CONDUCT FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THE TEACHER’S IMAGE AND HIS PROJECTION

OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A Paper Presented During the One Day Staff Seminar of

Baptist Nursery and Primary School 

115 Ekpo Abasi Street, Calabar on

 Monday 9^th January, 2023.

By

Rev. Tamunoibi Rogers Miller (08037718335)

 revrandymiller66@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION

Teaching is an engagement with learners to enable their understanding and application of knowledge, concepts and processes. It includes design, content selection,  delivery, assessment and reflection. A good teacher can make a world of difference in a pupil’s life, impacting everything from their classroom learning to their long-term success. In this year’s seminar  we desire the promoting of the professional image of teaching, it is important that we take a moment to pause and reflect on our perception and roles of the teaching profession. We also need to reflect on the current state of the practice currently in Nigerian schools and in Baptist Nursery and primary School Calabar and confidently affirm an answer to the question, “would you like your child to be trained by the frontline teachers in our teaching profession or would you rather seek for the training of your child somewhere else”.  If the latter is your answer, I humbly invite us to query why and be challenged that we have work to do.  

To make the best out of the situation, despite the inadequate resources, poor working environment and other facilities that pose significant limitation to the practice of good ethical and code of conduct standards among the teachers, there is the need for us to consider closely the dignity of the teaching profession. The challenge is for us to consider strategies such as projecting the image of teaching positively, nurturing growth, healthy leaving, trusting relationships with pupils, other workers and parents. We need to also leverage on every opportunity available and to redefine the image of teaching and make it better. To do this, we must enhance;

Positive Projection of the Teaching Profession : In order to project the teaching profession in a positive light, we must rise above finger pointing, intimidating and condescending attitudes towards ourselves and focus on valuing and developing ourselves; empowering and inspiring others, avoiding unprofessional behaviours and more importantly encouraging others who may also be interested in the teaching profession.

Create a Nurturing process for the growth of the teaching Profession: It is the responsibility of teachers to inculcate a positive image for pupils and others. This can be achieved by creating a positive learning and working environment. In furtherance of nurturing growth in the teaching profession, other areas to consider are advocating for an encompassing practice that promotes right relationship with pupils, management and other staff, as well as parents and demonstration of professional skills.

Fostering Meaningful Relationship: A Core value and intangible asset of teaching is trust, therefore as we lunch in to this term and the terms ahead, I implore all our teachers to foster trust with pupils, parents and management.

As we seek to be the best, we must need to refresh ourselves of our image and teachers and our professional code with the aim of better professionalism. The qualities that make effective teachers stand out are;

QUALITIES OF A GOOD TEACHERS: The qualities for consideration are;

1. A Good Teacher must be a Good Communicator and Listener:  When it comes to effective teaching, strong communication skills are a must. Pupils may come to the class with all kinds of problems enough to discourage them. By communicating with them to overcome fears and instil courage and hope as well as the ability to listen to the teacher at the problems of the pupil no matter how overwhelming they might be is very essential. “Teachers that are skilled in listening and observing often pick up on what isn’t being said, such as any anxieties a pupil may have, and can then help the student build their skills and confidence levels,”
2. A Good Teacher must show Empathy and Patience:  Another key to engaging pupils and improving their learning is to treat each student as an individual, by being empathetic and understanding with patience to what may be going on in their lives, “Everyone learns differently, whether it be faster or slower than normal, learns better by writing, reading or hands-on. Teachers need to always keep this in mind and always pay close attention to ensure each student is on the track they need to be.”No matter what grade level you’re teaching, your patience will be tested while working as an educator.  

Whether you’re managing classroom behaviour, working with colleagues with different views, or communicating student issues or progress with parents, patience is one of the most important skills to practice as a teacher. More often than not you actually have to have more patience with the parents than you do with the students, Parents are coming in with their perceptions of what happened to them when they were pupil / students or previous experiences that may have been detrimental to their child., you have to therefore be patient and understanding of them.

• A Good Teacher must be Engaging and  a Life long Learner: Being able to engage students with humor, creative lessons and a strong classroom presence is an important part of what makes someone a good teacher, “If you were to envision that teacher that has impacted your life,  you will quickly remember someone who was very engaging in front of the classroom, In kindergarten, an engaging teacher might be one who gets down on the floor to do activities with their pupils on their level. In primary school, an engaging teacher may be one who thinks outside the box, adds humor to their lessons and finds creative ways to bring learning into the real world.

 One of the key skills needed to be a good teacher is a dedication to continued education and a love of learning. Whether you’re learning more about your subject area, learning new methods of communication or even exploring how to bring more technology into your classroom, continuing to expand your own knowledge is key to expanding that of your students. The truth is that  those dedicated to their subjects with a passion for learning make the best teachers.

• A Good Teacher has a mastery of the lesson, Prepares well and considers Uniqueness:  Teachers need to have expertise in the courses/subjects they handle, meaning these should be part of their specialization. Teachers should be ahead of the pupils because they may have gifted pupils with graphic minds that can ask questions out of the box. Because good teachers value excellence in their profession, preparation of the lessons is the starting point.. Everything must be well-planned and properly executed, from the materials to be used down to evaluate the pupil’s’ learning. In the delivery, the teacher is very much conscious of the uniqueness of the pupils. Since they will be with their students for at least several months, teachers must make an effort to know them each. They should not only memorize their names but even find out their personalities and backgrounds as well.
• A Good teacher is a role Model in Life, Transparency and Discipline.: Good teachers are role models in attendance to classes and other activities. If they want their pupils to come to class early, they should avoid coming late. To guarantee that all students receive the grades they deserve, teachers must be transparent with their grading system. The students and their parents should also be welcomed—even encouraged—to check their class records. Teachers should not tolerate violators by implementing the complete uniform regulation or just observing the classroom cleanliness. As mentors, they must make the students understand the importance of discipline and submitting to authorities. To correct misbehaviours, teachers must not shame the students in front of their classmates. Rather, they call their attention and talk to them in private. Teachers who consider their job as their calling wear their profession even outside the school. They apply the values they teach their students in real life.
• A good teacher acts as a Counselor and Friend.: Teachers are meant to guide their pupils emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually too. Therefore, they should let their pupils know that they can be approached if they need someone to talk to.Your role as a teacher is not limited to mentoring them intellectually. You serve as a second parent and a life coach to them as well. For this reason, be sensitive to your pupils. Yes, it is necessary to be strict when it comes to following rules, but effective teachers do not make their students uncomfortable. Students can learn easier if they can approach their teachers whenever they have questions and clarifications without the fear of being scolded.

Having considered some qualities of the good teacher, how does the teacher operate with all of these in mind and within the confines of some very important ethical principles. We shall therefore identify the basic values of that of the professional code of conduct.

VALUES TO BE UPHELD AS A GOOD TEACHER: The core of teaching consists of four basic values. These are;

1. Dignity means respect for humanity. Teachers must respect every person, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender diversity, appearance, age, religion, social standing, origin, opinions, abilities and achievements.
2. Truthfulness is one of the core values in teachers’ basic task, which involves steering learners in navigating life and their environment. Honesty with oneself and others and mutual respect in all communication is a basic aspect of teachers’ work.
3. Fairness is important both when encountering individual learners and groups but also in the work community. Fairness involves in particular promoting equality and non-discrimination and avoiding favouritism.
4. Responsibility and Freedom: Teachers are entitled to their own values, but in their work, teachers’ responsibility is tied to their basic task and its standards such as legislation and the curriculum.

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES OF A GOOD TEACHER: Good professional ethics are among a teacher’s most important resources. These ethics are in relation to work, learners, the work community and stakeholders.

1. The Good Teacher’s Relationship with Work: Teachers commit to the standards and ethics of their work. Teachers manage their duties responsibly. They develop their work and expertise and assess their own actions. Teachers teach in a manner that reflects their personality, so developing and caring for their individuality is their right and obligation. They are entitled to be treated fairly in their work.
2. The Good Teacher’s Relationship with learners: Teachers accept and treat learners as unique human beings. Teachers respect the rights of learners and react to them humanely and fairly. .They try to understand the learners’ starting point, thoughts and opinions. Teachers considerately handle matters linked to the learner’s personality and privacy. Teachers pay special attention to learners who require care and protection and do not, under any circumstances, tolerate bullying or the abuse of other people. Teachers’ work also includes teaching learners to co-operate and to become good members of society. Building up confidence and good relationships is part of teachers’ work.
3. The Good Teacher’s Relationship with Colleagues: Teachers value their work and respect their colleagues. Teachers try to pool their resources and find a balance between their autonomy and the work community. Accepting the individuality of colleagues, understanding them and helping and supporting each other are key principles of the work environment.
4. The Good Teacher’s Relationship with Society: The Teaching profession is one of the most important jobs in society. Teachers’ ability to be effective in their work and take care of their professional development are dependent not only on their commitment, but also on the resources allocated to teaching and education. Teachers promote the opportunities offered by education and growth. Teachers represent, above all, learners’ rights and interests – even critically, if necessary. In their work, they also teach learners to become responsible members of a democratic society.
5. The Good Teacher’s Relationship with Stakeholders: Teachers work in relationship with learners’ parents, guardians and other parties responsible for education, training and well-being. These include social and health care expert groups, authorities and numerous other collaborating parties. The co-operation supports learners’ learning and development.

OVERVIEW OF TEACHER’S PROFESSIONAL ETHICS: Ethics refer to the forms of behaviour and conduct that are socially correct based on core values cherished and upheld by the society. Strictly speaking, Ethics is the science and art of proper behaviour. Ethics originated as the philosophical study, begun by Plato and Aristotle, of what constituted a good life. Under the tutelage of subsequent philosophers, the thought came about that a truly good life was a life lived virtuously. This line of though helped to establish a philosophical study of just and unjust behavior. This has taken root most especially in the professional field where the jobs of people have grant them a certain amount of authority.

If one is attempting to live a just, and therefore ethical, life, then it follows that their actions should be virtuous in their vocation as well as their personal life. This is the beginning of professional ethics. Professional ethics were established, and are constantly being developed, as a guiding set of principles that help dictate what constitutes good behavior of person in authority. Professional ethics, in short, are the means of which we judge authority’s validity.

Summarily the following are some professional ethics of a teacher.

• Loyalty Towards Duty
• Punctuality
• Dutifulness
• Respect for the profession
• Respect for the institution
• Respect and admiration for Co-Staff
• Strictness and straight forwardness
• Truthfulness
• Honesty
• Good Behavior Towards Students
• Use of Rights
• Motivational Attitude
• Studious / Good Learner
• Dressing Sense
• Positive Attitude
• Innovative
• Proper Use of Authority

A GOOD TEACHERS IMAGE, PROFESSIONAL CODE AND NATION BUILDING:

The school is one of the most important national institutions for spreading education to the mass, and societies get warmth from the fire lighted by teachers in schools. Teachers’ hols a special social position Education in any society is a fundamental human right and is regarded as essential for the exercise of all other human rights. Education is a liberating, enabling and equalizing agent that promotes individual freedom and critical factor for the development of the nation. The ethical policy of a nation is communicated and implemented by teachers. The teaching profession like any other profession demonstrate professionalism which simply means conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity, accountability and excellence are key to the growth of any nation.

Teachers create a stable state of mind in the society. They operate within a national framework, which stresses the need for national identity. Education by its nature is rooted in values, and teaching must inevitably reflect the traditions and the implicit or explicit values of a nation. Teachers are needed in every profession and the skills and ethics of teaching is required before the knowledge can be transferred to others. It is the teachers that the nation therefore depend on to train and supply the necessary manpower in all areas is nation’s existence. Also, the teacher is an icon of morality that is why he and his profession is regarded as the mother of all other professions and deserve a conducive working environment and condition. Educating our people is the only way we can build a cohesive society. There can be no nation building without strong policies to strengthen education, making it accessible to all.

CONCLUSION

In this paper we have tried to establish that there is a strong correlation between positive values expected of a teacher by reason of the profession, the expected roles with nation building and development. Evidently, Nigeria’s progress as a nation is hugely challenged when there is a devaluation of the professional ethics of the teaching profession. When teacher lose consciousness of their roles and professional conduct, negative values will manifest in widespread malpractices, dishonesty, provincialism, corruption etc  and these will affect the growth of the nation.

However, the hope is that with a conscious effort to know our roles and keeping to our professional conducts, the Nation can overcome its challenges and attain its rightful position and earn respect among the comity of nations.