Chicago
Chicago
A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation. Mark Twain
On a daily basis, teachers strive to offer the best of their teaching qualities so their students can learn and grow; so they can be academically and culturally prepared to engage in a more challenging society. Of course teaching in today’s schools goes beyond the limitations of curricula and the governing formula to reach new determinations, and relates fundamentally to other relevant fields and domains as the philosophy of ethics, psychology, sociology, management, communication, style and charisma. Correspondingly, teachers are having more obligations and the quality of their work; traditionally assessed on instructive measurements and considerations, is now being evaluated through different channels.
As professionalism is extending beyond formal technicalities and compliances, teachers are required to express and reflect a variety of influential values and qualities in their classrooms. These qualities may vary in their conceptualized attributes and in their processes of integration from one particular academic setting to another. Yet, communication and public relations, problem-solving skills, work ethics, creativity, commitment and responsibility are generally toping the list of interest and focus in most of modern schooling disciplines. I call them the Seven Tips!
Every student is unique in his or her physical, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional needs and attributes. This naturally advanced and supported conclusion is reflected in our students’ different reactions and responses to similar situations and it forces our teachers, today, to communicate effectively and equally to each student in their classrooms. Effective communication now is a central theme in various curricular disciplines. Be it in business management, media or education, communication is so pervasive and integrate strongly in professional formulas.
Of course, teaching can not be an exception. Teachers should possess and train to develop their communicative techniques so their messages are being accurately and fairly transmitted to their students. Failing to do so may result in creating conflicting learning situations.
Schools as well as other professional arenas are investing more on building strong effective communication systems. Systems that allow transparency, collaboration, and variety. Administratively, you want your school staff to connect positively and work collectively for the welfare of all; I mean directors, teachers, students, parents and guardians, community members and paraprofessionals. Instructively, you want your teachers to communicate and connect sufficiently and effectively to each student so the various needs are served and the expectations of every child are met. Otherwise, the whole structure would collapse and fall apart in a dramatic scene.
Relevant to effective communication is strong public relations. Media clubs, students unions, sport tournaments, science fairs, field trips, art displays, workshops, are priorities in modern schools’ agendas. These extracurricular activities are being supported and advanced at larger scales. This brings teaching profession to a new dimension. A new dimension where schools are opening more windows to the world of enterprise and are building stronger partnerships with different associations and organizations. Within this context, teachers should engage more in the civic society and try harder to bring the outside world into their classrooms and equally take their world beyond their campuses into the streets and squares.
Schools’ demographic bodies are currently made of individuals with different cultures, ethnicities, linguistic preferences and perceptions. Of course, the concepts of multiplicity and diversity are now central themes in academic debates and receive more significant attention in building schools’ curricula. At administrative level, directors are now setting high expectations from their teachers in terms of their ability to accommodate and accept diversity. This explains the range and the quality of investment made by schooling systems in their staff development programs on conflict/problem-solving topics and themes.
As initially stated, every one of us is unique in his or her backgrounds, standing and understanding. We reflect and react to similar situations in different manners. This natural mechanism, sometimes, may cause or contribute to disconnections, clashes of personalities and; in worse scenarios, to conflicts and divisions. To ensure unity and stability within a school zone, teachers should actively invest in developing their problem-solving skills and acquire to a maximal advantage welcoming, warm and compromising personalities that can build in trust and encourage inter-action. Definitely, you want your teachers to have the necessary skills and techniques to manage conflicting situations and be able to handle and solve problems that often arise. You want them to sail their boats through the stormy water into the safest shores possible and never stop at first compulsion.
Lexically, the term ethics refers to “the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.” This definition relates these rules to different areas and disciplines and to a very unique field of study and consideration, called the Philosophy of Ethics. Be it in education, economy, art, media or politics, this concept is perceived to be highly influential and to serve the aims of productivity to a maximal extent.
The term ethics basically refers to that collection of moral standards and values by which every one of us should be guided and directed. It is what tells us good from bad, right from wrong and positive from negative… In the milieu of teaching, schools of course build their own codes of conducts that met best their structures. Generally, these codes would describe the quality of instruction and assessment, the school culture and climate and eventually teacher’s behavior, styles and attitudes.
Technically, these codes consist of agreed-upon guidelines, recommendations and regulatory policies that determine legally the processes of compliances and ensure a high sense of ethical obligations among administrators, teachers, students, paraprofessional personnel and parents as well. Teaching is a noble profession and of course we can not expect teachers to succeed and have that positive influence unless they themselves represent both in their work place or in society at large honorable images of ethically perfect and responsible persons…
To be continued…
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