Common problems faced by teachers

Introduction

Top problems faced by teachers

• Lack of student interest
  Certain subjects are interesting, and some seem boring. Usually, language classes interest students. There is poetry and stories that engage students' attention. On the other hand, in subjects such as mathematics and physics where there is an emphasis on problem-solving, students disengage themselves. It happens more often if the lectures that are delivered are not able to hold students' interest. A teacher may adopt various ways to hold students' attention. They can bombard them with various questions frequently after certain time intervals so that they do not have any excuse but to focus on what is been taught in the class. Even after that, students will naturally shift their focus and show a lack of interest. This is a discouraging thing for teachers. Every teacher wants their students to equally participate in the classroom. If there is good interaction between teachers and students, the classroom environment looks active. On the other hand, a lack of interest makes the classroom look dull. If only a handful of students participate and show interest in what is taught is not going to change the scene.


• Different paces of learning
  Every student is different when it comes to grasping the concepts and memorizing the facts. Some of them are very slow learners. They take their own time. Most of them are average learners. Some of them are very quick learners. Such students can learn on their own without much help. These students show high participation in the classroom and are full of energy. A teacher cannot focus on one group and disregard the necessity of others. It is the teacher's responsibility to make sure that students have grasped the content that is delivered to them, and while doing that she has to also take care that she is not spending too much time teaching one lesson or a problem. She is allotted timing and a whole lot of syllabus that she has to cover within that particular time. If she lays too much emphasis on one particular chapter then she will lose time in doing that. Lagging will cost her and her students because it is important to timely cover the entire syllabus.


• Too much pressure
  Teachers deal with all sorts of pressure. They not only have to cover the syllabus within the given time frame but also make sure that every student in the class has grasped what is being taught. They have to timely conduct tests, go through the written papers and grade them, go through the homework, make sure the students are participating in extracurricular activities etc. Sometimes they have to deal with the extra pressure exerted by the parents of some students. Some parents do not want to own up to the mistakes their kids are committing and want teachers to take up the entire responsibility. Some parents are too involved in their kids' performance and some do not involve at all. Not only from parents but they also face pressure from management and administration for the smooth running of all the tasks. Thus, teachers face a whole lot of pressure when it comes to teaching.


• People's perception
  Today everyone wants to be a professional such as a doctor, engineer, or IAS. Very few will decide to become a teacher. Many feel that it is the last resort. Those who cannot succeed anywhere take up this profession. If they fail to secure a high-paying job in reputed companies, they will take up a teacher's profession. Thus, the respect for teachers is degrading every day. What society doesn't understand is that they cannot reach where they want to if there were no schools, colleges and teachers in them to teach what they needed to learn. Thus, disregarding and disrespecting teachers' profession, directly and indirectly, pressurizes teachers. Moreover, low-paying salaries add up to the frustration. Whether it is a government school or a private one, teachers are paid way less than a candidate working in an MNC.


• Lack of on-site training
  Every profession requires constant learning so that they can upgrade themselves to the changes that are taking place in their respective careers. Thus, they enrol themselves in some certification courses from time to time. Many workshops are organized for the employees on their job sites. However, for teachers, no such facility is provided so that they can upgrade themselves. This is the reason lots of trouble was faced when the pandemic hit the world. Many teachers did not know how to use the Internet as a mode of communication and deliver online lessons to their students. Until teachers are introduced to modern innovative teaching methods and provided with enough resources that will support their teaching, teachers will continue to face lots of hindrances in the modern education system.