Teachers, be superb

THE EDITOR, Sir:

As it is coming to the onset of a new school term, some teachers, after enjoying the merriment of the season, might become grim and demotivated because they will now have to face the drudgery of marking assignments and test papers, shouting at students, and the list goes on.

To the teachers reading this article, I want to endorse the importance of developing a PMA (positive mental attitude). Some teachers tend to be stressed for many reasons; however, it is always essential to prioritise, ask for help, and sometimes learn to say no. For some teachers, classroom management is a grave issue. Some tend to think that it's all about just telling students to be quiet and do their work; but it is more than that. In applying classroom management, teachers need to take into consideration content, conduct, and context. Let me simplify this for you:

Conduct - This has to do with managing students' behaviour, using strategies that are not necessarily punishments, but reinforcements aimed at getting students to display the desired behaviour. There are many effective strategies that you can find on the Internet; Make full use of them.

Content - This has to do with how teachers transfer knowledge to the class. Teachers, you must ensure that the content is relevant, intellectually stimulating for students (meaning it's not too hard or easy), and is interesting. Make your lessons engaging. Take your students' learning styles into consideration.

Context - In this case, context can be physical and psychosocial. The physical context has to do with the physical setting of the classroom. Classrooms must be conducive to learning.

As it relates to the psychosocial context, teachers must ensure that their relationships with students are positive. Students must feel accepted and comfortable in the classroom. It's not always about being the 'trunchbull'. Be pleasant, kind, and emotionally intelligent, keeping in mind that your actions and words will have a significant impact on your students.

You're a superb teacher, and your impact is great.

Jody-Ann Tyson

Second-Year Student at Church Teachers' College