BACKBENCHERS VIS-À-VIS FRONTBENCHERS

 From Sampath's Desk: 

BACKBENCHERS VIS-À-VIS FRONTBENCHERS

 

Are backbenchers in a classroom mediocre, average or less than average students, as is generally believed and branded? Not necessarily. But how come the blemish got associated with them? Contrarily, are first and middle benchers an intelligent lot? Again, not necessarily so! In a classroom, it is customary and for convenience sake, taller and heftier students are seated at the back of the class. The idea is that if they were to be seated in front or middle rows, shorter students, seated behind them, may not be able to see the teacher/blackboard with ease.

 

Teachers generally tend to look at backbenchers with a suspicious eye whether they follow what is taught or shuttle their attention elsewhere. In fact, there could be a barrage of questions from backbenchers rather than other students, as they are at a less advantageous position in following the lecture seated as they are away from the teacher.

 

However, there is an impression among many, especially teachers, that backbenchers seldom take interest in studies and love gossiping and gesticulating at others thereby distracting the class. In a nutshell, they are a naughty lot. But this observation is imaginary and only an exception, and not the rule. Condemning the backbenchers as a whole and generalizing them as a mischievous lot is preposterous, unfair and unjustified.

 

A sportive and pleasantly humorous conduct on the part of backbenchers sometimes is that not being able to hear the voice of the teacher, they get easily distracted and in the process unintentionally disturb other students. As the name itself alludes, those who are not enthusiastic about particular subjects and with a ‘touch-and-go’ attitude volunteer to be backbenchers so that whatever playful things they do may go unnoticed. Backbenchers are so as they are cavalier in their dispositions and want to be away from the watchful scanner of the teacher to remain in a zone of their own. This again is a pure surmise and conjecture.

 

Frontbenchers seated under the nose of the teacher can’t afford to make any mistake(s). The difficulty of being seated in the front rows in a class is that at times students would have to ‘act’ as if interested in the lecture even though it may be boring them out of their wits. And it is the frontbenchers who are caught daydreaming when they fake attentiveness in class.

 

The teachers also have a tough job while lecturing in a classroom. Their eyes may have to scan the entire classroom. With pin-drop silence prevailing, even the slightest of disturbance may distract them. They are bound to remain vigilant throughout the entire session and carry the tempo of the class according to the energy level they exhibit. Whether frontbenchers or backbenchers, once they have collectively decided to stall the proceedings and divert the topic, the students can collusively adopt different tactics to baffle the teacher by asking questions not relevant or germane to the subject matter and waste precious time.

 

Whatever be the seating position, it is for the teacher to make the classroom interactions interesting by dotting their lectures with anecdotes, jokes, tidbits, etc. that would keep the students in good humour. Fun and interest-packed lectures would make even a dull student sit up, attentively listen and grasp what is taught, irrespective of his/her seating position.

 

In fact, students of the day might be able to assess a teacher better than a teacher assessing a student and it is all the more challenging to take a class than it used to be a few years ago.

(R.SAMPATH)

This article was published in the 'Timeout' column of THE INDIAN EXPRESS dated 24.8.2009 with the same caption.