I have seen that anger and fear don’t work on them for long. They are already teenagers, maybe 20-21 years old, so I don’t think ordering will work on them. What should be the right way to deal with them, according to you? Also, can you suggest me anything that The Mother and Sri Aurobindo have written or said on the topic of teaching?
There are three main reasons for this phenomenon in adolescents.
1. Partly, it is the nature of the Age we live in, an Age of exceptional freedom and equality. Hence, the old norms and patterns are gone and none of the old methods, such as fear, punishment, etc work.
2. There is a lack of self-discipline in the students as well as the teachers. The more a teacher exercises self-mastery, the more he or she automatically exercises control over the students.
3. The subject itself may not be interesting or else presented in an interesting way that connects with the students. One should be creative and try to find better ways of engaging them with interesting examples.
In any case, the indiscipline of a few should not be allowed to disturb the rest of the class. So those who are not taking interest in the class should be asked to shift from their place and sit in a way that breaks the cascading effect when one type of student sits together.
Or else, if there are only a few, they may be asked to move out and enjoy their freedom.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
