Millennial Teacher, Gen Z students and Post Lunch Lecture: A Story

It is the perspective of the millennial to consider teaching profession as highly regarded and acknowledged. It is noble a profession, it is a moral responsibility and Guru is the synonym to teacher, mentor, lecturer, professor in India – the one who destroys darkness, conventionally. On the other hand, millennial also perceive that jobs in this profession are the ones with easy entry comprising of less work and hence there is feminization in the profession. Lastly, it is also regarded to be one of professions where employees receive numerous holidays! These extreme views are popular among Millennials in India.

Besides the Millennials’ perspectives there is also the Gen Z students who find it hard to connect to both these extreme views because they neither see any merit in teacher centric blackboard teaching or using Power Point Presentation method to deliver lecture, nor they agree that teaching is easy a job. They perceive themselves to be the victims of the modern education system in India where they have binding of attendance and lots of lectures on theories from past for which, according to Gen Z, the Millennial teachers fail to give rationale as to why these theories are important and relevant. The purpose of this post is not to debate which of the perspectives is right but to present a story.

When I had to choose a career, being a Millennial I chose to be a lecturer considering the pros and cons carefully. I was constantly contemplating on being a Great Teacher and in that direction I started researching. Understanding the learning styles was my primary concern as I was aware of its impact on the students’ receptivity. This research paved way to make classroom more engaging. Classroom experiments I thought would be a great idea to begin with. So I can ask all students to take part and thereby ensure no one is feeling sleepy in post noon session.

Topic like Poverty and Inequality during post-noon session can only invite a class full of drowsy Gen Z students and present a strong message that irrespective of how much effort the teacher puts in terms of getting videos, stories, examples, data and voice modulation, the objectives of the session will not be fulfilled. Hence I changed the strategy to conduct a class experiment to engage the students. I walked into the class, registered the attendance and asked them to choose their seats wisely for the activity and success in the activity would promise them an extension for Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA) submission which was due coming week. This instruction was given as they always prefer to occupy seats from the second row on wards and majority chose to sit at the back. However my instruction did not make much difference as only one student came and occupied a front seat. Then I went on to explain the activity to the class. They have to aim and throw their pen-caps to the carton box placed below the class board from where they are sitting.

I added that each student will get a chance and under no circumstance it is allowed to stand and aim. Class got active. Before I could complete the instructions, I could see few students stealthily moving to front row which was empty. Interestingly, other students noted that these students and insisted that they get back to their initial positions. I was glad that the momentum had gained, the class is active and there was 100% participation!!! But problem started with the students at the back rows expressing their concern that despite their seating positions as against to the box, I hadn’t offered privileges. So it is unfair.

I with the authority as a teacher stated “These are the rules of the game and you have to abide”. Generally I am concerned to their problems, so this time they had to agree. Furthermore I declared otherwise no one will get an extension and will be bound to submit CIA two days before the actual submission deadline!! Besides, I motivated them asking how they can complain about their initial positions without even trying.

Class experiment got back on the track and they started the activity and I became a mute spectator observing their behavior. Those who were strategically positioned in the front succeeded in aiming the cap into the carton box, however those at the back tried to throw did not succeed. One or two students who were desperate to get the extension wanted to succeed by hook or crook, stood up on the seats and tried attempting more than one pen cap. Alas! They did not succeed and in frustration started repeating the unfair argument and were asking my reaction further. I waited till each one completed their turn. After everyone has completed their attempt, I instructed them to settle down at their respective seats and after complete silence in class I opened my lecture with the comment that “This is what is concept of absolute poverty, relative poverty and inequality”. Class was completely silent and I continued with personal field level experiences and narratives as how poor are disadvantaged with their initial household asset levels and how they lack exposure and opportunities. I stated that how no one sitting at the front raised issue of unfairness because of the privilege they enjoyed.

 I was about to conclude but then a boy took me by surprise and asked “I am born in rich privileged family but it’s not my choice!! So how can poverty or poor people be my problem?” I was just silent for a while and took couple of minutes; whole class was silent waiting for my response. I responded saying “Yes of course it is not by your choice you are born into rich family and going by the same logic, those who are born poor are also not born out of their choice. Hence it becomes ethically important that when we are privileged we have opportunities, we should make others lives better not by charity but by designing better policies as you will become policy makers in near future. So if we understand the ground level reality and dimension of poverty from a poor person’s perspective, our conceptualization of poverty will be definitely better”. The class was completely silent I could sense that each student seemed to be reflecting about the issues. 

But class did not end and one of the mischievous students asked “So the ones succeed will get extension for CIA submission? I said “Life may be unfair but my classes are not!! So no one will get an extension!!!”