Be a role model

SCHOOLS are one of the first places where kid’s behavior and future educational success is fashioned. Teachers are carriers of either positive or negative behavior toward students. The first years of school are so critical because kids learn the base of their educational life during this early stage.

Students create their images of school day after day in their pilgrimage to become educated. Relative to this, teachers are expected to be good role models to their students and to others who look up to them as professionals. One of the best ways we influence is by our own actions.

Who we are speaks much more loudly than what we say. Don’t think that people aren't watching you. They are. And they’re registering everything about you consciously and unconsciously. We automatically emulate our role models. Children’s perception of things around them tends to be reinforced or fortified by the actions of adults. Hence, each of us should strive to be good.

Remember that the most important element in the learning environment is invisible. It is made up of the values, attitudes, and actions that teachers and their classes take part in every day. As the teacher, you can exemplify the values that lead to intellectual curiosity and learning, and you can foster those values in the children in your class.

But, of course, even as professionals, no teacher is perfect. Even teachers who you might think are great make mistakes. Your goal should not be perfection, but improvement. The best teachers strive to improve in many qualities as they go about their daily teaching career. The ways that a teacher interacts with children can establish the classroom as a place that nurtures love and respect, hard work, and appreciation for the unique abilities of each learner. Not surprisingly, students gain a sense of self-worth and confidence with the help of teachers whose presence inspires them and whose dedication drives them. (Derdee Colistong)