Quality, commitment to teaching profession

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday May 22, 2023 06:00

And it is indeed a truism that the quality of the education a school is dispensing cannot exceed the quality of the teachers. That is to say what teachers say or do in the classroom shapes the destiny of students.

If I were asked to say how can all schools achieve the desired student learning outcomes, my simple response would be switch on the teachers. Given the centrality of the teacher factor in the quest for improved educational outcomes, it is not a farfetched conclusion that a school can only go down the drain when its teachers are switched off. Expressing their faith and trust in the game changing prowess of the teacher factor, renowned Harvard scholars Rachel E. Curtis and Elizabeth A. City, made it sufficiently clear that when subjected to a consistent and rigorous teaching regimen for a period of three years, students are bound to make dramatic and significant academic gains.

It should go without saying that the duty of those charged with the delicate task of monitoring the business of teaching and learning should be one creating a positive school climate that sufficiently encourages teachers to switch on and never take their eyes off the ball. What are some of the effective ways of keeping the teachers’ eyes fixated on the prize?

At this juncture it must be said that the role of leadership in the task of switching on the teachers cannot be overemphasised. All learning institutions that were ever managed out of a crisis and academic obscurity were not only led but also properly led.

Teachers are human beings and like other mortals they come to work harbouring their own fears. As motivational writer Simon Sinek succinctly put it, “the world around us is filled with danger, filled with things trying to make our lives miserable. At any time there are a number of forces that without conscience are working to hinder our success”. The question is, are employees feeling safe? Before they could place their whole selves at the disposal of a school, like any other human species, teachers need leaders who can allay their fears. These fears might be real or perceived, but they should be addressed to make employees feel good about their work environment.

Feeling good and appreciated inspires employees to bring their best selves. The employees need an assurance that those leading them have their best interests at heart. The work place should be like a home environment where love and protection from external dangers is assured and guaranteed. It is important for school leaders to treat teachers not only as professionals but as human beings needing to be cared for and insulated from potential threats.

School leaders should eliminate the impression they could be indifferent to the welfare of their teachers. Teachers are not immune to problems and leaders must be ready to show empathy to cushion their charges against the hardships life may throw at them. On the professional side of things, an atmosphere of fairness must be created. Rewards and incentives should be dispensed fairly to give praise when it is due and condemnation placed where it is deserved. There should never be any room for preferential treatment. In the promotion boards, the teachers should always have the assurance that their principal would fight tooth and nail to advance the cause of his employees and cause them to assume to positions of responsibility. These kinds of assurances, coupled with the principle of impartiality, attract loyalty and dedication to duty. But a sense of rebellion, withdrawal and despondency would ensue when subordinates feel like endangered species at the work place.

The teachers will naturally switch off and redirect their energies to their very survival. Teaching would suffer in the process when the survival of the teachers take precedence over the interests of students. The teaching job by its very nature is a 24/7 business and it requires teachers to subordinate their interests to students’ interests. But it is almost impossible for teachers to focus on the prize when they feel neglected or mistreated.

Trust is everything in a school environment. Teachers must feel safe and secure that they are in the right hands and that those privileged to lead them will do everything in their power to keep dangers at bay. Leading a school requires some high degree of professionalism and impartiality. The principal of a school must never be a leader of a faction. He must rise to the level of a father figure, a real unifier of a school. Teachers feel safe when they know they have a parent in the principal. The feeling of a big brother/sister in the office of the principal would make them free to share their insecurities and vulnerabilities. It is totally wrong and unacceptable for a principal who should be above factions to be seen or perceived to be a principal of a certain section of the school. This situation, if allowed to prevail, will alienate those who feel discriminated against.

Everyone must have a sense of belonging. Efforts must be made to make a school look and behave like a collective enterprise where everybody working in the school matters. There should never be anything giving credence to the impression that a school is solely owned and controlled by the school head and his chosen few at the expense of those he may not like. Teachers usually bring their whole selves to the project of teaching if they have a sense of belonging.

A school bound by the spirit of love and mutual respect is better prepared to devote its energies on the classroom matters. When problems arise, as surely they will always do, there is no finger pointing. A school at peace with itself will always mobilise its collective resources and wisdom to deal with anything seeking to undermine teaching and learning. Where there is discord and lack of faith in the leadership, there would be a blame game. The blame game is a disease that often afflicts disunited and poorly governed.

Poorly managed and faction riddled schools have the notorious distinction of hopping from one crisis to another. The incessant problems are consequences of lack of community ownership. So it is vitally important for school principals to harness the energies and talents of all teachers if their schools are to effectively render quality education.