Introduction
Resilience is an important attribute necessary for the effective functioning of educators in contemporary settings. Overall, teaching abounds in complex situations; therefore, every professional should be aware of strategies that help remain efficient (Johnson et al. 2014). The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the aspects that may challenge my resilience and the way my experience can help me deal with the possible difficulties.
Reflection
One of the main aspects that will challenge my resilience as a student-teacher in the fact that educators always need to control and handle their emotions. As stated in the article by Gu and Day (2013, p. 22), resilience can fluctuate “as a result of the influences of the personal, relational and organisational settings in which” teachers work. Therefore, my professional efficiency and stability will be exhibited in the way I manage my emotions when facing various obstacles.
However, in particular, such challenges as the lack of interest in studies in students and their poor academic performance can affect my resilience. Contemporary students do not always comprehend the importance of learning, and it has an impact on the way they commit themselves to studies. As a result, such learners often show poor academic performance. If the majority of students are not interested in the subject and are reluctant to put efforts to learn, it can challenge my resilience quite a lot (Schelvis et al. 2014). In addition, the school work environment can become an aspect that affects my professional achievement. If the settings in which I have to function do not provide teachers with the necessary resources or if the organizational environment is poor, it can also have an impact on my resilience (Beltman, Mansfield & Harris 2016). The school environment should stimulate specialists to cooperate (provide support to each other and mutually exchange experience) and encourage them to find new strategies to the existing problems. However, if the atmosphere and the setting are not productive, it is quite likely that my professional vitality will be affected.
Further on, the attitude of parents towards academic achievement is an important factor. Engagement and cooperation from the side of students’ families are essential conditions of academic success and the desire of students to commit themselves to studies more (Griffiths & Edwards 2014). Therefore, poor collaboration and parents’ indifference will also challenge my resilience.
Dealing with Challenges
My experience and flexibility will help me deal with challenges. In particular, my personal qualities and attributes will assist me in facing professional adversities. I will accept my responsibility as an educator, which will push me to find new ways how to interest students in the subject while providing them with supportive resources. In addition, I will consider different ways to explain the importance of engagement to their parents and use my social skills to reach this aim (Mansfield et al. 2016). Moreover, my self-esteem and personal commitment will help me overcome the possible difficulties in terms of the school work environment. If senior management does not engage in school affairs, I will build stronger relationships with other teachers so that we can share the best approaches and practices with each other (Papatraianou & Le Cornu 2014). My personal qualities, collaboration and mutual exchange of experience with colleagues, and personal commitment will help me sustain my resilience and overcome all the challenges.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that teacher resilience is an attribute necessary for the professional efficiency of educators. It helps them prevent professional and personal distortions that may emerge due to such factors as poor school environment, the low academic achievement of students, economic reformations at schools, and so on. To deal with these challenges, I will cooperate with colleagues, utilize my social skills to build a connection with learners and their families, and fulfil my professional obligations with commitment.
Reference List
Beltman, S, Mansfield, CF & Harris, A 2016, ‘Quietly sharing the load? The role of school psychologists in enabling teacher resilience’, School Psychology International, vol. 37, no. 2, pp.172-188.
Griffiths, A & Edwards, A 2014, Special issue: teachers and resilience: interdisciplinary accounts’, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 499-501.
Gu, Q & Day, C 2013, ‘Challenges to teacher resilience: conditions count’, British Educational Research Journal, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 22-44.
Johnson, B, Down, B, Le Cornu, R, Peters, J, Sullivan, A, Pearce, J & Hunter, J 2014, ‘Promoting early career teacher resilience: a framework for understanding and acting’, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 530-546.
Mansfield, CF, Beltman, S, Broadley, T & Weatherby-Fell, N 2016, ‘Building resilience in teacher education: an evidenced informed framework’, Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 54, pp.77-87.
Papatraianou, LH & Le Cornu, R 2014, ‘Problematising the role of personal and professional relationships in early career teacher resilience. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 100-116.
Schelvis, RMC, Zwetsloot, GIJM, Bos, EH & Wiezer, NM 2014, ‘Exploring teacher and school resilience as a new perspective to solve persistent problems in the educational sector’, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 622-637.