On Teaching Reading - Big No to Teacher's Clone

Making other people agree with you is not alwaysall were weak and always have this "yes sir" attitude,
healthy. Yes, sometimes there are instances that wenot even capable of thinking what is best to himself?
should be lone believer of something-- against theThe world is a stage where every player is unique
world--and accept the fact that people have theirand is respected. Each has a role to play to complete
own way of thinking and have the right to stand bya compelling story.
their own belief/s.That is why as a reading teacher, one is not
Pupils, young and impressionable, tend to be takenexpected to force pupils to accept one , sole right
advantage of teachers who are believers of aanswer; instead, wrong answer is treated as a
crusade, ideology, and the like. Instead of openingchallenge to see the value of the question being on
the learners mind to myriad realities, they tend tothe hot seat.
confine their wards in their own belief systems. And,A good question is open to myriad answers. And,
the moment the child resist such kind ofentertaining such questions would open doors to
indoctrination or what you may call it, they will abhormore ideas related --or not-- to the subject being
him no end.taken up. What matters most is that teachers should
Yes, how many good pupils have been tagged ornot be dogmatic in getting the one sole correct
labeled as stubborn, hard-headed and the like by theiranswer that they have been rehearsed for so long
teachers who have been strong believer of "isms"?time.
Discouraged by their teachers obsolete thinking, suchOpen-ended questions are avenues for critical and
good pupils opted to go somewhere "down the roadcreative thinking. Here, students are tasked to
"and look for a "greener pasture" to grow as aexercise their own knowledge and learn to appreciate
unique individual and not just clones of their so-calledothers unique answers. Yes, there is always fun in
perfect teachers.entertaining other point of views and learn--a thing or
Imagine the world if all have same personality:two.
dictator-- who would partake their exploits? What if