A twist in India’s guru-shishya parampara? We dissect this new dynamic

Sharing a friendly dynamic with a guru is the new cool lsquoNamaste sirrsquo is replaced by a causal lsquoWhatrsquos up sirrsquo and teachers say ldquoWe donrsquot mindrdquo On the occasion of Teachers Day 2023 we dissect the unique and modern dynamic college professors share with their students in the present timesThe relationship between college professors and students has evolved for the good Dr Ananya Mehta associate professor at the School of Media and Journalism D Y Patil International University Akurdi Pune says ldquoEven though the dynamic has evolved in India we still follow the gurushishya parampara and respect it toordquoAnother college professor Sambit Pal HOD broadcasting department International School of Broadcasting and Journalism MIT ADT Pune draws a comparison between the past and the present ldquoIt is true that the studentteacher dynamics have changed over the years Our interaction with the new generation is completely different from what it was during our college days This is not to say that the professors during my time as a student were not approachable Today the conversations between students and teachers are more freeflowingrdquoldquoFree dialogue in a classroom is wonderful and always fosters growthrdquo adds Jonquil Sudhir a 42yearold professor at St Xavierrsquos College Goa ldquoHaving a friendly dynamic with students really helps I personally believe a student must not fear a teacher and must be able to freely ask questions or share issues That can happen when teachers make themselves more approachablerdquo Sudhir ensures she provides her students with an open space where they can express their thoughts and concerns freely without any inhibitionsWhile the three professors agree that the relationship between teachers and students has evolved they also believe that the respect for gurus in Indian students is deeprooted right from their childhood and will continue to stay solidBeing friendly to students helpsThe landscape of education has expanded unimaginably Academic journey career family issues and peer pressure can take a toll on students which can affect their progress In this having a teacher who you can turn to for help goes a long wayMehta says that lending an ear to listen to studentsrsquo issues makes them feel cared for and heard It provides them with the strength to manage their issues better when they know they have supporting teachers ldquoHonestly it helps us to deal with our life problems Though our issues might be more complex students give us a hope we live byrdquoPal believes in changing with the changing times According to him students are mature confident and aware of myriad of things now more than ever ldquoEven though we are educators we also get to learn a lot from our students This is because we openly converse with themrdquoMaintaining a relationship that is friendly yet formal enables a free exchange of ideas Engaging with students outside the classroom even outside campus and on college trips gives professors a chance to get to know their students better personallyHaving conversations that need not necessarily be restricted to academics helps professors understand the thought processes of students Pal says ldquoI chat with my students regularly which gives me a chance to know what they are up to Through conversations when I find out they are headed in the wrong direction I stop them and try to direct them towards the right direction Although it is challenging to change the behaviour and attitude of young adults there is no harm in pointing out where they go wrong That is what a mentor doesrdquoAccording to Sudhir if a teacher is approachable students are more likely to learn better ask questions clear doubts and be willing to learn more ldquoEven complex concepts that would otherwise be tough to understand become easy for students when the teacher adopts a freer approach to teachingrdquoAdditional efforts professors make for studentsIn the era of social media trends and evolving social concepts todays students find themselves immersed in a vast sea of information all thanks to the rapid advancements in digital technology Consequently it is imperative for educators to remain updated and connected with their students evolving interests and needsMehta says ldquoI am on every social media platform My students tell me lsquoSir you donrsquot just download Instagram and keep it on your phone you have to use it every dayrsquo They have also taught me to use Snapchat Now I consume content on social media regularly I also share memes and discuss trends with my students Its fun I also incorporate memes in my PowerPoint presentations for students to understand difficult concepts easily and it works My students have made me techsavvyrdquoFor Mehta the key to understanding students better is to spend more time with them and also try to be like them This he says helps us to help students betterWhen asked Pal what he does to better understand students he says ldquoThere is so much to keep up with I make it a point to watch a new web series or movie or read a book or at least know about it Keeping up with technology has become especially importantrdquoBesides this Pal also takes online courses from time to time to develop new skills to better equip students with knowledge He is also one of the few teachers who encouraged his students to use ChatGPT allowed them the time to realise its limitations and explained how they can use the AI tools ethicallyrdquoFor Sudhir it takes a lot of reading to stay updated about the subjects she teaches It helps her plan her academic portion in a way that is beneficial to the studentsBeing friendly vs being friends Establishing boundariesStudents cannot agree more on the benefits of a friendly dynamic with the professor reaps Harsha Chauhan a PR professional who recently graduated from MIT ADT University International School of Broadcasting and Journalism says ldquoEducation is fun when professors create a friendly learning environment for students I have had the best time of my life during the course of my masterrsquos degree simply because of the great professors I hadrdquoAmogh Golatkar another 24yearold photographer and mass media graduate from St Xavierrsquos College Goa says ldquoCollege was fun because of my professors They changed the definition of teachers for me I have not been an academically bright student yet they identified my creative potential and encouraged me to unleash the artist in me For that I am forever thankful to themrdquo Harsha and Amogh believe that professors today are more friendly because they understand the importance of studentsrsquo mental health They are more aware of the challenges students are likely to face in their personal life and academic journeyCommenting on students taking undue advantage of the professorrsquos friendly attitude Harsha agrees there are some students who do tend to cross the line and end up disrespecting the professors ldquoCollege students are mature enough to have that conscience and there is a boundary you must never crossrdquoSeconding that Amogh adds ldquoSometimes the lines do tend to blur I as a student had a tendency to cross the line but I have never disrespected my teachers I am always aware of the value they hold in my life This awareness never allows me to even unintentionally disrespect them Besides teachers always know how to put students in place when they cross a certain limit You canrsquot mess with themrdquoRightly said all three professors Mehta Pal and Sudhir enunciate on being lsquofriendlyrsquo and not lsquofriendsrsquo with the students ldquoThere is a huge difference between being friendly and being a friendrdquo says Mehta According to him every teacher must know to maintain a clear boundary ldquoIt is very important to establish that boundary by the way of your actions instead of words Your actions should be clear enough for students to understand what is acceptable and what is notrdquoAgreeing to this Pal says ldquoMy students are not my friends Yes I do spend time with them but I would not allow them to use cuss words in front of me I will not share a smoke or drink with them Rather I discourage them if the topic comes up in any of our conversations toordquoSudhir prefers taking a stricter approach when dealing with disrespect ldquoSome do get carried away get too friendly or even pass a silly comment once in a while A quick and sometimes notsogentle reminder of where we are and how we must behave usually does the trick College is a few steps away from a career so itrsquos important to learn to be professional even at this stagerdquoThe best part about being a professorOn being asked what their favourite part of being a professor is all three have the same answer ldquoWe never stop being young at heart in spite of being in mid40s all thanks to our studentsrdquo they say Mehta says ldquoI can never have a dull day when surrounded by my students They are full of life and energetic throughout the dayrdquo For Pal his students bring hope to his life ldquoTheir vibrant spirit makes my day youthful and it also helps me stay away from the burden of getting mentally olderrdquo he says laughingSimilarly for Sudhir the best part of being in the teaching profession is always being between a pool of young talent where each student has their own quirk She concludes by saying ldquoNot a day has gone by without learning something new from my students They push me out of my comfort zone each day that just helps me become a better teacherrdquo