“An education revolution can only happen if all stakeholders are involved,” says Miss Leong Sou Cheng, an educator at an international school.
Miss Leong Sou Cheng, an educator at an international school, shares from her experiences, how parents can help teachers build confidence.
Teachers, regardless of their experience, are defined by their attitudes which shape the way they teach in the classrooms. It is flawed and highly unfair to regard beginning teachers who are inexperienced as incompetent. Beginning teachers are not bad teachers; in fact, they are often positive, energetic, excited about their students, willing to learn and very inspiring. Parents tend to be skeptical about beginning teachers; they feel that the teachers are incompetent because of their lack of experience, but overlook other qualities that outshine experienced teachers who may sometimes feel jaded, unmotivated, and stuck in a rut. Consider their choice of teaching as a profession; they have a big heart for children, and they find the classroom a thrilling place to be. They have a classroom full of children, and every parent expects just as much as you.
Beginning teachers learn a lot from their mentors and colleagues, and they can also be nurtured to become better. Education concerns itself with developing people, and it is not just students we are interested in developing. As advocated by the Reggio Emilia philosophy of an interdependent relationship shared by children, parents, and teachers, the performance of a teacher can be greatly enhanced by the efforts of a parent. We all like a pat on our shoulders; just imagine how much motivation you would give, simply by complimenting a teacher on his or her influence on your child. There are many teachers who would bend over backwards for your child. When you meet one, be sure to applaud the teacher in person or even let the principal know.
There is something about parents that intimidate teachers, and set off alarm bells. It took me about five years to be comfortable around parents, and proactively reach out to them. . Fresh out of teachers’ college, and with no children of my own, I felt inadequate and out of place to be telling parents what they should do. Beginning teachers are not sure what to expect and may feel uncomfortable in such unfamiliar situations, especially in cases where multiple adults are pushing the blame and trying to gain dominance. With practice, and the right attitude of teacher-parent partnership, meetings would be less awkward and superficial. The goal of the partnership is to establish positive contact, and help each other support your child in school. It is not to absolve responsibility, or to win for the sake of pride.
The truth is, the relationship between parents and teachers is fragile and at times, can be difficult to manage; some teachers welcome dialogue with parents, others choose to avoid it because they feel threatened, which may stem from an understandable cause of concern. In general, teachers may choose to hide behind the stacks of worksheets, and avoid any real interaction with parents. Parents too, may not come their way. They would operate in peace, as long as nothing disrupts the delicate equilibrium. The lack of honest and genuine communication and the distance between parent and teacher is troubling as it is a potential breeding ground for hostility. Imagine the possible opportunities to team up that would be lost.
What you do as a parent can inspire tremendous confidence in teachers. It is a two-way traffic. Be sincere about your feelings so that teachers can be too. An education revolution can only happen if all stakeholders are involved. As a parent, you can take the lead, and start making the connection.
Do not be too hard on beginning teachers!
The above article was first published on 8 May 2015 in
https://schoolbag.sg/story/pick-your-battles
No comments:
Post a Comment