Category Archives: 1 Prof. Values & Personal Commitment

The Virtues of Teaching

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In a recent input, we were asked what attributes we think teachers should possess in order to be regarded as both a professional and great practitioner. It’s difficult to pin-point just a handful of qualities, but here are a few that I think are important.

I think having integrity is something we as teachers definitely need. To me this means being honest and having strong moral principles. It’s important to be a good role model and someone who can show children what it means to have values. Being a person of integrity also means that my personal and professional relationships are genuine and I am a person who can be trusted, which is important considering children develop in the context of relationships.

I think having compassion is also important. Defined as “the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with the desire to alleviate it”, we as teachers spend a great deal of time helping children understand and overcome issues large and small. Taking into consideration the thoughts and feelings of our children instead of solely responding to their words is great way to build strong relationships. For example, angry words may conceal fear, guilt may hide behind blame. Trying to understand and respond to the underlying emotion can result in the child being more likely to trust and open up a little more.

I think having fairness within the classroom is a definite must. Many define being ‘fair’ as treating everyone the same, but I would argue against this. Children are not the same. They have different motivations for their choices, different needs, different causes for misbehaviour and different goals. That being said, I do think having set boundaries and rules that apply to everyone gives each individual child a clear grasp of what’s expected (and not expected) and the consequences of their actions. But it’s vital to have an unbiased approach in teaching and I think making a real conscious effort not have ‘favourites’ is important.

I think having patience is a quality that we as teacher most definitely need in order to make this job possible! To deal with twenty odd children demanding your undivided attention can be a real task to juggle. Every child has different needs and varying ranges of ability and being able to take a step back and evaluate a situation is essential to staying cool, calm and collected.

And lastly, I think having respect is important in regards to all aspects of life, not only as a teacher. It shows that one values another as an individual and that they have regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others. Children judge the character of us as teachers based on how we treat them. Respect needs to be earned from both sides. When a child experiences respect, they know what it feels like and begin to understand how important it is. That’s why the best way to teach respect is to show respect.

Gender Role Stereotyping

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I never really experienced a great deal of gender role stereotyping when I was at school, or at least I like to think I didn’t. But a recent input from Jill has led me to think otherwise.

Looking back, I remember small things, like being told to line up separately or sit boy-girl. In the playground, most of the boys played football while the girls played hop-scotch or made up games of their own.  At the time, this didn’t feel wrong, but it’s only now that I realise the potentially negative implications of such behaviour in terms of gender stereotyping.

This led me to think about the way in which gender is constructed within the classroom and just how big of an impact it has on the learning environment. That’s why I think it’s so important to be aware of this as a teacher, because these stereotyped ideas about what’s suitable for boys and girls can limit children’s opportunities to learn and develop.

Take being lined up separately for example. It’s thought by some that boys get up to too much mischief if they’re left to their own devices and that the presence of girls have a positive, calming effect on their behaviour. While perhaps true on a certain level (although I’m not entirely sure I agree), it affirms this idea that boys and girls should be treated differently, which I think is wrong.

And I think this is one of the major challenges that teachers face – establishing environments both inside and outside of the classroom that don’t favour one group of students to the detriment of another group – and is definitely something that we need to tackle on a bigger scale.

Changing Education Paradigms

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At the beginning of the semester, we had an input from Susan on the sociology of education. Its aim was to aid our understanding of education systems and create awareness of social context and diversity within primary schools.

The video below is a recording of a lecture given by Sir Ken Robinson, a speaker and international advisor of education, on the subject of education paradigms. Robinson talks about how the current educational systems of the world are flawed and need to go through some major changes.

One of the main problems is that the current systems of education were designed during the industrial revolution years, which focused primarily on academic performance. We no longer live in such a society, so why then, in the words of Robinson, are we “trying to meet the future by doing what [we] did in the past?” It seems nonsensical considering our technologically advancements and the various new and exciting outlets for learning. It makes me question why our education systems have failed to follow the trend.

Which leads onto another issue affecting our current education system; the fact that it generally only benefits those children who fall under the category of academically intelligent. Those who aren’t as academically intelligent are forgotten about in a sense, which results in them losing interest and falling away from their studies.

This taps into an interesting point Robinson makes about Divergent Thinking (a thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions) and how young children have an almost natural ability to think about various different concepts, but as they grow older and become ‘educated’, it begins to fade.

So how then are we as teachers meant to raise attainment if the systems put in place fail our children? The answer is, we can’t. Not unless we take a step back and rethink these traditional approaches to learning to ensure no child is left behind.

That way, we will be able to ensure we are flexible to the needs of our children, instead of stifling them with outdated systems of education.

Smarter Study Skills

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Trying to understand what university involves is a daunting process for most first time students. In those first few weeks, a lot is happening and it can be a somewhat overwhelming experience. ‘The Study Skills Book’ is a great reference manual to help with this process; it provides a simple yet comprehensive insight into all of the different aspects of student life, along with various hints and tips on how to make the most out of university.

Before the book begins to delve into the details of what to expect from university, it asks the reader to think about where they see themselves in five and then ten years’ time. This made me realise that, in the space of a short (and what already feels like will be a quick) four year degree, I’ll be starting out on my first year as a fully qualified teacher.

One of the main differences between secondary school and university is this concept of students being fully responsible for their own learning, and this book provides many useful hints and tips on how to cope with the transition, such as:

  • Goal setting – making short term goals will make the long term goals much more achievable
  • Communication with tutors / staff members – If I have an question or issue, speaking to the relevant people will ensure there is a quick resolution
  • Organisation – essential for keeping on top of course work and meeting deadlines, ensures effective time management, and having a balance between work and play
  • Learning new skills – being prepared to improve on existing skills, as well as those that are unfamiliar, and being open to the new ideas and concepts of learning
  • Looking after yourself – going to university is a big step and sometimes all you need is a little advice with how to cope with certain difficulties, but there are many services available ranging from academic skills advice to a counselling service

The book also details differences across other areas such as attendance, teaching strategies, learning requirements, and written work requirements. These are set out in a table while allows the reader to see the main differences at a quick glance.

These differences run parallel to the differences I’ll probably experience once I graduate from university and begin to venture out into the world of employment. The skills I develop now will stay with me throughout my life and the book highlights their importance to employers.

Working on these skills will make it easier to see the areas where I feel most competent, the areas I feel need more work, and the areas where I feel I need to dedicate time to the development of new skills.