
A student or a teacher? To learn or to teach? Which one? Or Who? Is it me a
teacher, or my students? Or vice versa, is it me a student or is it them? I asked
myself these questions over and over the years, and finally the years and
experiences presented me the answer.
First years that I started my work experience as a teacher, I had thoughts, as “I am a
teacher…, I know…, I teach...”. You can call it as "the excitement and immaturity of
being young", but based on my experiences that I gained later on, I can surely call it
as "ignorance and self-unawareness". Actually being a teacher is being a "nonstop
learner" without getting tired, not only from scientific sources, books, teachers, or
from the mostly experienced adults, but also from students, pure minds, hearts and
feelings... They are the ones who really teach and train us as teachers, not only in
term of the science and knowledge we instruct, but also life, love and humanity...
We become real and good teachers with them. Although I am a teacher by
profession, actually I am only physically different from my students. I see myself as a
student whose physical appearance and age are numerically older than theirs. They
teach me, I teach them, in short, we educate and teach each other...
There is a proverb: “Who denies his origin is a coward”. I think it refers and covers
all areas of life: science, technology, agriculture, health, education and training.
Everything is progressing by being built on the traditional bases and developing with
modern styles and innovations. The basic principle of the education should be
blending both sides, without eliminating the traditional education or ignoring the
modern innovations and tech development and changes. Thus, we can achieve more
efficient and more robust results. But here is a very important nuance that needs
much attention paid by all teachers and learners... We are livıng in a nonstop rapidly
developing world, where the technology surpasses the human labor, and the robots
have more efficient workforce. Being a good scientist is easy, but the most important
thing is being a good person. That's why, the basic principle of education is to serve
and raise the generations that have more kind-hearted, more developed artistic and
emotional virtues, and have more senses of empathy. The education and educators
shouldn't let the technology be further than the human feelings and virtues, and
shouldn't let it manage the emotions and feelings of humanity, while providing
knowledge and science.