“Understanding the Silent World of Our Students”

There is a specific kind of magic that happens when a teacher recognizes a student’s emotional landscape. The tension in their shoulders drops. Their eyes brighten. For many students, a teacher might be the only adult in their day who looks them in the eye and asks, “How are you, really?”
This bond creates a sanctuary. When a student knows their teacher understands their nature—their fears, their quirks, and their dreams—the classroom stops being a place of judgment and becomes a home for the spirit.
“A child who feels seen by their teacher will walk through fire to learn. A child who feels invisible will sit in a room full of light and still stay in the dark.”
We often forget that students are “works in progress.” They are navigating a whirlwind of social development and emotional discovery. A teacher who communicates effectively doesn’t just teach math or history—they teach validation. By acknowledging a student’s feelings, a teacher says, “I see you as a person, not just a desk number.” This simple recognition can be the catalyst that turns a struggling student into a lifelong learner.
Below is a story of the Buddha that illustrates how a teacher can become a guiding spirit to a student.
The Story of Panthaka: The Student Who Could Not Remember
There is a famous story of a young man named Chula Panthaka, who was considered the “slowest” of all students. He was so overwhelmed by his own perceived inadequacy that he couldn’t even memorize a single verse of poetry. His brother, frustrated, told him he was hopeless and should return home.
The Buddha, seeing Panthaka weeping outside the gate, didn’t give him a lecture or a book. He didn’t treat him like a “desk number.” Instead, he sat with him and handed him a clean white cloth. He told Panthaka to sit in the sun and simply rub the cloth while repeating the words: “Removing the dirt, removing the stain.”
As Panthaka rubbed the cloth, he watched it turn from white to grey. In that moment of focused, gentle guidance, he realized that his own mind was like the cloth—it wasn’t “broken,” it was just covered in the “dust” of his anxieties. Because the Buddha saw his nature rather than his failure, Panthaka’s tension dropped, his spirit found a home, and he eventually became one of the most enlightened teachers of his time.
“The teacher did not change the student’s mind;
he changed the student’s environment
until the student could see their own light.”
The Bottom Line
The most “wonderful” classrooms aren’t the ones with the most technology or the newest books; they are the ones where the air is thick with conversation and mutual respect. When we understand the nature of the student, we unlock the true potential of the teacher.

SACHIN LONDHE.Educator,
Secondary section,
Priyadarshani School,Moshi