· The teacher who is a change agent believes that schools must not simply perpetuate the present social order but seek to affect change by assuring that all students have the necessary skills for equal access to the job opportunities that, in turn, will provide access o the good blogger.comted Reading Time: 11 mins Short Essay on “Teacher as an Agent of Change and a Social Worker”. The first and foremost responsibility of the teacher is in relation to his students. His job cannot remain confined to delivering a set of lectures or mere “coverage of syllabus.”.Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins · on Teachers as Agents of Change. As we move on to the 21st Century, there are lots of changes that will take place not only in the field of education but also in other areas of our lives. There are changes happening and being introduce in our way of living, in our schools, in the place where we live and around the world
Short Essay on "Teacher as an Agent of Change and a Social Worker".
Title: Using insights from the foundation disciplines in education, examine the extent to which classroom teachers see themselves as agents of change in their school.
Discuss ONE way in which educators can become more committed to their role as change agents. Reshma Rambajan University of the West Indies Many researchers have addressed the issue of teachers as change agents. The question however arises as to whether teachers see themselves as change agents. School as an agent of change essay according to Holtthe best way to introduce change in our schools is through the teachers themselves.
Teachers are members of and identify with the system, they have a sense of pre- history about the school organization, they are aware of the norms of their colleagues, their attitudes, values and behavioural responses.
Teachers may also live in the communities in which they teach which give school as an agent of change essay great insights concerning the values and attitudes of the community at large, school as an agent of change essay. Finally teachers are on the scene in the schools; therefore they are in a position to initiate planned change on the basis of needs and are available to implement these changes.
Despite this there are many factors which prevent teachers from being an agent of change in schools. Factors which prevent teachers from being agents of change in schools include the change in school management. Prior to the turn of the century teachers received much of their direction from classroom practice from outside sources, primarily the community that hired them.
The second factor stems from this narrowing of teachers roles, the teachers poor self- image. This negative report of self tends to be related to feelings of helplessness and powerlessness which then generate apathetic and passive professional behaviour. Another major problem faced by teachers that inhibits them from taking leadership roles in change is their fear of reprisal, not only from administrators, but also from their colleagues.
Both of these factors loom large in the willingness school as an agent of change essay teachers to engage in change.
Fear of reprisal causes teachers to assume a passive role in the system to avoid being hassled, questioned, criticized or in any way draw attention to them. Included with this fear is the lack of administrative support for teacher — generated innovation. Administrative neutrality may be considered as disapproval and teachers may read this as negativism.
Finally and a point which must not be overlooked is many times the sheer business of the job leaves little time for questioning or thoughtful analysis of the educational endeavour which might result in an effort towards change. That is, teachers do not change schools because they do not know how to approach the job.
Ignorance, rather than apathy, is a large part of their problem but ignorance can be corrected, if we as educators lead the way.
As educators within the secondary school system we can become more committed to the role as change agent by seeing the school as an enormous social organization. A knowledge worker, according to Fredrick Taylor, is a person who has been trained to use systematically organized knowledge as well as a person who can make knowledge productive in systematic ways. These kinds of skills are of great importance to a change agent, and the knowledge that teachers need to use productively concerns the dynamic, as well as the proper problem — solving approach to planned change.
It is only through such preparation that teachers can assume the role of change agent with the chance of being successful.
School policy and curriculum design provide a nurturing and culturally- rich environment in which children can fully develop their physical well-being, social confidence, emotional and behavioural maturity, school as an agent of change essay, language richness, knowledge kills and moral awareness. The idea was put forward that society must be transformed and schools in general and teachers in particular can be the agents for this transformation.
This philosophy points to the profile of a teacher as change agent, as an educator who possesses the skills, desire, and motivation necessary to make schools more equitable. The teacher who is a change agent believes that schools must not simply perpetuate the present social order but seek to affect change by assuring that all students have the necessary skills for equal access to the job opportunities that, in turn, will provide access o the good life.
A motivated teacher can change the attitude of students and through them, the society. It is expected that the teacher meet the emotional needs of students if they are to facilitate learning.
In order to achieve this, teachers need to exhibit characteristics of empathy, caring and consideration. Ausubel,p6 Teachers need to create an inclusive learning environment. Students appreciate teachers who show respect for them and their feelings and who are genuinely interested in their likes and dislikes. Obviously if such a basis is formed in the relationship between teacher and student, teaching and learning will effectively take place.
In my experience the greatest need of students after the physiological and safety needs are taken care of is the need to belong. Students hold the keys to their own learning and teachers as change agents must understand the critical role that students play in their own learning and use this understanding to become more student- oriented, rather than subject or self-oriented.
Students must not only be involved in learning, they must also experience success as they learn. MI theory, introduced by Howard Gardner, centres on the concept that there is no general intelligence, but rather each person has at least eight distinct intelligences that can be developed through a lifetime. MI theory suggests that there is a plurality of intellect.
From birth, individuals may differ in particular intelligence profiles and life experiences may alter these profiles over time, school as an agent of change essay.
According to Gardner, one of the most important purposes of school is to develop multiple intelligences, thus helping people reach vocational goals that are appropriated to their spectrum of intelligences. It is important to note that integrating multiple intelligences into the classroom setting does not require a major overhaul of teaching methodology or a total revamping of adopted curricula.
It calls for, in most cases for the supplementing and revising of existing school as an agent of change essay plans with creative and innovative ideas. Hadley, Vol. Century teacher must move from the individual discretion view of school as an agent of change essay to a more collective view of internal accountability. The school is the group of people who work, socialize and learn together. The facilities support the education programmes, school as an agent of change essay, contribute to the experiences of the students and promote safety and health of occupants.
Education Policy Paper The teacher as a change agent should seek to develop positive attitudes towards themselves, their charges, parents and peers, as well as their subject areas.
This is essential to foster learning. If the teacher develops a positive self-concept this will translate to a nurturing and supportive attitude towards the students. The teacher is aware of and check personal biases and dislikes especially when dealing with students pp. A teacher who is tired, frustrated, emotionally upset,insecure, cannot successfully pass on positive attitude, knowledge, skills to students.
It should be responsive to and stimulate the searing human spirit and the emphatic quest for human communication, interaction, love and trust. The teacher in the role as change agent recognises the importance of interaction with colleagues and administration in order to be more effective as a teacher and as a school. Hopkins,p Teacher collaboration with parents is essential.
It would be in the best interest of the student if there is a consistent link between teachers and parents, school as an agent of change essay. The teacher appreciates that in order to reach the students it is essential to know as much as possible about them. One way of doing this is by interacting with parents of the children. Often problems at home result in poor performance at school.
As such the caring teacher makes every effort to deal with these problems in the interest of the child, school as an agent of change essay. Teaching in rural areas has its particular issues, one of which is poverty. In rural areas this is a reality, no matter how extraordinary an educator is, without necessary supports such as community and health services, the effects of poverty will have a negative impact on student achievement.
Collaboration between teachers and parents can also help in the improvement of the school and by extension the wider society. With parents and teachers working together to impart knowledge as well as values to the children, the chances are increased that students will become valuable citizens who make a meaningful contributions to society. These relationships should be founded on respect for persons- between head and staff, between colleagues, between teachers and pupils and between the pupils.
Thus the primary condition for building a good school community is that everybody in it respects everybody in it. Castle If this is achieved a community based on the sense school as an agent of change essay the common good will develop. It is this progression of good which is the basic project in democratic society and also the unfinished project that young people need to school as an agent of change essay invited to take up.
This philosophical perspective is closely linked to the interpretive view in sociology that engages teachers in actual process of education. This view is unlike the Functionalist and School as an agent of change essay views, one of which breeds passivity, the other which focuses on capitalism.
The Interpretive view encourages teachers to look at themselves and their students as social beings who learn from interaction with others as well as their environment and community, school as an agent of change essay. The focus is on collaboration among teachers, administrators and also students, which should lead to a feeling of community and gradually more meaningful experiences for all involved. As such the concept of life and living is made real to them. Since they are becoming critical thinkers they are able to face the world and make meaningful contributions in society as well adjusted adults.
The type of language used by teachers is critical to the development or progress of students. Deficit discourses can be used to demean and insult students resulting in low motivation and poor performance in the classroom. This will, of course, school as an agent of change essay, create an uncomfortable environment which will discourage learning.
According to Bruner language is the key to cognitive development. This is linked to the Constructivism as well as to Interpretive theories. It is also through language that we communicate our conceptions of the world to others and question the way the world functions.
The teacher is able to facilitate this process by determining how the child functions with and without adult assistance. The difference between these two levels of functioning is called the zone of proximal development zpd coined by Lev Vygotsky.
In an effort to assist students in understanding and facilitate learning, the teacher, in keeping with a student-centred approach, respects the language practices of the students. If teaching is conceived as constructing a bridge between the subject matter and student, learner- centred teachers keep a constant lookout on both ends of the bridge.
Teachers must combine the mantle of moral purpose with the skills of change. Students should not merely regurgitate information but through discovery and inquiry learn problem solving skills which is critical in student — centred learning and is akin to life- long learning skills needed in the workforce and the community as a whole.
This concept ensures the safety nets students need to learn, feel safe and to develop is attempted to be provided. The teachers are also not excluded, as this is a holistic approach to schooling.
The core beliefs of classroom teachers can only be engaged in the process of reform through transactional, collaboration, collegial, participatory modes of relating. As professionals, we must be involved in continuous discussion and dialogue that would help us to clarify thinking, to let go so as to move from prejudice and ideology to a more thoughtful disposition.
References Anderson, L. Increasing teacher effectiveness: UNESCO. For Educational Planning. Educational psychology: A cognitive view. New York Winston Inc.
Teachers as change agents - Karl Lindgren-Streicher - TEDxLangleyED
, time: 15:59Teachers as Agents of Change – George Couros
· The teacher who is a change agent believes that schools must not simply perpetuate the present social order but seek to affect change by assuring that all students have the necessary skills for equal access to the job opportunities that, in turn, will provide access o the good blogger.comted Reading Time: 11 mins Short Essay on “Teacher as an Agent of Change and a Social Worker”. The first and foremost responsibility of the teacher is in relation to his students. His job cannot remain confined to delivering a set of lectures or mere “coverage of syllabus.”.Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins · in the curriculum and school programmes, improved competencies of teachers and increased commitment from children as ‘Agents of Change’. BGZ, As another example, a project by NGOs and universities in the Czech Republic and Poland is directly entitled ‘Teachers: Agents of Change’. This project aims to
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