Introduction
Educators are concerned not only with the mental, but also the emotional and psychological development of people. Their role comes into play from an early age, and thus any impact they have on individuals can be strong and everlasting. As role models, therefore, the onus is on them to develop the sort of healthy relationship with their students that nurtures and inspires them and cultivates in them a respect for the educator.
In this process, it is of utmost importance that the teacher’s conduct is professional at all times—whether inside the school or outside. This may seem a little severe for teachers; after all, they are humans as well and need to have the freedom to live life as they wish. However, any incidents of unprofessional behavior on the part of teachers can negatively influence students’ perception of them, leading to a loss of respect, misbehavior, and inattention to the teaching itself.
Essential skills
Among other skills, some are essential in a good teacher. These include courage and interpersonal skills. The importance of possessing these skills can be demonstrated through examples. In the first scenario, a teacher is new to the class, unaware of how the previous teacher dealt with the class and if there are any ‘trouble-makers that like disrupting sessions. This can be a little overwhelming if a senior faculty member is also present to assess the first session and see if the new teacher is capable or not.
In this scenario, the teacher needs to remain calm and not let any nervousness come in the way of a good performance. Confidence is essential and something that is easily palpable. It will send the message across to the students that the teacher knows the facts and has the knowledge. Voice trembling or negative body language will send the wrong message across and encourage inclined students to take advantage and ruin the session. It often happens that there is complete silence when this new teacher asks a question. This stems from the students trying to get accustomed to the teacher. However, courage again leads the way out of awkwardness. Rephrasing the question and encouraging the students to take initiative in answering, instead of generating self-doubts about one’s teaching abilities would help build rapport and relax the atmosphere.
Another scenario includes the ‘less than ideal’ students—those that are often found involved in other activities such as chatting, surfing online, or not following instructions. Sometimes a student may seem to be wanting to take over the class by excessive interruptions or sharing of personal experiences. This sometimes requires patience, with the understanding that comes a point when adolescents might want to have their own space and be treated like adults. At other times, however, it is necessary to subtly enforce the rule that no other activities are allowed inside the class. Students who do not seem interested and distract others as well need to be addressed directly but respectfully to avoid generating resentment and antagonizing them.
Conclusion
It is important for teachers to study ethical and legal issues because knowledge and understanding are needed in several situations—while evaluating students and colleagues while checking for plagiarism and while collecting copyright material to present to their class for teaching purposes, while overhearing highly personal conversations regarding a student or colleague relating to their medical/social problems, and even so that they can inculcate the same ethical values in their students. However, I feel that a standard Code of Conduct for teachers would be harsh and impractical. It will require surveillance by colleagues and senior staff to make sure that it is being followed, and as such will generate antagonism and divisions between the teaching communities. The clauses will be highly controversial and therefore the intended success of implementing such a code will be diminished.