Having spent a life-time with teachers-teachers as students, as colleagues and as companions-teaching and teachers are constantly in my mind and sometimes, even on my mind. When one is keenly interested in any subject, one discovers, now and again, new facts of it, from quite unexpected sources. The other day, out of nothing more than mere idle curiosity, I looked up the Sanskrit word for teacher, शिक्षक – in common use in Marathi as well-in the dictionary. It was revealing to find the meaning of the word given as “(1) a leaner and (2) a teacher, instructor’. Similarly the root from which the noun denoting the agent is derived was shown to mean (1) to learn, study, acquire knowledge and (2) to teach”. It was interesting to note that “learner’ and ‘to learn came first in the meaning of the noun (the agent) as well as the root, though in our mind the words are primarily associated with the idea of teaching. It is true that in Sanskrit many words have several meanings which are not necessarily connected with one another. In this instance, however, one cannot resist the temptation of seeing a significant relationship between the two meanings, to learn and to teach, as being interdependent and intimately associated with each other. This relationship can very well form the basis of the philosophy of the art of teaching and of learning.
“Men learn while they teach”, Seneca had said in one of his epistles and a later writer substituted the word ‘when’ for ‘while’. Both the words can be combined to give us the statement ‘Men learn while and when they teach.’ A learner cannot learn effectively unless he teaches at the same time and a teacher cannot teach effectively unless he learns at the same time.

Let us see the implications of this from the point of view of a learner. A learner of any subject, be it science or mathematics or history or philosophy, constantly carries on a dialogue within his own mind, while studying the subject raising questions and answering them with the help of what he reads, sees, hears and experiments with. It is only through a mental dialogue of this nature that learning becomes active and creative; without it learning would lead to the acquisition of dead and inert facts and lifeless truths which will not even be assimilated properly. Teaching is but an extension of this dialogue, externalizing it and giving it a concrete outward form. Learning, or knowledge of a subject, becomes sounder, firmer and deeper when one tries to teach what one has learnt. In the long process of acquiring knowledge, learning and teaching alternate all the time. Communication within and without ourself is a necessary part of learning.

It is for this reason that in the U.S.S.R. all higher studies, even studies in the physical and natural sciences, include some pedagogy. The student while studying scientific truths and principles is expected to know something about how to expound them and explain them, answering plausible doubts and questions. This is not with a view to making the student a professor of science – though if need be it can help him to become one – but it is to enable him to have a deeper insight into his subject and to develop a creative approach with regard to it. The ability of exposition and discussion is considered to be a necessary part of studying and learning; one may discuss within one’s own mind but contact with other minds will always be more fruitful. Hence the knowledge of the art of teaching one’s special subject would be a necessary part of its study. Rightly has it been said that ‘thoroughly to teach another is the best way to learn for yourself.’ We have the common spectacle of scholars in a class helping the weaker students in their studies, out of goodwill and a sense of friendship. Altruistic as the act is on the part of the scholars, it is most valuable for deepening his own knowledge and giving him a better grasp of his subject. The bright pupil who helps his classmates in their studies in mathematics, science or grammar is developing not only morally but intellectually as well. The old monitorial system devised to meet the practical exigency of shortage of teachers and the high cost of education was not unsound from the point of view of the psychology of learning. Like the quality of mercy, teaching is twice blessed, it blessed him that gives and him that takes and the blessing is an intellectual gift to both.

Now let us consider the question from the point of view of the teacher. To be really effective, a teacher while teaching must be a learner. His function is not to impart the knowledge that he has acquired but to learn with the learner, drawing on his own fund of knowledge. Then alone can he stimulate active and creative learning. The same applies to a speaker who can move his audience to reach new heights of thoughts. A readymade speech delivered with great skill and oratory will not be half as effective as a spontaneous speech where the speaker makes a special attempt to think with his audience, and carries the audience with him.

The teacher is learning several different things while he is teaching. First of all he is learning a new the subject he is teaching, and though he has learnt it before he has to relearn it and live through that experience of learning. Questions must arise in his mind once again and solutions must be sought again. One may have taught a particular subject for years, yet while preparing his lecture or lesson and while delivering it to his class, be must have a freshness of approach and a readiness to see the horizon gradually widening. A teacher who merely repeats his earlier lecture or lesson, or uses time-worn old notes, is doing considerable harm to his pupils and is denying himself the opportunity of keeping alive his own interest in his subject.

Secondly, a teacher is learning a great deal of the psychology of learning which gives him a better command of the art of leaning. He will out of his own experience and ingenuity; develop new techniques of teaching and new methods and devices. Side by side, he is learning the psychology of young developing minds: the way each mind works unfolding itself and the way the minds interact with one another.

The teacher must continue to be a learner. It will help him to develop this attitude if he pursues the study of his own subject and takes up some other subject in which he is interested for study. A teacher of history may well take up the study of a science or a teacher of science may find it worth while to study a new language.

It is a common and oft-repeated criticism against a professionally trained teacher that he knows a great deal about how to teach but knows precious little about what he is to teach. There is some justification for this criticism. The teacher has learnt his subject earlier as a part of his general education. In the case of a subject like geography he may not even have studied it beyond the school stage. The training college concentrates on the method of teaching a subject and the content of the subject often recedes into the background. There is a movement now to introduce content courses as a part of the training course. These courses will not be the same as the courses of studies in general education. They will attempt to give the teacher an insight into the fundamental concepts of his subject; they will draw out the implications of these concepts and will ensure that methods of teaching are discussed in close connection with the content. The ‘how’ or the method without the ‘what’ or the content will be seen to be barren and abstract.

There is also the question of new developments that are taking place in each subject. A course of lectures about these by an expert will serve a useful purpose, but by the very nature of the case, it is impossible for any course of lectures to keep pace with the development, constantly taking place in any field of study. The teacher must know what means are available for keeping himself in the knowledge of his subject and must be ready to use these. He must be in touch with new books coming out, with journals, with broadcasting programmes and series of lectures arranged by various organizations.

A Readers’ Digest service organised by a Training college or a Teachers’ Association will go a long way in keeping the teacher in touch with me material of his subject which is constantly growing and developing.

The same applies to the special pedagogical subjects as well. Educational Psychology learnt in the period of training even though it may be learnt from an expert in the subject, will remain out of date unless it is replenished constantly.

In the training of teachers, so also, in teaching, the most important thing is to waken interests and to kindle the desire to learn. It is only then that the varied sources of learning – one’s own experience, the experience of others as seen in their work, the wide world around one-will open up to enrich one’s mind and to make its contact with other minds vital and inspiring.