Teachers: Children's Leadership

Sometimes teachers themselves do not think of themselves as "leaders" of their students, both in the eyes of society and in the eyes of the students themselves.

There is a role of teachers that is not clearly stated and rarely mentioned, which is the role of leading children - Photo: NHU HUNG

If teachers are aware of the role of "leader", they will make more efforts to be worthy of the trust placed in "leaders" when practicing their profession.

In the new generaleducation program, the role of teachers is defined much more comprehensively than before.

Teachers are "teachers and educators", "mentors", "participants in the learning process", and "learners and researchers". However, there is one role of teachers that is not clearly stated and rarely mentioned, and that is the role of leading children.

There are many different types of leaders in life but they all have things in common.

In addition to professional competence often demonstrated through degrees, a leader's capacity and qualities are also demonstrated through social intelligence, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, decision-making, change management, etc.

These “sets” of skills and competencies seem to be far from the norm in today’s teacher training programs, even though the school environment is becoming increasingly complex with the increased involvement of the media and various public groups.

So what does it mean to be a leader?

It is about setting goals and visions for the group, motivating individuals, encouraging, supporting, and guiding. If teachers only know how to find mistakes, scold, and punish, they are not good leaders.

It is about setting an example for others. A teacher who does not read cannot expect to encourage his students to read.

A teacher who is bored and tired of his job cannot hope to inspire a student to choose a job he loves to pursue his passion and dedication. A teacher who speaks inappropriately cannot blame today's students for being rude and insolent...

When does a leader fail?

That is when the leader does not have faith in the work he is doing, as well as losing the faith of the rest of the people. The essence of leadership is based on the collective's faith in the leader's personal reputation.

The more teachers build personal prestige and collective pedagogical prestige, the better chance they have to successfully lead students. Only when "teachers are teachers" can we hope to have "students are students", thereby creating "schools are schools, classes are classes".

The media has highlighted shortcomings in the teaching force, more or less tarnishing the image of teachers. However, these are isolated stories; we cannot deny the silent contributions of millions of other teachers who are diligently working to care for and educate children every day.

They are silently contributing to the cause of national education through teaching hours, working days, and school years with countless responsibilities and pressures.

They may not have the opportunity to defend themselves or explain themselves in the media. They may not have the opportunity to demand additional benefits for themselves, such as mental health care or overtime pay at home. They may not have the opportunity to see the fruits of their education decades later...

But if teachers know that they are leaders of children, they will accept loneliness and silent sacrifice to move forward without complaining or blaming because only time can fully answer the legacy of a leader.

If teachers know they are leaders, they will be more tolerant of mistakes and will look at what students can do and are trying to do instead of what they cannot or have not done.

Knowing themselves as leaders, teachers can use their knowledge of educational science and psychology to design an environment that helps all students be happy instead of forcing "fish to climb trees."

If a teacher knows that he is a leader, when using force to teach students, he has betrayed the mission of his profession, which is "to protect children at all costs".

And if teachers know they are leaders, they will always feel that they are not good enough, not altruistic enough in front of all their students.

If every teacher is aware that he is a leader of children, he knows how important he is to society. That sense of profession, that pride is higher than any praise or gratitude day from others.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/giao-vien-nghe-lanh-dao-tre-em-20241122091637013.htm