SLC | S22W5 : Teachers As Examples And Role Models

The greatest and timeless teacher once said "A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly instructed will be like his teacher." Luke 6:40. Did you note the expression; everyone who's perfectly intructed well will be like his teacher? Yes, this shows that Teachers play an important role in shaping students' lives. Students mimic their teachers and tend to be like them. I always call them second parents because our children tend to spend more time with them; for example, here in Nigeria, my kids normally leave for school at 7:30 in the morning and return home by 3:30 PM. That's a whopping 8 hrs in 5 days. Teachers don't just teach subjects, we inspire our students with words and good deeds. When we are kind, hard-working, honest, and creative, we motivate our students to become a better version of themselves and thus become their role models.

explain why teachers need to be examples and role models for students, and how much influence does this have on student behavior and character?

1. Teachers need to live exemplary lives because they can influence their student's behavior either positively or negatively. When a teacher is kind, respectful, and hard-working his/her students will follow her.

2. When a teacher has integrity and he/she is always fair, students will trust her and this will in turn create a better learning environment for students and they will feel safe and motivated to learn.

3. Teachers who have character and high moral standards are indirectly setting high standards for behavior for their students. Yes, our students know us well; if you're disciplined, they understand what is expected of them in school and life.

4. When teachers are resilient, always own their mistakes, and are Everly ready to learn from them. They are, in effect, teaching their students that it's ok to make mistakes, face challenges, and grow from them.

Teachers with good character will influence students positively, they can inspire students to set goals and have aspirations. It can lead students to behave well, cooperate, and follow rules.

• It can improve the atmosphere in the classroom, students will feel respected and valued.
• Students will develop beautiful character traits like honesty, empathy, and responsibility.

The end line is that when teachers are of good behavior, they will set a good example for their students to imitate, so in essence teachers play a crucial role in shaping students' Character and future.

Each teacher has a different character and personality, name as many negative behaviors that you are aware of in yourself while teaching:

Some teachers have many bad characters while teaching; they neglect the individual needs of each student; some are overly critical, withholding assistance, not supporting students who need extra support, and being biased, favoring some students, and neglecting others. Belittling student inquiries, lacking enthusiasm, being too rigid, and ignoring classroom management just to mention but a few.

The question is, I'm l left out? No, I'm an imperfect human, too, and I've exhibited some of these negative behaviors at one time or another. Let me tell you the ones I constantly work on improving:

1. Yelling: sometimes I find myself losing my temper with some students, especially if I've explained a particular thing over and over again with the nearest example, but they still don't understand me; I sometimes raise my voice at them and show how disappointed I am in them. This is not good; each time I find myself in this situation, I normally take a second breath and tell myself; Goodybest, calm down, and think about other ways you can help this child.

2. Impatience: Sometimes, I easily become frustrated with students who need more time to digest what I taught them. Though I know all kids are not the same, I mean they have different abilities, some have a super retentive memory, and can easily grasp whatever you teach them while some will need more time, to understand the concept, so after changing my teaching methods to make sure everyone understands and a particular student still doesn't get me, I'll become frustrated, but when this happens I normally tell myself; Goodybest you can be patient!

3. Procrastination: this thief of time is generally one of the weaknesses I'm battling with. I used to delay certain things, thinking that I still had enough time, just imagine; I've gotten some clay soil for some weeks now, with the hope of teaching my kids the different kinds of soil and moulding an object with the soil, but I haven't up till now ☹️ oh my gosh, Goodybest you can do better than this. So sometimes I used to delay lesson planning or preparing the materials.

Share with us examples of positive attitudes or exemplary behaviors that you have implemented in your daily life with students? What educational values are contained in these behaviors:

Over the years I've been implementing good and exemplary behaviors in my daily interactions with my students and these affected most of them if not all positively, let me highlight some of these attitudes and the educational values they come with:

1. Generosity: I'm the kind of teacher who teaches my students by example; not the type who says do what I tell you, and not what I do. Haha😂 I give my students gifts; some days, I provide snacks for all of them and other times, learning/teaching materials, and personal study tips for those struggling.

Educational Values:
My students used to show me generosity in different ways, they used to carry my handbag for me when school was over, and some of them used to bring different kinds of fruits for me from home, making gift cards for me, just to mention but a few. It doesn't end here, they used to help their fellow students who found it hard to grasp a particular subject, explaining to them, sharing their notes of lessons, and lending their study materials like pens, pencils, rulers 📏and erasers. You see, they've cultivated a sense of community and collaboration; they know that learning is a shared journey.

2. Respect: I never belittle any of my students, I used to actively listen to their opinions during discussions, ack acknowledge their ideas and perspectives, and answer all their questions.

Educational Values:
My students know how to communicate respectfully with one another, not only with the teachers; they know that respect is reciprocal. This quality fosters an inclusive classroom, where everyone's heard and can be heard and valued. It encourages openness!

3. Optimism: I'm always happy when I'm around my students; smiling at them, you know happiness is contagious. I've helped them see challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than obstacles.

Educational Values:
Students become more positive and resilient, believing in their potential, improvement, and success.

4. Independence: I've taught my students to be independent by sometimes allowing them to choose projects and assignment topics that interest them; this is used to promote learning by themselves.

Educational Values:
This habit helps them to take charge of their educational journeys and to be critical thinkers and independent.

5. Creativity: I used to incorporate creative activities into my classes. Activities like innovative presentations and art projects. Allowing my students to express their ideas in their own unique ways.

Educational Values:
This gives them the freedom to express themselves in different ways be innovative and acquire problem-solving skills.*

6. Sincerity: I always communicate my students' progress openly and honestly with them. Commending them where they are doing great and encouraging them in areas they need to improve. My yes always means yes, and No means no.

Educational Values:
My students trust me, and this has instilled accountability in them and always own their mistakes and be responsible.

Well, I'm empathetic and flexible, and I have integrity, just to mention but a few; yes, I would be too wordy if I decided to mention all my positive attitudes as a teacher, so let me stop here. The truth is that all these good behaviors help to create a positive learning environment and encourage mutual respect, personal growth, and love for learning among students.

What benefits do you feel from the exemplary behavior you have shown so far, has it had a positive impact on the behavior and character of your students?

Well, the benefits are too numerous to recount, and these include fostering a positive learning environment for my students, instilling good values in them, setting high standards to guide their conduct, and I've been able to build trust and respect.

My students are more accountable, they know how to behave socially and how to control their emotions. They love me so much, the same way I love them. All of them are always eager to engage in my class, and they're generous, empathetic, and resilient. So, I would say that modeling exemplary behavior affects students positively; it shapes both their actions and words positively.

In conclusion, teachers are role models, they should lead by example, teach in words and deeds, and always exhibit good behaviors because they play a delicate role in shaping students' character and future actions. Thank you❤