By Bhurijana Dasa
We have all learned our native language and most of our attitudes, values, and social behavior without having had any systematic instruction. In fact, the examples we have seen have influenced us more powerfully than the verbal instructions we have received. With this in mind, we can consider that any behavior a teacher exhibits constitutes teaching; teaching does not only take place while deliberately instructing students. Teaching by example goes on at all times. This places great pressure on teachers to live up to their ideals. If students observe discrepancies between what is demanded and what is actually allowed, they will behave according to what is allowed. For example, students will obey the teacher for the first few days if they are told to do their seat work quietly and on their own. If it gradually becomes clear, however, that the teacher does not intervene in any way when students do not work quietly or when they copy from one another, they will see that the teacher does not mean what he says. They will often become disobedient. This points again to the need for teachers to be aware that the only requirement for teaching to take place is that a student sees behavior modeled before him.