Benefits of Being a Teacher

[Hassan_B]

Salaams everyone,

 

After working for a couple years post graduation, I've become a teacher. Most likely temporarily as I feel that the systems of schools currently in place are messed up. This is not to say that people are not trying, especially Muslims, it's just that some things are simply not working.

 

In my short time being a teacher I've benefited at least two things. One, review for my previous knowledge which will hopefully put me in a better position for taking GRE's. Two, I've learned that one must be very careful with one's teachers. I've yet to practice it, but I know very clearly that one has to respect their teachers.

 

Please share your experiences... I work at a private school.

[Malika]

^Firstly respect is earned,respect your students and they will respect you. Some students do not respond well to authority,this will frustrate you if your expecting them to,treat and view each student as an individual. Get to know your student,it sure helps if you know their background-the baggages they bring with them to your classroom,this will help you give you a broader 'understanding' of the individual[psychology one on one..lol]

 

Students will test you,be consistance in your dealings with them.Be fair,just but mostly be firm -they will respect that and respond well.

 

As for what I have benefited from being a teacher,mostly it has been the joy of working with young people,I find them exciting,fun to be around.

 

The biggest bonus is the ability to be on holiday when my child is on holiday too..I treasure school holidays..lol

 

ps.I work in an inner city school,and the challenges is what I enjoy most.

[SayidSomal]

Some students do not respond well to authority

some students only respond to the stick.

[Chocolate and Honey]

Respect is indeed earned. I don’t know about where you at but here in America, most children don’t even respect their parents in the sense that they will talk back, yell, curse and threaten to leave home if pressured. In the past couple of years, I learned two important things; students crave authority and they yearn for consistency in their lives. If you are fair and consistent all the time, they’ll come to respect and listen to your regardless of your differences. I now teach at mostly upper class, almost all white school. And you would think some of these kids with the best opportunities in the world are happy go lucky but they have host of problems no one knows about.

 

As what I have benefited? For me it is the moment when the quiet kid who sits way in the back or the class clown who I think doesn’t pay attention shines for a moment. When they get it, I feel accomplished. Just a month ago, I had a student who is so shy and quiet, I used to mark him absent in the beginning. I couldn’t get him to do anything. Then one day we were discussing the use of metaphors in writing and I was asking for examples. The class was divided into two groups who were competing for points. Guess who dominated the whole discussion and won all the points for his team, shocking all his classmates who looked like they didn’t even know he existed? Yup, my sweet quiet student. It was priceless. It left me giddy for a week.

 

Also, I feel rewarded when a student comes to me and shares their problem with me.

[Geel_jire]

I served as a Teachers Assistant in a First year Discrete Mathematics course for 1 semester.

 

There were a few good students who were interested in learning, but the majority were loud, spoiled, over-grown children.

 

The first year freshmean are usually the worst , because a large portion of them are still in the "I dont know what I want to major in ... so I'll give everything a try" phase.

 

they refuse to listen during the lectures and at the end of the semester they come crying for help.

 

I cannot imagine how much more difficult it would be teach children ... The posters above must have an abundance of patience.

 

It is an important job but not everyone can do it.

[Sherban Shabeel]

I'd love to teach!

[Hassan_B]

Thank you all for your heartfelt responses. You certainly have something I don't, perhaps, male teachers and female teachers have a different impact on students.

 

Malika, I've heard the importance of being fair and consistent many times, but I'm at a loss when it comes to practical application. Would it be fair to treat chronic disrupter and a good student who makes an honest mistake once in a blue moon with the same level of sterness? Who decides what is fair? Adolescents that are constantly monitoring the teacher with their own view of fairness? Please if you don't mind give me some examples, you too Chocolate&Honey, because I know that also not being uniform will make the chronic disrupters testy. "Ohh look, you won't punish him cause he's your favorite student." Many feel as if I have a personal grudge against them.

 

Sayid, thank you for mentioning the stick. My question for you is, where is this possible in the states or western europe without risking a lawsuit? It is given that an established school simply can't do that. My second concern would be are muslim/somali parents being wise when they use the stick in an attempt to discipline their kids? I've seen kids who are like donkeys. The use of the stick has lead to the necessity of the stick in order to have the kid behave. And this is a sticky problem many teachers face. Kids must behave in class, however, the stick is not there for those who are used to it. I just don't think it is wise for any to be using the stick. You can discipline the child when they're a toddler by being consistently firm no matter what tantrums they throw. No means No no matter what. This is how they'll learn to follow the rules instead of being spoiled. I used to get whipped a lot as a kid but day in and day out, it never prevented me from doing what I wanted to do. The more it was used the less effect it had on me. Raising children is a tricky business, many parents just don't know how to do it.

[B]

Originally posted by Sayid*Somal:

quote: Some students do not respond well to authority

some students only respond to the stick.

as a a mentor or you claim.... maybe you be reported to the authorises for suggesting such a thing. i was beaten at mosque as a child. i have also heard there was abuse - physical and sexual by teachers.

 

I never forget my teachers at high school. a good teacher can have a massive effect on your life.

[N.O.R.F]

Originally posted by Sayid*Somal:

quote: Some students do not respond well to authority

some students only respond to the stick.

1980s Somalia meesha ha moodin

 

In middle school we actually had a teacher who would smack kids. Teachers, pupils and parents tolerated him until one day he went over board. Can't remember what he did to the kid. Think the kid's parents demanded action and he was sacked.

[Legend of Zu]

Sayid, You always want to punish/beat kids etc. most of your replies indicate tendency for violence.

 

So what about all the charity work you've been doing with the Somali kids? How could they trust you with their kids? waabad u fak fakanaysaa inaad layso caruurta?

 

Cheers

[Malika]

Hassan,

 

Be consistance with the then 'action' by any pupil in your class- Sometimes because an individual is usually disruptive they get harsher treatment then the occasionally culprits. There should be set guidelines,policies that you have at your disposal to use.

 

E.g Three strikes,they are out,

-Consistance lateness into the lesson they stay behind after school,

-Chronic disrupters stay behind after the lesson,taking into account every minute they wasted in the lesson,if they disrupted others at least 5 times,then stay behind for 5=15min etc

 

Do you have a seating plan?

 

Try this; Lining them up outside the classroom before they enter the classroom,stand by the door - greet individuals as they come into the class..If you have seating plan,this will give you an opportunity to monitor and avoid disruption later on during the lesson.

 

Do you have 'expected classroom conduct'? e.g as soon as they come in,to get organised as quick as possible[jackets off,bags on the floor,equipment out and ready to learn] -If you dont,I suggest you set some..I believe children need structure.

 

Do you mind telling us where about your are teaching? Enviroment the pupils come from can shed some light - e.g a young man growing up in a single parent home whom has no male figure in his life might find male authority hard to cope with and be challenging toward the male teacher..

 

ps.Make sure you tell them what the lesson is about - What we are learning today..kind of thing..Its good practice.

 

pss.By the way,I was being sentimental in my first post,it is like any other job - tough days,some fun days and some very crazy days but all in all,it is rewarding in its own way. They say to teach is to touch a life..Now isnt that fab for the ego?

 

Phew!

[Legend of Zu]

Didn't know there were alot of Somali teachers in SOL. Why don't you guys create SOL Teachers Association?

Cheers

[Malika]

^ and the chair we will select Sayid as the chair..Actually its not a bad idea,folks can exchange strategies,ideas etc

 

After that long post,I forgot to answer your question about if gender makes a difference..I dont think so,what makes a difference is the attitude of the teacher.Pupils can suss you out if your not enjoying teaching them,if your not coping- the little buggers will make your life hard.

 

ps.Never take what has happened in school home,leave it all within the school perimeters..hadhii kale waad walaan..Lol

 

Do you guys use interactive whiteboards? Is your lessons interactive[allowing hands on learning]..etc

 

Hope I have been of help,I seem to have blubble on and on..lol

[N.O.R.F]

Do you guys teach at junior or secondary level?

[SayidSomal]

Judge me not – as ye know me not

 

 

Childhood is often divided into 5 approximate stages of moral development:

• Stage 1 = infancy-the child's only sense of right and wrong is what feels good or bad;

• Stage 2 = toddler years-the child learns "right" and "wrong" from what she or he is told by others;

• Stage 3 = preschool years--the child begins to internalise family values as his or her own, and begins to perceive the consequences of his or her behavior;

• Stage 4 = ages 7-10 years-the child begins to question the infallibility of parents, teachers, and other adults, and develops a strong sense of "should" and "should not";

• Stage 5 = preteen and teenage years-peers, rather than adults, become of ultimate importance to the child, who begins to try on different values systems to see which fits best; teens also become more aware of and concerned with the larger society, and begin to reason-more abstractly about "right" and "wrong."

 

 

No two children are exactly alike, so no one method of discipline can be applied to all children with equal success. Neither will the same form of discipline work with the same child in every situation at every age. Good discipline, therefore, is contingent upon the right relationship between adult and child, not the right techniques.

 

It is also imperative that adults be self-disciplined teachers. Having said that – it is also imperative to note that none of these can be taught by teachers alone – Children learn from modeling, so parents must model disciplined behaviour. Self-discipline involves self-esteem, self-acceptance, and self-respect. A parent's relationship with her or himself, therefore, is as important to good discipline as is the parent's relationship with the child. for there to be any chance of real effect to take place with regards to interactions between pupils and teachers – there needs to be a basis to start from and well established expectations, understanding of causes and effect, rules and regulations and ultimately and I even say more importantly – who the pupils see you as the teacher:-

Friendly Teacher

A friendly teacher, as the very term suggests, acts like a friend for his/her students. A teacher-friend, in fact, combines both the guidance of a teacher and the understanding of a friend. We all, at some point of time, aspire for an understanding teacher. Such a teacher acts like our friend, philosopher and guide.

 

Funny Teacher

A funny teacher is like a God-sent to the students. Such a teacher always wants to see his/her students smile ands make learning a pleasurable experience. They are not clumsy, as most people think them to be. Rather, they are witty and bring in humor in the most subtle form.

 

Ideal Teacher

An ideal teacher is the one we respect from our heart. He/she acts as a guide to the students, while not pushing them too much. Such a perfect motivates them and boosts their morale. He/she tries to encourage the students and refrains from criticizing them.

 

Lenient Teacher

A lenient teacher is easygoing and takes things as they come. He/she is not overly finicky about things, such as doing homework on time or not sitting quietly in the class, etc. Such teachers very well realize that being strict with a child can only make him/her withdrawn. However, this does not mean that one can do anything in the class of a pampering teacher.

 

Strict Teacher

A strict teacher is very tough on students. He/she always insists on adhering to the deadlines. Such a teacher dislikes any mistakes or carelessness on the part of the students. Students have to be extra cautious under such a teacher. He/she is like a disciplinarian, always keeping students on their toes.

 

 

No more seriouse replies from me :cool: