A TEACHER’S PASSION

MARIFE L. DIZON

More than transmitting knowledge, teaching is about inspiring others to discover their purpose and potential. Teachers have the opportunity to impact the lives of students, and take that role seriously. Each student enters the classroom with a unique and valuable set of life experiences, their goal is to use the tools of sociology to help students better understand their lives and the larger social world in which they live.

Teaching requires openness to change. Therefore, I continually examine my teaching techniques and experiment with ways to become a more effective teacher by integrating technology, adapting practices to address the needs of an increasingly diverse student body, understanding different learning styles and incorporating various assessment strategies. I strive to create an active, collaborative learning environment in which all participants are both teachers and learners and where students can discover knowledge rather than be passive r eci pi ent s.

The role of a teacher, then, is to help students learn to address the complexities of an issue, carefully form opinions, and develop and analyze solutions to social problems. Education can be liberating if students master how to learn and how to think. Making that small contribution clearly defines the professional goals of a teacher. It is essential to be available to students-and to fellow colleagues as well-to help them reach their goals. Teachers, dedicate themselves to inspire, to challenge and nurture the minds of my students as they discover the art of learning-and the art of life.

The best teachers are people who are passionate about their subject and passionate about sharing that subject with others. Teaching without passion is merely information delivery and tantamount to rote or mechanical action. There can be little stimulation for learners beyond what they find intrinsically interesting in the subject. Teaching with a passion offers the potential of elevating learners’interest in the subject. Passionate teachers can create passionate learners. Teachers manifest their passion in different ways. An expression of passion for the subject and for teaching can look very different depending upon the nature of the teacher.

Not surprisingly, enthusiasm is among the most consistently cited positive characteristics of effective teachers. It may be a cliché to say that enthusiasm can be contagious, but such contagion may be the best tool for motivating students. Enthusiasm may be conveyed by animated presentation techniques, stimulating or inspirational speech, and emotional deliveries. Unbridled enthusiasm can sabotage a classroom, but, when harnessed and mastered, enthusiasm contributes significantly to a positive learning environment.

Significantly, teachers do not stop being a learner. It is observed that people who enjoy teaching enjoyed being students. Good teachers continue to be students. Teachers keep their passion for teaching alive by remaining passionate learners. They learn from their research and bring that research to the classroom. They learn from the published literature and by discussing and reviewing the work of colleagues. They are not self seeking but seek the good in others.

“Do everything in love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 16:14, this inspires and continuously ignites teachers’passion in a child’s life.

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The author is Master Teacher I at Fausto Gonzales Sioco Memorial School