EFFECTIVE TEACHING: A CHALLENGE
KATRINA M. SEVILLA
Teaching is the noblest of all human endeavours, the greatest of all privileges and the most sacred duty that one can undertake. It is the greatest work that can engage the thought and invite the activity of man in the education of the young. To know what makes an effective teacher, one must understand the tasks of a teacher. The teacher is the key factor in any teaching learning situation. It must be remembered that a teacher is a producer of good, the interpreter of the past, the preserver of the present and determiner of the future. One factor of an effective teacher is to be knowledgeable of the subject matter because teachers with good understanding of the subject matter can organize effectively what is to be taught. He must know more than what is given in the textbook.
Educators say that an effective teacher is one who finds the hidden laws of the growing mind and then shapes the mind according to a splendid plan. He must understand the child’s total growth and the ends of goals toward which the teacher should direct his efforts. He must acquire the knowledge of the nature and needs of the child to be educated.
Through sympathy, the teacher is able to put himself in the child’s place to get his point of view and to see things as they really are. The teacher is the one who radiates light and cheerfulness. Teaching requires good health and strong body. As they say “A sound body and a sound mind” is the foundation of success in any activity. A teacher must not be satisfied with his achievement. He must strive to attain some measure of success and must not be satisfied with himself. One must work to improve his work every day from personal experiences and from his contact with his students, peers and supervisors. A teacher must be willing to serve others.
Finally, an effective teacher is not born. Teaching competence is gained through hard work and a genuine desire to improve. The big challenge lies in the hands of teachers, for it is entrusted to them the job of shaping the minds, the hearts and the hands of the youth. The only way to be proud of being an effective teacher is to do always what is good and right according to the will of the greatest Teacher-Jesus Christ.
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The author is Teacher II at San Vicente Pilot School for Philippine Craftsmen