress today.
The process of education is multifaceted, involving both internal and external (subjective and objective) factors that contribute to understanding the essence of education. Subjective factors help individuals comprehend their inner needs, interests, and life relationships, while objective factors create conditions for individuals to live, form, and positively resolve life problems. The success of the content, direction, and form of educational activities depends on how well they align with objective conditions, leading to success in shaping the individual. In organizing and managing the educational process, not only the teacher’s activities but also the student’s age, psychological characteristics, thoughts, and life views play a crucial role.
It is well-known that innovation is the ultimate outcome that, by applying new technological processes, approaches, or methods in a specific field or production, leads to greater success than before. Innovation, developed within the educational system, has significant importance as a new approach. It is promising for developing the content of education, arising from initiatives and innovations, and therefore always positively impacts the development of the educational system. Consequently, the teacher-educator organizes their activities creatively, striving to renew the form and content of the lesson each time based on new research and innovative approaches. The teacher applies their insights experimentally, analyzing the results to continue exploring and introducing innovations in the educational process, identifying and correcting shortcomings, and perfecting the process. Often, existing methodological perspectives and theoretical principles may not satisfy teachers. Indeed, the innovative pedagogical process demands that the teacher’s activities constantly evolve, improve, and enrich with new ideas. Regular acquisition and improvement of new knowledge, possessing creative abilities that meet modern requirements, is not only a demand of the educational process but also of society as a whole.
In nurturing the younger generation, the level of a teacher’s innovative preparation is one of the most important indicators of their professional qualification. In a teacher’s activities, innovation involves creating and applying advanced ideas, discovering innovations, and demonstrating the potential to introduce new elements in the process of improving the form and content of education. One of the most important tasks in this field is forming students’ creative, independent thinking, and the ability to achieve goals through conscious creative relationships.
Modern technology-enhanced lessons aim at encouraging students to independently seek, study, analyze, and even draw their conclusions from the knowledge they acquire. The teacher, in this process, facilitates the development and formation of the individual and the group, as well as their acquisition of knowledge and upbringing, while also fulfilling the role of a manager and guide. In such an educational process, the student becomes the central figure. Today, the use of pedagogical technologies in the educational and upbringing process of educational institutions is of particular importance for the following reasons:
1. Pedagogical technologies offer broad opportunities to implement developmental education, which is emphasized in the Law on Education. 2. Pedagogical technologies allow for the extensive implementation of a systematic activity approach in the educational and upbringing process. 3. Pedagogical technology encourages the teacher to design the entire technological chain of the educational process, starting from the goals to the diagnosis system and controlling the progress of the process. 4. Pedagogical technology, based on the use of new tools and information methods, demands that the teacher act as the main organizer or consultant in the process. This requires the teacher to exhibit more independence, creativity, and willpower qualities.
Lessons conducted based on pedagogical technology satisfy students’ need to express their attitudes towards important life achievements and problems, and provide opportunities to think and justify their points of view. In the current era of innovation, the educational system needs individuals who are capable of assimilating new information, evaluating the knowledge they acquire, and making necessary decisions independently and freely.
Therefore, the place and importance of modern teaching methods, interactive methods, and innovative technologies in the educational and upbringing process of educational institutions are incomparable. Knowledge and experience related to pedagogical technology and its application in education ensure that students become knowledgeable and skilled professionals.
Sevinchoy Shomurotova San’at qizi was born on August 5, 2004, in Shovot district, Xorazm region. She is currently studying at the Urgench State Pedagogical Institute, in the Faculty of Pedagogy, specializing in Primary Education.
The Adventures of Zippy the Sparrow
In a vibrant forest where the trees stretched toward the heavens and the rivers sang songs of ancient times, there lived a little sparrow named Zippy. Zippy was no ordinary bird—she was filled with a boundless curiosity and an insatiable love for adventure.
While most of the other birds were content to stay within the safety of the forest, Zippy dreamed of exploring the world beyond. She would often sit on the highest branch of the tallest tree, gazing at the horizon, wondering what lay beyond the mountains, rivers, and valleys she had never seen.
One day, Zippy decided it was time to follow her dreams. With a flutter of excitement, she spread her wings and set off on her first grand adventure. The forest quickly became a patchwork of green beneath her as she soared higher and higher, her heart racing with anticipation.
Zippy's first stop was a sparkling lake that shimmered like a jewel in the sunlight. As she swooped down to take a drink, she met a wise old turtle basking on a rock.
"Hello, little bird," the turtle said with a warm smile. "What brings you to this part of the world?"
"I'm on an adventure!" Zippy chirped, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I want to see everything there is to see!"
The turtle chuckled softly. "The world is vast and full of wonders, young one. But remember, the greatest adventures are often found in the smallest places."
Zippy thanked the turtle and continued on her journey, flying over hills and valleys, across rivers and meadows. She met all sorts of creatures—a family of playful otters, a wise old owl, and a friendly fox who shared stories of faraway lands.
One day, as Zippy was flying over a dense forest, she noticed a strange and mysterious fog. The trees below seemed to whisper secrets, and the air was thick with mystery. Undeterred, Zippy dove into the fog, eager to uncover its secrets.
Inside the fog, Zippy found herself in an enchanted grove, where the trees were adorned with sparkling lights, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers. At the center of the grove was a beautiful, glowing crystal that pulsed with a gentle light.
As Zippy approached the crystal, she felt a warm, comforting presence. "Welcome, brave sparrow," a voice whispered. "You have shown great courage and a true love for adventure. This crystal holds the heart of the forest, and it is said that those who find it are granted a special gift."
Zippy felt a surge of joy as the crystal's light enveloped her. In that moment, she realized that her love for adventure had led her to something truly magical—a deeper connection with the world around her.
With a heart full of wonder, Zippy flew back to her forest home, where her fellow birds greeted her with awe and admiration. She shared her stories with them, telling of the sparkling lake, the wise turtle, and the enchanted grove.
From that day on, Zippy was known as the bravest bird in the forest, and her adventures became legendary. But no matter how far she traveled or how many wonders she discovered, she always remembered the turtle's words—that the greatest adventures are often found in the smallest places.
And so, Zippy continued to explore the world with an open heart, always ready for the next adventure, no matter how big or small.
Tursunboyeva Nigora Abdumannob qizi was born on February 23, 2009, in Uzbekistan. She is currently a 10th-grade student at the Is'hoqxon Ibrat Creative School. She is fluent in English, Russian, German, and Uzbek. Due to her interest in literature, she writes poems, stories, and articles. Her creative works have been published in numerous renowned international journals, such as The Mount Kenya Times, The Diaspora Times, Classico Opine, The Seoul Times, Raven Cage, Synchronized Chaos, Kavya Kishor, Orfeu.al, Elisa mascia and many other magazines and newspapers. This year, she won literary competitions and was awarded two medals. She is interested not only in creativity but also in volunteering, and she is currently continuing her volunteer activities. And she is an active member of the World Writers and Artists Working Group Juntos Por Las Letras.
