With a psychological background, a teacher can give the proper incentive to children for developing their instincts at proper occasions and can also show the channels towards which they should be directed for ultimate sublimation
For example, the teacher tries to arouse the pupil’s instinct of curiosity when the latter is not in a mood to listen to him.
With curiosity, the construction instinct should also be aroused, because, thereby the child will come in the process of ‘Learning by Doing’: and for fomenting the tendency of self-display, the teacher may always say to his pupils, “Let us see if anybody can find the solution to this problem’.
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The self-displaying tendency is a stimulating force for furthering the self-development of children the sense of co- cooperativeness and team-spirit which is a very potent force for self- advancement of children, can easily be utilized by a teacher with a psychological insight.
Childhood is the most impressionable age. If psychological principles are adhered to, tender emotions, instincts of sex and acquisitiveness, and tendencies of play, imitation and sympathy can be utilized for educational purposes.
If the child is not interested in a particular aspect he can be made interested if the same is connected with his pet animal, toy, sister or brother. This will be utilizing his tender emotion. With the help of arts, poetry, music and literature, sublimation of sex instinct may be affected; and thus the undisciplined impulses will be banished and self-discipline in the individual will be evident characterizing his strong personality.
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The pupil’s instinct of pugnacity can profitably be exploited by organizing intellectual and athletic contests. But all this is possible only when the teacher is fully aware of the psychological principles underlying the growth of children.
Professor Thomson says, “Man has won in the race against animals with more fixed instincts just because of his childhood period of play”. Play instinct offers opportunities for exercising originality.
When other instinctive forces have been exhausted play instinct may be excited profitably. Modern educationists have recognized this fact. Consequently, today we find many educational systems based on play- method.
Imitation is a very powerful tendency with children. In a teacher often becomes a model to his pupils. Therefore, the teacher has to be very careful about all his dealings, actions, words, speech and personality especially when he is in the company of small children.
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The above account clearly shows that one must have a sound psychological background if he wants to be a successful teacher.