The virtues which I have chosen to talk about are:
Patience, Kindness, Respect, Honesty and Self-control.
Patience – The ability to have patience is one of mass importance in most aspects of life. However, I feel it is emphasised further in the role of a teacher as it is something which needs to be used every day. Patience provides us with the ability to take our time and take a step back. This is in order to try and understand where others are coming from. I feel like helps us to develop our professionalism as we have to think of professional ways in which to respond to certain situations and by being patient, this allows us to fully examine the situation and provide the most appropriate and professional response.
Kindness – Kindness is the ability to show compassion and empathy but could also be as simple as being understanding and polite. This is an area of which I feel is often overlooked but I feel it has a massive impact especially within the role of a teacher. If you show kindness towards the children in your class not only are you giving them a positive role model to look up to you are also presenting yourself as someone they can trust and someone who they can hopefully open up to or ask for help.
Respect – Respect is one of those terms which I feel are extremely important with whomever you are dealing with whether it be in a teaching setting e.g. Pupils, parents, other teachers, or within your personal life. I have formed the opinion that everyone should be treated with respect and that this is the only way in which you can gain respect back. Just like the good old saying “treat others as you wish to be treated”. I feel that respect within the role of a teacher is essential and that mutual respect should always be one of the main areas of focus within the classroom. I feel that respect is also a huge part of being a professional as you will often come across opinions that you do not agree with, however, in order to deal with this matter in a professional way you need to be respectful of others.
Honesty – By being honest it allows you the chance to express who you really are and show people what you are truly like. In order to be a professional you have to be honest with your peers and within a school context with your class. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and if you do make sure to own up to them as it is the only way in which you can learn from them. Also by showing that you have the ability to be honest it will more than likely gain you more respect which can lead into many positive consequences within your profession.
Self-control – Self–control is an area in which everyone struggles with. However, within the profession of a teacher it is one you have to firmly have under your belt. Every day you will come across situations which will make you angry and annoyed but it is how you deal with these situations which is important especially when it is dealing with children. When working with children you have to always make sure that what you are saying is appropriate and can’t let your emotions blur that.
