Term Paper on First Impressions and the Reality of Teaching
Teaching is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires a certain aura, attitude and a particular frame of mind. Not to mention a teacher must possess necessary and fundamental willingness to teach. Teaching includes many responsibilities, from imparting knowledge to the recipients to grooming the personality of the students. This process includes effective socialization, provision of emotional and spiritual support and providing the foundations for the stabilization of the adult citizen.
The initial impressions of teaching are formed in the student life when one
sees and admires the role of the teacher in one’s life and this creates a
great impact on the mind that teaching is a noble profession that always
provides for the student academically, emotionally and spiritually. The
childhood interaction with admirable teachers makes one admire the
profession not for the actual substance in it but die to the effective
teaching of some teachers and this efficiency becomes a source of
inspiration for the young student who creates the image of the teaching
profession as an exciting job. The practical work and hassles associated
with teaching are not considered, as the student does not come in contact
with such instances.
There could be two approaches to explain the contrast between the initial
expressions of teaching and the reality of the same, one when it turns out
to be unfavorable and second when it is in conformity with the initial
impressions.
In the first case where a person who has a certain impression of teaching
starts his or her career in teaching, enters the classroom. The classroom,
which he has always seen from the student desk seems to give a different
feeling and sometimes may be uncomfortable. Now considering that he had a
positive impression of teaching and was very willing to take up teaching as
a profession, this may come as a negative stroke. Further more people who
carry the impression of teaching as a simple knowledge delivery task and
expect only fun and excitement in the process are most likely to have this
notion blown away as soon as they enter the practical and real side of the
teaching profession, that demands responsibility, determination,
effectiveness, communication skills, creativity, and a certain level of hard
work. This might not be some people’s idea of a teacher’s job.
Another variation to this may be when a person holds great esteem for the
teaching profession and expects to attain a respectable status by adopting
the teaching profession. But in the modern days this might not be supplied
by every region and culture. As there are various educational channels,
students do not only depend on the teacher and the increasing say of
students in their academic life has held the teacher in a vulnerable
position. At some points teachers are at the mercy of the school
administration or the choice of the student but do not get the right share
for their qualification and dedication.
The other side of the picture is when a person entering the teaching career
finds the environment in conformity with his or her initial impressions.
Usually this happens to people who have friends or family already in the
career or who are familiar with cultural developments and the modes of
teaching practices prevailing in the area. This prior knowledge helps a
great deal in adjusting to the reality of the professional teaching task
rather than being disillusioned suddenly. A person who is enthusiastic in
taking up teaching despite the knowledge of the process and practice of the
job, settles easily in the profession and is able to enjoy it more as he
does not consider it a burden but a job taken up by choice. Thus it mainly
depends upon the attitude toward the profession and the expectations from
it. Although there are great differences in the prior impressions of
teaching in terms of administration issues, deadlines and accountability of
the teachers, people still continue in the profession for various reasons.
This may also lead to deterioration in the teaching and the learning
activity.
The administration of a school may impose rules and regulations for the
teachers for instance taking extra classes for weak students, checking
notebooks weekly etc. that might not suit the teacher’s initial view of the
job. But actually it does come as a part of the package of the job
description and cannot be avoided. The deadlines for lesson plans, result
sheets and student reports may put extra burden on the teachers who expect
teaching to be a knowledge providing activity and do not expect such tasks
to be done by the teachers. The responsibility and thus accountability of a
teacher for the student’s progress and decadence, completion of the
syllabus, meeting deadlines etc may not be a likable reality for some
teacher who initially held other impressions.
The effects of initial impressions of teaching on the teaching activity are
crucial. If these impressions turn out to be positive in reality and favor
the teacher, they may prove far reaching productive. While one the other
hand unfavorable reality of such impressions will only cause a decreased
interest and eventually deterioration in the teaching activity. This is thus
suggested that teachers be trained and made familiar with the environment
where they are required to work and let free to make a decision of
continuing it. In addition to educational subjects, the training of teachers
must also include practical exercises and work management so that they may
prove more efficient and effective in the noble profession.
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