The teacher

October 14, 2018 Educator's Corner Opinion

One of the favorite pastimes of my learners after their lunch is playing school and doing the role of a teacher excites them. In a real school situation, it is not that easy. That is why there are teachers who always look forward for dismissal, holidays and weekends but there are also those who are highly motivated and just seem to be perfect for the work.
Looking positively, teaching can be rewarding when our learners display values of honesty, integrity, self-reliance,
God-fearing and become incorruptible leaders of the community they are in. When this happens we feel that we are
instrumental in some measure of their success and we were able to serve our country in a humble way.
Another reward of being a teacher is having the chance to teach our learners how to think, how to learn and how to work. A teacher influences his learners a lot. It is his duty to help them master the basic skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. To do this, he must understand that teaching is both a science and an art. As a science, it involves basic laws.
As an art, it involves knowing the exceptions to the laws. When I was teaching in the higher grades I always ask my
learners what kind of teacher do they like. I always get a vague answer. They want a very good teacher. So what is a very good teacher? A very good teacher is well defined in the Professional Standards for Teachers in the Philippines. A very good teacher recognizes the importance of mastery of content knowledge and its interconnectedness within and across curriculum areas; provides learning environments that are safe, secure, fair and supportive in order to promote learner responsibility and achievement; establishes learning environments that are responsive to learner diversity, and interacts with the national and local curriculum requirements.
A very good teacher must also apply a variety of assessment tools and strategies in monitoring, evaluating, documenting and reporting learners’ needs, progress and achievement; establish school community partnerships aimed at enriching the learning environment, as well as the community’s engagement in the educative process; and value personal growth and professional development and exhibit high personal regard for the profession by maintaining qualities that uphold the dignity of teaching, such as caring attitude, respect and integrity.
Simplifying it, a very good teacher knows very well the subject he teaches. His center of attention is the welfare of his learners. He is open-minded to suggestions for the improvement of his work. Not only must a teacher know his
subject. It is essential that he likes it. If a teacher likes his subject, he’ll do everything to fulfill the learners’ longing to
learn and make them feel that learning is pleasurable.
A very good teacher is a well-organized person, too. He handles classroom routine competently. His records are
kept neatly, correctly and updated.
These things can be done by a teacher who possesses good mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical health. He depicts character traits that are worth emulating for the learners and co-workers. He understands every situation that comes his way. He makes sure that his appearance and actions set good example to others. Indeed, teaching is absolutely a distinguished calling especially designed for those with a genuine intention of teaching to improve lives. URSULA R. CHENO, Camp 4 Elementary School, Tuba, Benguet