A Teacher's Challenge

After more than a decade of teaching, I just want to ask myself again of things that teachers have to do to ensure that students will leave school fully equipped  with knowledge and skills to face life challenges. How would I define good teaching as an instruction that shape good learners? Are academic skills important than good behaviors? Our profession needs us to view every pupil as an account wherein we need to deposit experiences that are truly beneficial and encouraging to him. So do we have to focus more on the academic progress or behavior improvement? 

Among the many challenges that teachers have to confront daily, often the most strenuous is how to deal with pupils who seem disruptive, unreachable and those that are resistant to different learning activities. 

It is really true that a child's academic excellence is never an absolute measure of his intelligence. His behavior actually plays a vital role in academic achievement. And this definitely can affect his ability to learn. Therefore, a teacher's challenge is to think of ways on how to engage with this kind of call.

HOW CAN TEACHERS DO THIS? 
Let us try some approaches that can be of help to us. 

1. Try not to be too much disciplinarian or authoritarian. 

When a student's behavior bring problem, opt to find ways on how to find out what's going on. There is always a reason for misbehavior. Do not control them and always demand obedience. remember that a problematic behavior comes from a number of reasons.

-health problems

-personal or family issues

-academic difficulty

-developmental issue

- and a lot more

 *Love them as they are like your own children.

2. Know their interests and goals. 

Teachers should not forget that motivation starts from within. Develop trusting relationships that help them connect learning to their goals and interests in life. 

*Let them follow their hearts. 

3. See their mistakes as opportunities for learning. Respond properly to pupil's mistakes. Find ways to explain to them that they will learn even when they experience failures. 

*Teach them with patience. 

4. Use positive reinforcement still. 

Do not forget to give encouraging and positive remarks/messages. Children that are given positive reinforcement are most likely to become cooperative, enthusiastic, confident, and inspired. 

*Be persuasive and appreciative 

5. Say sorry when you create mistakes. We are not superma'ams. We create mistakes as well. If there are situations as such, never forget to apologize. 

*Be courteous and respectful to your pupils. 

6. Always teach lessons that involve life's reality.

Teaching is readying your students to face life's challenges in the near future. Having them understand how wonderful what life has to offer even with struggles help them become responsible citizens of the world. 

*Be an inspirer. 

Doing all these consistently can create resilient and responsible students. We may not create a lot of intelligent students but we can always create students with proper values that will definitely aid them to become successful people achieving their goals in life. With these approaches, we build positive relationships with them. These positive relationships stimulate them to learn more. Thinking teachers are caring teachers. Let us all try our best to influence them positively.
REMEMBER, TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THEIR LIVES.

                    A teacher can make or unmake a child.