Charge of the Education Doctor

The professional qualities, learning products, domains, principles and needs of teachers

I have read different explanations from the various authors since they unanimously agreed in one definition that professional qualities refer to the teacher’s knowledge of the subject matter to be taught, his understanding of psychological and educational principles, theories and concepts the pedagogical methods and strategies as well as his high regard and appreciation to the teaching profession.

The learning products or qualities are imbued with the outcomes of learning such as cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains of learning. In fact, the learning products are very important along with the professional qualities of a teacher as a friend, a counselor, a model and a parent surrogate, a facilitator of learning, a motivator, a classroom manager, and an evaluator of students’ performance.

The teaching profession must be associated with the needs of teachers who have possessed with professional qualities. The needs must encompass the following: positive atmosphere in a class wherein the students are very attentive and responsive to the discussion and some other related activities to be done inside the classroom; fair treatment among the students and the teacher himself in day-to-day living and teaching; firmness and understanding from their superiors; recognition for their contributions as far as effective teaching and humane lesson application are concerned; and chance for professional growth.

In the field of education, most of us believe that teaching is a multifaceted human activity for it entails a wide range of teaching approaches, interactions, planning, organizational arrangement and material resources that transpire within the four walls of the classroom and in the teaching-learning process.

Another view holds that effective teaching is the act of providing diverse activities that facilitate learning. Brown and Thornton have delineated certain distinctions between teaching and educational information-giving. According to them, both of these teaching-learning functions are indispensable, but they are not the same. They have distinct functions on how a certain student learns fast with a right approach, the other one learns very fast with memorization and the last one seems to absorb everything with conceptualization of the teaching-learning process.

Principles of teaching should be stressed out in order to be aware of the positive outlooks, teaching-learning situations, and efficiencies at all times in classroom activities. Furthermore, the principles of teaching are stipulated herein by the various authors in the teaching profession, thus giving emphasis to the importance of five principles of teaching: 1) respect for the individual; 2) democracy as a way of life; 3) providing suitable conditions for the development and maintenance of a sound personality; 4) improving group living in the classroom; and 5) improving the classroom environment.

Through these principles, an effective teacher must have the best approach of teaching that gives him the nature by imparting knowledge to the students with dynamism and right strategy in class or method of teaching. It points out how a lesson is to be developed, and to be technically formulated in order for the students to take part and to pave the way for effective learning processes with the extent of participation in a classroom setting.

Thus, it is indispensable for the teachers to take cognizance of the moral duties and responsibilities, especially when they face students with various family backgrounds just to share content-knowledge, must use every precious time with the students, to get along with them by sharing current events or information, to teach them how to think well, to open the door to varied experiences in life, and to impinge on their hearts so that classroom situation makes the teaching-learning enjoyable and meaningful.

The effective teachers must have the mastery of the subject matter. In order for them to gain the mastery of the subject matter, they have to know first the fundamental rules or principles of teaching. The mastered contents or subject matters should be readied beforehand before imparting knowledge to their students.

Teachers should encourage their students to ask questions, to give their viewpoints, reactions or comments. There are also other ways in order for them to become very effective in teaching to their students: 1) in all teaching activities, motivation is at all times a part or should always be a part of teaching because students do not learn as much as they do without motivation; 2) it should be followed by a step-by-step level of questioning from literal level to interpretative level and from metaphorical level to evaluative level;  and 3) it is  a lecture because it is considered an effective method of communication to be utilized by the teachers.