Who is A Teacher? During one of the gatherings, I was forced | Alisher posts UZ

Who is A Teacher?

During one of the gatherings, I was forced to be a part of an unpleasant conversation around this topic. I couldn’t believe my ears that those words were coming from someone I do interact with, even though rarely. It was about a teaching career. They were undermining it saying it was not a reputable profession and referring to the typical stereotype that claims that those who don’t possess any other skill opt for teaching. Saying I loathed every second of that revolting conversation is just an understatement. Not necessarily because I am a teacher or my defense mechanisms were triggered. It saddened me that people don’t realize how much inner strength it requires to overcome your insecurities and to make attempts to spread the light of knowledge that might turn around the entire lives of many people.

As someone who has tried her hands on a couple of domains in her past experiences, I confidently assert that teaching is the best one so far. NO AMOUNT OF MONEY/FAME/RECOGNITION COULD FILL THAT VOID INSIDE YOU IF YOUR JOB DOESN’T BRING YOU FULFILLMENT.

To my mind, teaching is not solely about passing the information on, as it can be gained from the other sources that are readily available now, such as the Internet and AI systems. There’s more to it than meets the eye. Yet, it is as simple as that: A spoonful of compassion and empathy combined with a cup of patience, and stirred with passion make up for a perfect recipe.

Once you embark on this journey, you are bound to be a lifelong learner. From my point of view, real teachers are the fiercest followers of the philosophy of the great Socrates who said: “I know one thing: that I know nothing”. The moment you claim that you know everything is the very moment you lose it.

I liked how Alisher teacher put it in a meeting: teaching is “sadaqah jariyah”, meaning “ever-flowing charity”. More precisely, its benefits extend beyond existence. “It is a charity that one gives in life that continues to provide charitable benefit to its designated recipients, and, therefore, divine reward to its giver, after its donor passes away from this life”, says a good old friend Google. Isn’t leaving the world a bit better place than it previously was the ultimate purpose of our existence? Is there any greater mission on Earth than being of service to humankind? I believe it is the only thing that grants meaning to our lives, after all.