Challenges/possibilities for the teaching profession

Before we speak of challenges teachers face in performing their work, we first need to celebrate the great gift of having this tremendous influence on the lives of children.

Studies show that the teacher is the second, after the students themselves, most influential component affecting students’ achievement. These studies also show that teachers working as a team can achieve even more. John Hattie, in his meta-analysis of over

1,200 studies, concluded that the number one influence related to student achievement is what he called the collective teacher efficacy, that is, the collective belief of the staff of the school in their ability to positively affect students’ learning.

Therefore, when we speak of challenges that teachers face in performing their work, challenges that after all strengthen the claim for the profession, we are substantiating the claim for the need of having a well-prepared, professionally trained teaching force that can handle change and ensure that every child learns. As a Faculty of Education, I believe that we have a huge responsibility to equip our prospective teachers and supporting teachers already in the profession with the pedagogical knowledge to meet the needs of all learners. We need to ensure that our teachers have the knowledge to read the context in which they are working and apply the pedagogical tools that make learning happen. We want our teachers to really believe in their transformative power and what they can bring about in their learners when they believe in them.

In my opinion, if I had to name two challenges that our educators are facing in schools, I would mention these: student behaviour and the challenge of meeting the diverse needs of students. Teachers at times have to face the reality of disrespectful behaviour. Unfortunately, young people see portrayals of this negative behaviour all around them. There is no easy and straightforward recipe for dealing with such behaviour and, therefore, teachers need to use their foundational preparation, work with parents and other professionals to ensure that students receive a positive response to transform such behaviour to a socially acceptable one.

The second so called challenge reflects a context that is characterised by a reality of diversity. In the past few years our schools’ scenario has changed considerably. The multicultural reality in Maltese schools and society is taking on new dimensions of complexity. Therefore, effectively managing such diversity brought forward a new challenge. Students coming from all corners of the earth, unfamiliar cultures, traditions, and languages can produce anxieties, hostilities, prejudices, and racist behaviour among those who do not understand the newcomers or who perceive them as threats to their safety and security. These issues have profound implications for developing instructional programmes and practices at all levels of education that respond positively and constructively to diversity.

Many educators still perceive this reality as an additional chore prompted by some crisis. Having children with diverse ethnic, language, religious and cultural backgrounds in the classroom continues to be a challenge that many educators still feel unprepared to handle. This obviously cries for more in-class support to help teachers weave education for diversity into the central core of the curriculum, instruction, classroom climate and assessment.

International research shows that a multicultural education and an education for diversity, makes schooling more relevant and effective. Students perform much better when the curriculum we offer has greater relevance to the cultures and school experiences of the child. Education for diversity, may be a solution for underachievement and for not leaving any children behind. Empowering teachers to reflect the diverse cultural, ethnic, racial, and social contributions that forge society in their curriculum will be providing better opportunities for all students to succeed.

Many educators still perceive this reality as an additional chore prompted by some crisis