Teachers’ Day Musings Does Money Motivate Teachers...?

Does Money Motivate Teachers...? 
Teachers’ Day Musings
By
Vikram Karve 

ARE THOSE MOTIVATED BY MONEY THE BEST TEACHERS...?

Three Kinds of Teachers and 3 R’s of Teaching: 

“Reward” “Recognition” “Respect”

There are three kinds of Teachers:

1. Reward Oriented

2. Recognition Seeking

3. Respect Winning

Let us reflect a bit on each of the 3 types of teachers.

REWARD ORIENTED TEACHERS

In the first category are those who teach for Reward. 

For them – Teaching is like any other job – a profession rather than a passion.

For them – Teaching is a means of earning their livelihood. 

They believe that if they teach “X” number of hours – they are entitled “Y” salary. 

For any extra teaching load they expect what the industry bluntly calls overtime and for which academics use euphemisms like honorarium etc.

RECOGNITION SEEKING TEACHERS

Then – there are teachers who are obsessed with Recognition. 

They strive for awards, titles, designations, positions, peer recognition, publishing papers, honours, fellowships – being recognised is all about fame. 

Recognition is not so much about getting credit – as it is about being appreciated.

RESPECT WINNING TEACHERS

The highest category of teachers are those who win Respect – respect of their students, respect of their colleagues in the teaching fraternity and respect of society. 

For them respect is one of the most critical dimensions of their life. 

They are passionate about teaching and are loved by their students on whom they make a lasting impression.

In Which Category is Your Teacher...?

Dear Reader, the next time you see a teacher, observe carefully and try to analyse in which category he or she belongs – reward, recognition or respect.

A Teacher who strives to win respect will always be more student-centric, stakeholder conscious and effective than Teachers who are greedy for rewards or yearning for recognition.

Are You a Teacher...?

If you are a teacher yourself – please close your eyes and introspect – and see for yourself – where you belong – and truthfully assess – whether your “metier” is in teaching.  

It is quite simple.

After you finish a lecture – ask yourself three sets of questions:

1. Is the lecture something you feel you have done well...?

2. Do you feel you teach well...?

3. Did you enjoy delivering the lecture...?

4. Do you enjoy teaching...?

5. Did you feel proud of the way you delivered the lecture...?

6. Do you feel proud of the fact that you are a teacher or would you rather be someone else...?

If the answers to all the 6 questions is YES – you know you are in the right place – so – Happy Teaching.

Whether you are a teacher, or a student, or a parent – don't forget the 3 R’s of Teaching.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This is based on my personal experience. It may or may not work for you. So please do due diligence before trying out this technique.

2. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

3. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This is an Extract from my Revised, Updated and Abridged Version of My Article Posted by me Vikram Karve at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/11/what-makes-good-teacher-myth-and.html etc 

RUNNING WITH THE “IN-SURS” and HUNTING WITH THE “A-SURS” - MUSINGS ON HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

MUSINGS ON HUMAN RESOURCE (HR) MANAGEMENT

RUNNING WITH THE “IN-SURS” and HUNTING WITH THE “A-SURS”

A few months ago, on a lazy Sunday morning, sitting under the shady trees of the cool green Wakad Park on the banks of Mula River in Pune, a very creative friend of mine, Dhananajay Joshi, an ex navy buddy, told me about his theory that that there are three types of professionals and senior executives:

1. CV Builders

2. Empire Builders

3. Institution Builders

Since he had to rush to Mumbai, he said that he would elaborate more on the subject the next time we meet.

In the meanwhile, I wrote about it briefly in my blog:

http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/06/types-of-executives.html

This morning, he called me up from Mumbai, and sent me an article on the topic by email.

So, here is a “guest post” - an article by Dhananjay Joshi titled: Running with the “In-Surs” And Hunting with the “A-Surs”

RUNNING WITH THE “IN-SURS” and HUNTING WITH THE “A-SURS”

(An Article by Dhananjay Joshi)

I study people in a non-scientific way.

A scientific probe robs people of their colourful humanity.

Maybe, my results lack repeatability, and, cannot be independently validated, but they are as interesting as the people I study.

(Notice I used the word “people” instead of “subjects”)

People in corporations can generally be coloured in two shades of grey:

1. Those who are “in-sur” (musically in-tune) with organizational objectives

And

2. Those who are “a-sur” (out of tune) with organizational objectives 

It is tough to identify either, because shades of grey blend.

Let’s make this task a little more black and white.

In most corporations, it’s easy to discern three people categories:

1. The CV Builders.  The only reason they work for is because it would look good on their CV. They are like butterflies. After the nectar from a flower is exhausted, they move on to the next. They have great drive and are ambitious. They are totally “in-sur” with themselves. It’s tough to say that they are not “in-sur” with the organization. An “a-sur” masquerading? Shades of grey?

2. The Private Empire Builders.  They love to create private empires with themselves as alternate power-centres. Just like a spider. Any movement in any department is reported to the centre. The spider creates this web, by promoting mediocrity over meritocracy. Mediocrity for ever remains subservient to the central spider. The boss now needs to negotiate with the alternate power centre to execute a project. It’s tough to say that the spiders are not “in-sur” with the organization, but the “a-sur” in them needs to be satiated first.  Shades of grey again.

3. The Organization Builders.  The reason they are still there is because they believe in the organization. These are the guys who actually speak up in meetings. To the “a-surs”, these guys are committing hara-kiri by speaking-up. These guys speak-up because they believe in what they say. They are so involved in the project that, pleasing the boss does not occur to them. They have enormous drive and little personal ambition. They are “in-sur” with the organization’s objectives. Now we are moving to the black and white.

If it is about moving to black and white, let’s look at it from the point of view of drive and personal ambition.

Visually it would look something like this.

The IN-SUR versus A-SUR Grid

Revisiting the CV Builders – they obviously have high drive, which is good for the organization. What differentiates them is that also have very high personal ambition. With high personal ambition comes the need to control and dominate others.  And anybody who finds the need to “enslave” others is “a-sur”. They do not see the need to “enroll” people instead.

The Organization Builders have low personal ambition, which works very well for the organization itself. They find no need to “control” others; what drives them is the ideation process. These guys often undersell themselves, because they do not know the art of hard-sell. The organization values their worth, but does not promote them. They are soft targets for the “a-surs”.

The Private Empire Builders have low to medium drive, but high personal ambition.  Their agenda naturally veers towards filling the drive void. These guys take refuge in being the alternate power centre. Their need for control is satisfied by being the spider.

In this scenario, a CEO has a tough task: – running with the “in-surs” and hunting with the “a-surs”.

(Dhananjay Joshi would love to receive your comments and feedback by email at: dhananjaynjoshi@gmail.com )

SENSE OF HUMOUR

SENSE OF HUMOUR

By

VIKRAM KARVE

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOUR

We all have a sense of humour.

I am sure you too have a sense of humour and you like to hear jokes, you love to watch Humorous Movies, TV Shows, Comedy Acts and Funny Plays and Read Humorous Writing.

Humour relaxes you and is an effective stress buster.

As they say: Laughter is the Best Medicine.

Good writers (and speakers) have the capability to convey profound philosophy through humour which makes it palatable and easy to understand.

That is why humour facilitates effective communication.

Depending on your objective, there are many types of humour you can use in your writing and speaking.

A few types of humour are given below.

TYPES OF HUMOUR – A GUIDE

In a nutshell, here is a guide to the various types of humour, in alphabetical order, which I have collated by surfing the internet.

Well, as you will see, the various types of humour are interlinked and intertwined, so you must cross-refer the terms indicated in bold lettering.

1.  Burlesque is a form of satire.

Burlesque ridicules any basic style of speech or writing whereas parody makes fun of specific writings.

2.  Caricature means exaggeration of a person’s mental, physical, or personality traits, in wisecrack form.

Cartoons are a form of caricature.

Caricature can be used in writing too, an example being humorous sketches of famous unforgettable persons.

3.  Comedy comprises a ludicrous and amusing event or series of events designed to provide enjoyment and produce smiles or laughter usually written in a light, familiar, bantering, or satirical style.

There are also topical, romantic, satirical, and verbal wit comedies.

(Comedy is derived French word comedie which in turn is derived from the Greco-Latin comoedia which was formed by combining komos, meaning “to revel,” andaeidein, meaning “to sing”)

4.  Hyperbole is an exaggerated witticism overstates the features, defects, or the strangeness of someone or something.

Extreme exaggeration is Hyperbole.

5.  Epigram means a clever, short philosophical saying with a message or a moral.

Ancient Wisdom, enunciated by many eminent Philosophers, has been expressed and compiled in the form of epigrams for easy understanding.

6.  Incongruity arises from lack of harmony between two statements or events.  

This is similar to oxymoron in writing. 

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.

Here are some examples:

 

OPEN SECRET

DEAFENING SILENCE

SERIOUS JOKE

FRIENDLY FIGHT 

AMICABLE DIVORCE

HARMONIOUS DISCORD

or some tongue in cheek expressions like

BUSINESS ETHICS

HONEST POLITICIAN

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE

WORKING HOLIDAY

Sometimes, contradictions and incongruities can result in absurdly funny paradoxes and situations.

7.  Irony is a contradiction in terms, a paradox. 

Dramatists use irony in their works with great effect. For example, in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Romeo finds Juliet in a drugged state and he thinks she is dead. Full of grief, Romeo kills himself. When Juliet wakes up she finds Romeo dead and kills herself.

8.  Parody is a humorous version of any well-known writing or speech. 

Many Comedy and TV Shows use parody and there are parodies of famous songs too where the original lyrics and replaced by different words to inject humour.

9.  Pun comprises wordplay.

Jokes, one-liners and witty remarks often are composed of puns.

10.  Repartee – a clever reply or retort.

Sometimes the recipient of your repartee may find it insulting, so care must be taken not to hurt someone while using repartee.

11.  Satire is critical humour.  

Satire is sarcasm that makes fun of something.

12.  Surprise means bringing in suspense and unexpected twists which result in humour eventually.

13.  Sarcasm is a sharp, harsh, bitter or cutting remark on something or someone.

This is one of the most popular forms of humour and can be used with deadly effect.

One has to be careful in using sarcasm in order to ensure that it does not transgress the boundaries of humour.  

14.  Wisecrack means any clever remark about a particular person or thing.

Wisecracks are quick wordplays about a person.

15.  Wit comprises the entire repertoire of humour, irony, sarcasm, satire and repartee.

Your writing can be witty and so can your speech. Verbal wit is also called wordplay

Wit is funny because of the sudden sharpness and quick perception.

Sharp Wit can bite, and you must be careful in using wit, especially with those who do not have a sense of humour.

BE CAREFUL BEFORE YOU USE HUMOUR

It is said that now-a-days, the commodity which in short supply is “A SENSE OF HUMOUR”.

This lack of a Sense of Humour is reflected in the increasing intolerance in society.

Many persons have become hypersensitive and do not take kindly to humour.

So you have to be very careful before you use humour while speaking or writing or in creative works otherwise someone who does not have a sense of humour may take offense.

What you think is a seemingly innocuous witty remark may land you in trouble with persons who do not have the sense of humour to appreciate your wit.

This absence of a healthy sense of humour manifests itself in the various social tensions and stressful atmosphere we are witnessing around us.

Sense of Humour is a hallmark of a healthy democracy.

Sense of Humour is the sine qua non for free speech.

The sign of a confident person or harmonious society is the capacity to make fun and be made fun of, to laugh heartily and laugh at oneself, and to take humour in the right spirit.

I feel that a healthy sense of humour is the panacea for many of our present day personal ills and to alleviate social dissonance.

So let is all develop a good sense of humour and laugh and make others laugh.

Laugh and the World Laughs with You – Cry and you Cry Alone.

HUMOUR – THE ULTIMATE FEEL GOOD FACTOR

I wish I could have given examples of each one of the 15 types of humour I have mentioned above, but then I have been repeatedly advised that my blog posts are too long, so I will end here.

After all, BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT

But not to worry, Dear Reader: If you want to see examples of the various types of humour mentioned above, all you have to do is “Google” the term and hey-presto – you will remain glued to your computer screen and will be laughing all day.

Meanwhile, let me hark back to my glorious Navy Days when we had a delightful of sense of a humour which facilitated harmonious interpersonal relationships in stressful situations.

Let me try and write a few humorous blog posts.

Writing Humour makes me Feel Good – I am sure Reading Humour will make you Feel Good too.  

(Of course, sometimes you will have to read between the lines in order to discern the subtle humour).

Like Love, Humour is the Ultimate Feel Good Factor.

Do you agree?

Close your eyes. 

Think of a joke or a humorous episode.

Laugh. 

Feel Good.

Have a Happy Weekend.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

NB:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright. 

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013 all rights reserved

Did you like article?  

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook

If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie I am sure that you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@hotmail.com

Twitter: @vikramkarve

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

 

DESIRE MANAGEMENT Part 2 - HOW TO MANAGE YOUR DESIRES

DESIRE MANAGEMENT 
Part 2

Continued from Desire Management Part 1  -  HAPPINESS AND PLEASURE 
http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/05/desire-management-part-1-happiness-and.html


HOW TO MANAGE YOUR DESIRES
Philosophical Musings 
By
VIKRAM KARVE

DESIRES and HAPPINESS

Over the years I have realized that two main reasons for unhappiness are:

1. Dissatisfaction caused by unfulfilled desires

and

2. Anxiety that you will not be able to fulfill your desires in the future



There is a close connection between happiness and desire-satisfaction. 

When you get what you want you feel happy and when you do not get what you want you feel unhappy.

Happiness results from getting what you want 

(desire-satisfaction)

and 

Unhappiness results from not getting what you want 

(desire-frustration)

Therefore, there are two strategies you can pursue with respect to any given desire:

1. You can either strive to fulfill the desire

or

2. You can try to eliminate the desire

No philosopher has better explored this than Epicurus, a Greek Philosopher of the Third Century BC. 

Epicurus (341-270 BC) espoused a strategy for achieving genuine human happiness by:

Emphasizing on the delights of the mind (over which you have control)

and

De-emphasizing the delights derived from material things (which are beyond your personal control).

This desire management strategy will help you scale down your desires to the basic minimum which can easily be satisfied. 

Yes, you follow this this two phase desire management strategy:

1. Firstly, you scale down your desires to those desires which it is feasible for you to fulfill

then

2. You satisfy those desires. 

This will make you happy since fulfilling a desire creates happiness.

TYPES OF DESIRES

Epicurus distinguishes between three types of desires:

1.      Natural and Necessary Desires

2.      Unnatural and Unnecessary (or Vain and Empty) Desires

3.      Natural but Non-necessary Desires

HOW TO DEAL WITH THE THREE TYPES OF DESIRES

Our tendency to happiness (or unhappiness) depends on how we tackle each of these three types of desires.

Natural and Necessary Desires

Examples of natural and necessary desires include the desires for food, shelter, health, sense of security and basic physical needs, cravings which will necessarily lead to greater pain if they are not fulfilled.

These basic desires are easy to satisfy yet difficult to eliminate since they are “hard-wired” into human beings naturally and create a sense of well-being when satisfied ( “Happiness begins at the stomach” ) 

Furthermore, natural and necessary desires are necessary for life, and these desires are naturally limited: that is, if one is hungry, it only takes a limited amount of food to fill the stomach, after which the desire is satisfied.

Epicurus says that you should try to satisfy natural and necessary desires.

Vain and Empty or Unnatural and Unnecessary Desires

Vain, unnatural and unnecessary desires include desires for excessive power, wealth, fame, and other egoistic ambitions which have all the trappings of status and prestige.

Vain desires are difficult to satisfy, in part because they have no natural limit. 

If one desires wealth or power, no matter how much one gets, it is always possible to get more, and the more one gets, the more one wants.

These desires are not natural to human beings, but inculcated by society and by false beliefs about what we need.

For example, we falsely believe that being very powerful or wealthy or famous will guarantee us happiness. 

In actual fact, Opulence may attract thieves and other dangers, and Power and Fame may attract sycophants. 

Yes, such vain desires, which are unnatural and unnecessary, are sure to put you into the spiral of unhappiness.

Epicurus says that such vain and empty desires should be eliminated.

Natural but Non-Necessary Desires

An example of a natural but non-necessary desire is the desire for luxury food. 

Although food is needed for survival, one does not need rich expensive gourmet food to survive. 

Thus, despite his hedonism, Epicurus advocates a surprisingly ascetic way of life. 

Although you should not spurn extravagant foods if they happen to be available, becoming dependent on such luxury food (and other luxuries) ultimately leads to unhappiness.

These natural but non-necessary desires are those cravings that are not necessary for life, but give you great happiness. 

However, should you become dependent on them, such desires can lead to great unhappiness if they are not fulfilled. 

Natural but non-necessary desires are typically recreational in nature and examples of such desires include Sexual Gratification, Friendship, Aesthetic Desires, Entertainment, Social Intercourse, Creative Expression and Intellectual Stimulation, Liberal Arts, Reading, Social Networking, Sports, Travel etc

In the case of natural but non-necessary desires you must approach life like a banquet. 

Think of your life as if it were a banquet where you would behave graciously.

When a dish is passed to you, extend your hand and help yourself to a moderate portion. 

If a dish should pass you by then enjoy what is already on your plate. 

And if a dish has not been passed to you yet you must patiently wait for your turn.

In the same way as described above, you must treat your desires in the same way as you deal with food in a sit down dinner banquet.

CONCLUSION

To paraphrase Epicurus:

If you wish to make a man truly happy

Do not give him more money

rather

If you really want to make a man happy

Try to teach him how to reduce his desires

The Epicurean Philosophy of Life recommends that you must strive to do two things:

1. Eliminate the unhappiness caused by unfulfilled desires

and 

2. Reduce the anxiety that occurs because of the fear that your desires will not be fulfilled in the future.

Adopting this wise Epicurean philosophy of life will enable you to attain tranquility and enjoy everlasting happiness.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 
© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

NB:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2013. All Rights Reserved

Did you like reading this blog post?
I am sure you will like all the 27 stories in my book  COCKTAIL an anthology of Short Fiction.
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html
COCKTAIL ebook
If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramwamankarve@gmail.com

Twitter: @vikramkarve

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.