Change is must, but difficult. Change our outlook, attitudes and work culture for becoming a human being useful to society.

1. TEACHERS’ DAY LECTURE’IARI, NEW DELHI 5
SEPT. 2012
5/9/2012 Prof.M.J.Modayil 1
CHANGE OF HEART
FROM
OXYMORONIC
TO
INSPIRATIONAL
• Prof. M.J. Modayil
• FORMER MEMBER
• A.S.R.B.
• NEW DELHI
TEACHERS’ DAY LECTURE
IARI, NEW DELHI
5 SEPT. 2012

2. My humble thoughts of today
are dedicated to the memory of
a Great Teacher
DR. SARVEPALLI
RADHAKRISHNAN

3. SOME TRUTHS
• We all are oxymoronic
• We are brilliant morons, literate
uneducated, active nonperformers,
busy time wasters, original imitations
• In our own view, we are at out best,
doing fine
• If any change is needed, it is for
others, not me.
• My talk today is a change plan from
oxymoronic to inspiring
5/9/2012 3Prof.M.J.Modayil

4. Why most smart people
underperform?
• What determines success in life?
• Is it degrees, position, money, assets,
status, health, connections ……. ???
• In my opinion, a successful person is
one who can influence others by his
thinking, actions and outlook
• You are successful only if you are a
change master
• I believe there are three factors which
decide the success of a person
• These are the 3 Es
5/9/2012 4Prof.M.J.Modayil

5. 3 Es
• Environment
• Education
• Emotional intelligence
5/9/2012 5Prof.M.J.Modayil

6. 1. ENVIRONMENT
• Home
• School
• University
• Work place
• Media
• Social
• Cultural
• Traditions
• Religious
• Political
• Technology
Are we prepared to
accept the
opportunities and
challenges these
environments
provide us ?
YES and NO
• Some have already
influenced us and
we can’t undo.
• Some others are
influencing us now
and we can make
changes
5/9/2012 6Prof.M.J.Modayil

7. Two environments you can
easily control are
WORK and TECHNOLOGY
• WORK
supportive
over-critical
peer pressure
unreasonable
targets,
deadlines
negative
pressures
colleagues not
pulling along
• TECHNOLOGY
infiltration of
modern
technology in to
personal lives.
Media, cinema,
internet, iphone,
BlackBerry, smart
phones, tablets,
facebook, twitter,
sms, mms,
youtube, mobile
applications..…..
5/9/2012 7Prof.M.J.Modayil

8. ADT
• Today most people suffer from ADT
• Attention Deficit Trait
• ADT prevents us from clarifying
priorities, making smart decisions,
managing our priorities and time
• Black Berries, I Phones, Smart Phones,
e mails, facebook, twitter, internet…..
• All these become addictive and we
become slave to ADT
• I see even top management in
organizations looking at their phones
every minute and frantically texting,
calling, directing….THE ADDICTS ARE
SIMPLY INCAPABLE OF FOCUSING ON
WHAT IS AT HAND !!!
5/9/2012 8Prof.M.J.Modayil

9. Why we get addicted to
some technologies ?
• To impress others that we are smart
and efficient
• Belief that delayed actions will be
disastrous
• Unable to trust others
• Unable to delegate responsibilities
• Unable to apply mind and make right
judgment
• Desire to establish that I AM
IMPORTANT
• E mail addiction, facebook twitter, all
are addictive behaviour if not
moderately done
5/9/2012 9Prof.M.J.Modayil

10. Is technology bad ?
• No. Technology is needed and must
be used wherever applicable.
• Unlike other technologies, ICT is
influencing our personal lives and
behaviour.
• We are unable to cope with the way
ICT is exploding
• The West was able to cope with it as
ICT started with the TV in 1950s and
in 60 years they are here.
• In India, ICT evolved in just 20 years,
the explosion happened in last 10
years. We are struck with a lightning
effect, which we are unable to cope
with. We just got carried away,
mesmerized, addicted.
5/9/2012 10Prof.M.J.Modayil

11. WHAT ADT DOES TO YOU
• Turns a talented professional to harried
underachiever
• The addict does not experience a single
crisis, but a series of minor emergencies
which he tries harder and harder to
“solve”
• Shoulder more responsibilities without
compliant and as workload increases,
they try harder to manage, failing in
reaching any useful result.
• As they fail, frustration increases and
gets reflected on their behaviour with
subordinates.
• Some try to escape by running away, by
undertaking unwanted tours, visits
• Some bring in new agenda to distract all
from his / her underperformance
5/9/2012 11Prof.M.J.Modayil

12. How to reverse ADT ?
• Self impose a changed behaviour
• Reduce dependence on some of these
technologies
• Keep away from the mobile phone, do
not check e mails more than once a
day, do not use facebook, twitter etc
while in office, do not browse except
in emergencies, do not entertain
unwanted calls, sms, mms
• Think positively and focus, focus,
focus on what you are doing
• Interact with a person close to you
for 5 to 10 minutes twice a day so
that you don’t work in isolation and
get in to ADT. Do easy jobs when
stressed. Meditate at least once a day
5/9/2012 12Prof.M.J.Modayil

13. 2. EDUCATION
• Education is not literacy
• We all are literate, only few are
educated
• Education is not academic degrees
• StevenMuller, President, John Hopkins
University :“ Universities are turning out
highly skilled barbarians because we don’t
provide a framework of values to young
people, who more and more are searching
for it”
• Socretes: “ We are drowning in
information, but starving for knowledge
and wisdom. Education ought to teach us
not only how to make a living but also how
to live”
5/9/2012 13Prof.M.J.Modayil

14. • Sir Winston Churchill: “ The first
duty of a university is to teach
wisdom, not trade; character, not
technicalities”
• Robert Anthony: “Universities are
fountains of knowledge. Some
students come to drink, some to sip
and others just to gargle”
5/9/2012 14Prof.M.J.Modayil

15. • Intellectual education influences
the head; Value-based education
influences the heart
• True education is training of both
head and the heart
• We need education that builds
fundamental traits of character:
honesty, compassion, courage,
persistence and responsibility
• Unfortunately, our universities are
providing, knowledge, technical
skills, intellectual education. Not
values, life skills
5/9/2012 Prof.M.J.Modayil 15

16. The 5 Cs for success
• Character
• Commitment
• Conviction
• Courtesy
• Courage
We seldom come across
people who have all the 5 Cs.
Remember, success is just 5 Cs
away.
5/9/2012 16Prof.M.J.Modayil

17. Why commonsense and attitude
are important ?
• Education & knowledge without
commonsense and attitude have no
meaning
• Commonsense is the 6th sense
• An abundance of the 6th sense is
known as WISDOM
• Continuous positive education leads
to positive thinking
• Are we providing value education or
just lecturing on subject matter
• Our students will be successful only if
we impart them ethics and values
along with technical matter
5/9/2012 17Prof.M.J.Modayil

18. Value of teaching
• What is teaching ?
• 30 years of teaching in university
taught me one single lesson
• “A GREAT TEACHER DOES NOT
TEACH”
• A mediocre teacher teaches
• A good teacher explains
• A superior teacher demonstrates
• A great teacher INSPIRES !
• Do you inspire your students or you
just explain, dictate notes, show
them PPTs, give them reading
assignments ????
5/9/2012 18Prof.M.J.Modayil

19. What is your teaching style?
• The problem with university teachers
is that they are NOT TRAINED in
teaching.
• Every profession has pre-job training
• Even KG teaching needs training
• But not university teaching !!
• It is like pushing some one in to a pool
of water and asking him to learn
swimming
• We teach by trial and error; some are
successful, most are failures
• The students just gargle and go away
• Teacher mentoring is essential
5/9/2012 19Prof.M.J.Modayil

20. A great teacher is
• Affectionate
• Knowledgeable
• Smiling
• Curious
• Honest
• Passionate
• Imaginative
• Resourceful
•Tolerant
•Reflective
•Patient
•Committed
•Creative
•Sense of purpose
•Sense of humour
•Makes you feel
great
5/9/2012 20Prof.M.J.Modayil

21. A great teacher is
• Willing to learn
• Positive
• Flexible
• Kind
• Good communicator
• Smiling and humorous
• Innovative in approach
• Concerned about you
• Treats the students with affection and
concern
• Students are overgrown children.
• They must be respected as an adult,
but treated as a child with kindness
5/9/2012 21Prof.M.J.Modayil

22. A great teacher gives…..
• Confidence to the students
• Encourages questioning
• Encourages lateral thinking
• Motivates to search for new
information
• Listens, learns and thanks
• Receives feed backs
• Watches for body languages
• Receives
• Responds
• Encourages
5/9/2012 22Prof.M.J.Modayil

23. • Comes well prepared
• Provides examples, statistics,
definitions, demonstrates, uses
loud and clear voice, postures,
gestures, body language, facial
expressions
• Never dictates notes
• But explains, repeats, clarifies,
pauses
• Encourages students make notes
• Keeps the students attentive,
captivated, mesmerized
A great teacher …..
5/9/2012 23Prof.M.J.Modayil

24. Tips for improving teaching
• Never carry books, notes to the lecture
hall. Carry only chalk pieces ,as many as
possible
• Go well prepared. The thumb rule is 2
hours of preparation for 1 hour of
lecture. Keep your lecture outlines for
the whole course in the library at the
commencement of the semester, one
page per lecture, in telegraphic language
• Use black board, not power point
• Don’t read from any text
• Use ‘note cards’ if you must
• Keep smiling
• Know every one by name and use their
names
• Listen
• Empathize
• Use humour
5/9/2012 24Prof.M.J.Modayil

25. NEVER…..
• Do anything which lowers the dignity of
a GURU
• Lose your temper
• Lose your patience
• Lose your character
• Lose your values
• Lose your commitment
• Lose your vision
• Lose your mission
• Insult or humiliate a student
• Lose your temper when others do not
pull along
• Stop trying to help
• Give up your efforts
• Be in a hurry
• Be unkind
• Say you know everything
5/9/2012 25Prof.M.J.Modayil

26. Follow the basics
• plan, plan
• Prepare, update, rehearse
• Use good voice, body language
• Be confident, alert, energetic
• Be yourself, don’t imitate
• Use dramatics, gestures, modulations
• Pause for doubts, questions
• Encourage feed backs, discussions
• Remember, 75 % of what people
communicate with each other is
NONVERBAL
• Maintain eye contact
• Don’t read from any text
• Listen, show empathy
• Be enthusiastic, sincere, self motivated,
courteous, objective
• Wear the “ATTITUDE”
5/9/2012 26Prof.M.J.Modayil

27. • Be well organized
• Be a good time manager
• Be a good class room manager
• Be reasonable with demands of
students
• Be firm while using authority, but be
kind
• Be courteous while declining
unreasonable demands
• Never scold or humiliate a student in
an open class. In fact never humiliate
any one in life.
• If you need to advise, invite to your
chamber, offer a seat and have an
open talk without losing temper. S/he
will stand to gain from your advice
and will be ever grateful5/9/2012 27Prof.M.J.Modayil

28. 3. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
• Also known as Emotional quotient
• It is the ability to identify, understand,
use and manage emotions in a
positive way to manage yourself and
manage others
• It is the greatest you need in life to
become successful
• Unfortunately it is not taught in your
class !
• We know that the smartest people
are not the successful people
• But people with high EQ are always
successful
• So this is a basic skill all of us need to
be successful in life
5/9/2012 28Prof.M.J.Modayil

29. EQ affects you in 4 ways
1. Your performance at work
You are able to move through people of
different temperaments at work place,
lead and motivate them and excel at work
2. Your physical health
If you don’t manage your emotions, you
are vulnerable to high BP, suppressed
immune system, increased risk of heart
attack and stroke, infertility and faster
aging
3. Your mental health
Anxiety, depression, irritable, moody,
angry. Many top level people shout
because they cant manage their EQ
4. Your relationships
You manage your emotions and so are
able to express how you feel and
communicate with others . Helps in
stronger relationships5/9/2012 29Prof.M.J.Modayil

30. How to improve our EQ ?
• Balance our emotions: use both
rational and emotional parts of the
brain. By this we expand our options
when we respond to new issues or
crisis.
• Our emotional memory helps in
making right decisions keeping in
mind the mistakes done in the past.
• So in decision making process, EQ is
very important
5/9/2012 30Prof.M.J.Modayil

31. 5 EQ Skills
1. Ability to quickly reduce stress
2. Ability to recognize and manage our
emotions
3. Ability to connect with others using
non verbal communication
4. Ability to use humour and deal with
problems
5. Ability to resolve conflicts effectively
and with confidence
5/9/2012 31Prof.M.J.Modayil

32. Ability to quickly reduce
stress
• High levels of stress can control mind
and body and can reduce your ability
to understand a situation
• If you can reduce your stress
immediately, it will help you to remain
focused and in control of any situation
• So, smile, keep silent, count up to 10
or even 100 to recompose yourself
and remain active and accessible
• Allow the emotional part of the brain
to take control and diffuse your stress
5/9/2012 32Prof.M.J.Modayil

33. Ability to recognize and
manage our emotions
• This is Emotional Awareness
• Be aware of our emotions
• Take control of them.
• Because of childhood experiences,
some may shut off emotions, but we
can’t eliminate them
• So use our emotions and manage
them well to take care of ourselves
• If we can manage ourselves, then only
we can manage others
• When we can manage stress, we will
be more comfortable connecting to
strong and unpleasant emotions
5/9/2012 33Prof.M.J.Modayil

34. Ability to use non verbal
communication
• Non verbal signals, gestures, facial
language, body language are all more
communicative than verbal language
• Also, the way you sit, talk, walk, stand,
respond, eye contact, move around
are all powerful tools to connect with
others
• Your nonverbal message can produce
interest, trust, excitement, desire OR
it can generate fear, confusion,
distrust, disinterest
• So, choose your body language which
can best express you!
5/9/2012 34Prof.M.J.Modayil

35. Ability to use humour and
deal with problems
• Life has all flavours. In the south
Indian festival of Ugadi, we have
prasad with sweet, salt, bitter and
sour tastes. So is life. It hasall flavours.
• Humour, laughter, jokes, play are all
life’s antidotes to lighten our burdens
• Can we laugh at ourselves?
• We Indians, as a whole, can not enjoy
teasing, jokes, pranks etc. Look at the
West for a change. Try to enjoy the
lighter side of life
• Playful communication broadens our
emotional intelligence
• Learn to crack jokes on ourselves
5/9/2012 35Prof.M.J.Modayil

36. Ability to resolve conflicts
effectively and with confidence
• Conflicts are part of daily life, at work
and at home
• Two persons need not have the same
view or opinion. It is natural
• Most conflicts can be resolved,
fostering freedom, creativity and
improving relations
• Emotionally charges situations can be
lightened by our personal body
language, jokes, and pleasant
interventions
• Use these skills along with sympathy,,
empathy, give and take views to
resolve conflicts and do that with
confidence.
5/9/2012 36Prof.M.J.Modayil

37. Role of a scientist-teacher
• Science professional have high degree
of specialization and they self-govern
their work
• They put more importance to their
scientific goals than the organizational
goals.
• Moving skilled technical people to
managerial cadre is an effective
strategy in R&D organizations
• However, when they handle new
managerial role, the new job needs
training in not only administration
and finance, but also in managing
human resource. So people skills are
essential to be successful5/9/2012 37Prof.M.J.Modayil

38. • In science organizations, they
design the future generations. If
the potter is not skilled, the
pottery made may be deformed.
• If you plant cabbage, don’t expect
to harvest carrots.
• So mentoring must be an
essential component in R&D
organizations
• FIP and short term teacher
mentoring must be built in to
using the HRD allocations
5/9/2012 Prof.M.J.Modayil 38

39. A great teacher is not
born, but made
• It takes years of practice and
patience to be a great teacher
• Only your students can vouch if
you are a great teacher
• They may not tell now, but 10
years from now they will
• Dr. Abdul Kalam said: Only a
teacher will be happy to see his
student rising above him; all
other profession if a junior
overtakes, they will be jealous.
5/9/2012 39Prof.M.J.Modayil

40. On this Teachers’ Day
my greetings and best wishes
to all teachers and students
present and absent
Transform from oxymoronic to
inspiring mode.
It is not easy, but possible
A GREAT TECHER INSPIRES
DO YOU ?
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PATIENCE
5/9/2012 40
Prof.M.J.Modayil