Teaching as the Reflective Profession - Research Paper Example

 Teachers play these various roles to the students and they should exclusively commit themselves to, as each role is beneficial to the students. In addition, each of these roles has its own degree of significance and importance to both teachers and students (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011). There are diverse roles and responsibilities that teachers have while taking the initiative of being a teacher, for instance, motivating, managing, acting as an instructional expert, counselor, model, leader, and reflective professional (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).

            The most important role of a teacher is being a leader. Teachers, in any instance whether in schools or place of work, have to make varied important decisions in relation to their learners. A good and competent teacher is able to show their students the right way to follow, when to make a decision and why to make it (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).

            The teacher should also take up to be a role model to the students. All students need someone to look up to and wish to be like whereby a competent teacher is the best figure for this position (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011). Apart from equipping students with academic skills, teachers should be role models to their students (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).  Teachers should embrace ethical issues and develop basic human skills in their students through them (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).

            A good teacher should always motivate their students irrespective of the instance they take the responsibility (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011). This is important as it makes the student not to be afraid in facing any challenges. This also aids the student not to give up in cases of failure or mistakes but pick up and try harder to succeed ultimately (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).

            A teacher should manage the students to ensure success in the work they do (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011). In many instances, this appears to be the most difficult responsibility that teachers face in their teaching tasks. However, the teacher should realize that h/she, is handling people of diverse backgrounds and customs, therefore, ought to manage and integrate them all. This guarantees the success of the students (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).

            A good teacher should be a counselor to the students (Spratt, Alan & Williams 2011). Besides just teaching students on educational issues, teachers should be in a position to guide students on real-life aspects and life skills for them to make informed decisions in life (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).

            Reflective professional is a good and highly significant role of a responsible teacher (GTCNI, 2007). Good teachers should often remain focused on achieving the best for themselves as well as those who learn from them (GTCNI, 2007). Teachers should consider what has worked well for the student and what has not. The answers should be a positive reflection of both aspired future goals and achievements (GTCNI, 2007).

            A teacher should also be an excellent instructor to the students (Spratt, Alan & Williams 2011). This is not equally as important as the other roles but is significant for successful tutoring (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011). It is important for one to instruct as he constantly informs the students on what to do (Spratt, Alan & Williams, 2011).

            As a teacher in an academic setting, I am good at managing students’ welfare and maintaining their good conduct. In addition, I engage my students in counseling and motivational talks to keep them willed in attaining their best in school. However, I am a poor decision maker and easily swayed by other peoples’ views this result in my poor leadership skills.

            Psychology aims at giving a better understanding of education (Thorndike, 1910). It clearly explains the aims of education and its application in varied areas of real-life (Thorndike, 1910). Psychology aims at measuring the probability of attaining any set target. Besides, it helps in devising diverse teaching methods after meticulous scrutiny of humanity’s conduct (Thorndike, 1910). These methods embraced as sighted by Thorndike (1910) are from different levels.

            The first is from the laws of human nature (Thorndike, 1910). For instance, all the difficulty pupils encounter while division is mostly due to the many division sums they did (Thorndike, 1910).

            The second is from the actual working experience (Thorndike, 1910). For instance, it is a belief, that a class of fifteen pupils in an elementary class is better performing than that of three or thirty pupils (Thorndike, 1910).

            The aims of education are diverse depending on the level at which one is passing the education (Thorndike, 1910). They are diverse as they include the perfection of individual culture, discipline, efficiency, happiness, utility, knowledge, skill, individual power, and thoughts (Thorndike, 1910).