I remember a time when a teacher was one of the most respected and influential persons in the community. I grew up in a village and villagers would turn to teachers for help to fill out government forms, recommendations and advice on every and anything. The teacher was seen as educated and knowledgeable. For parents who had little formal education, the teacher was a symbol of hope, someone they trusted to help pull their children out of poverty.
Teachers were invited to all celebrations: prayer services, weddings and christenings. They showed up for funerals and were counsellors and mentors to whole families. Those were the “good ole days”, when teaching was considered a noble profession. Schools were built on the dedication and commitment of teachers who served beyond their job descriptions.
Teachers still play an extremely important role in our communities but the demands of the job have changed. We have to recognise those changes when we look at what we expect of teachers today.
With every generation and every decade there are changes in attitudes to education, to learning and to discipline. The challenges are different and the responsibilities can be overwhelming. This week we celebrated World Teachers’ Day and I figured it is a good time for us to consider what we ask of our teachers and whether we adequately prepare and support them.
I think back to thirty years ago when I entered the teaching service. My first posting was at Malick Secondary Comprehensive School. On my second day, a fight broke out between two girls and I had absolutely no idea what to do.
On a Friday, during the last two periods, I had a class of 40 students. Some of the boys would put their heads on the desk and sleep through those two periods, mostly because they were high. I remember walking out of a class because they simply refused to settle down and it was impossible to teach.
My head of department and principal had to step in. All this happened within one month of starting my teaching career. I had no idea how to even start dealing with it.
You see, having a degree in a subject area doesn’t make you a teacher. You might know all the information and the content of the syllabus but not have the slightest idea how to deal with disruptive students, fights, students experiencing mental health difficulties or students with learning disabilities. In my case, I entered the classroom knowing my subject but unprepared for much of what I encountered.
I think in all my years of teaching at secondary school, I only attended two training sessions for teachers and those were in the subject area. But we have to recognise that teachers need to know a lot beyond their subject area. I can know all the history in the world but when I enter a classroom and students are fighting or high in the back of the class, there is only so much I can teach.
If we are honest, we will recognise that, regardless of the school, teachers need support in teaching strategies, dealing with indiscipline and teaching students with special needs.
I think every single teacher should have some training in teaching children with learning challenges and basic counselling skills. They should know when a child needs professional help and have access to people who can provide it.
New teachers also need experienced teachers to guide them. Training should begin before a teacher is placed in a classroom and continue throughout their career. There should be time set aside for it, opportunities to discuss classroom challenges and practical help when things go wrong. We cannot simply send people into schools and expect them to figure it out.
That brings me to why people apply for teaching. When I resigned from the teaching service to take up a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in India, so many people said, “Why are you leaving a government job?” and “But you have a job for the rest of your life.”
For many people, teaching is a secure job with a good enough salary. There is nothing wrong with wanting job security. However, the children in a classroom deserve a teacher who is invested in their learning. We need recruitment processes that consider an applicant’s actual suitability for teaching, followed by proper training and clear expectations of professional conduct.
At the same time, there are teachers who are fully committed, who spend their own money and resources and who go out of their way to help students. They want their students to do well and they put in the work to make that happen. But even the most dedicated teacher needs help, so we cannot expect teachers to keep making up for the gaps in the education system with their own time, money and energy.
The village teacher I remember carried the hopes of whole families.
Today’s teachers still carry those hopes, but look at what we ask of them. They have to teach, deal with indiscipline, recognise learning challenges and help students with problems that they themselves might not know how to handle.
Yes, teachers must be accountable for their work. But what about those responsible for preparing and supporting them? As we celebrate World Teachers’ Day, we have to ask ourselves: are we giving teachers what they need to do all that we expect of them?
