Main Padhta Kyo Hu

This text, "Main Padhta kyo Hu" (Why do I teach?) by Peter G. Bidler, explores the author's deeply personal reasons for choosing teaching over administrative roles that might offer more money and power. He candidly admits that teaching is the most difficult of all the jobs he has held, often leaving him physically and mentally drained due to the constant preparation and the fear of not engaging his students. He doesn't teach because he has all the answers or is compelled to share his knowledge.

Instead, Bidler teaches because he enjoys the process of teaching and the opportunities it provides for reflection, research, and writing during school breaks. He finds fulfillment in the transformation that occurs, not only within himself but also, and most importantly, within his students. He values the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and inspire both himself and his students. He relishes posing challenging questions that require students to exert effort.

A significant motivator for Bidler is his love of learning. He believes his existence as a teacher is contingent upon his own continuous learning. He has discovered that he can teach best what he most desires to know.

Furthermore, he teaches to help himself and his students escape the "false world" of pretense and enter the "real world." He recounts an example of a course he taught on "Self-Reliance in a Mechanized Society," where students not only read influential authors like Emerson, Thoreau, and Huxley but also actively participated in establishing a company, buying and renovating a house, and experiencing self-reliance firsthand. This practical application of knowledge provided a profound understanding of texts like Thoreau's "Walden." He sees teaching as an opportunity to taste different "nectars," explore various "forests," read many books, and gain diverse experiences of both the illusory and the real.

Bidler emphasizes the transformative impact of teaching on individuals. He shares inspiring stories of students like Vicky, who found her passion and achieved academic success after his guidance; George, who shifted from engineering to literature and became a teacher; Jean, who returned to education and became a civil rights lawyer; and Jacquie, who learns more through intuition than analysis and decided to attend college. He feels privileged to witness these individuals grow and change, likening it to being present at moments of creation.

While acknowledging that administrative roles might offer financial gain and power, Bidler asserts that he already has sufficient wealth and power. The power he wields as a teacher—the ability to nudge, spark, question, praise, critique, suggest books, and guide—is far more meaningful to him than any other form of authority.

Ultimately, Bidler teaches because it brings him joy, allows him to engage in meaningful activities like reading, conversing, exploring, and questioning. The most profound reason, however, is the love and "magic" he feels for his students. He finds a renewed sense of life and breath by being in the presence of those who are beginning to "breathe" and shape themselves. This love for his students, who arrive like raw clay and transform, is the core of his dedication to teaching.