The Teacher and The Teaching

Profession
 Teaching is a part of the life of a committed teacher.
However, a teacher’s capability to teach effectively, as well
as his/her personal qualities, matters. He/She needs to
have specific guidelines to handle different situations
efficiently. An effective teacher is one who considers the
quality of his/her products---the students---but an efficient
teacher considers the learning process itself to be a
logical, procedural, and organized preparation.
 There are two distinct characteristics of an effective and
efficient teacher:

Professional qualities – which refer to the teacher’s knowledge

of the subject matter to be taught, his/her understanding of the
psychological and educational principles, and his/her
understanding of the teaching profession; and

Personal qualities – which refer to the qualities that stem from

the teacher’s personality, interests, attitudes, and beliefs; and
his/her behavior and working relationships with his/her students
and peers.

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Professional qualities include:
A mastery of the subject matter – There is always a need to
grow in the profession through a continuing education program.
A teacher should keep on learning more about his/her field of
interest as it is impossible for anyone to go on learning
something he/she dislikes. Highet (as cited in Lardizabal et al.,
1996) wrote: “The teacher who dislikes [his/her] subject or is
indifferent to it always runs the risk of being hypocrite.”

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Professional qualities include:
An understanding of the learners – This pertains to the teacher’s
knowledge about the learners and the principles of human growth and
development such as:

Maturity of learners vis-à-vis developmental stages;

Learners’ interests and previous experiences that can be utilized to
motivate them;
The adjustments that learners have to undergo in various stages of
development;
The physical, emotional, and social problems that learners face as
they grow; and
Special skills needed in gathering information about the learners.

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Professional qualities include:
Liking and loving learners – A teacher who has a genuine and sincere
love for the learners can imbue them with love of learning.

Knowledge of the teaching principles and skills – To promote learning

effectively, a teacher must know the WHATs and HOWs of teaching,
including the needed skills and teaching methods. Teaching methods
involve an understanding of the curriculum theory and practice, the nature
and principles of learning, types of learning styles, and the psychology of
motivation that encompasses individual differences. Such teaching
methods are he bases for selecting and organizing learning experiences.
Teaching methods involve skills in techniques of facilitating of purposeful
learning, e.g., discussion, questioning, group work, audio-visual materials,
and directed study; skills in techniques of various procedures in evaluating
a learner’s progress; and skills in techniques of classroom management.

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Professional qualities include:
General understanding of the different branches of knowledge along
with their interrelationships and interdependence to solve life’s problems –
Even children in preparatory schools talk about astronauts and space
travel. As such, knowledge and background study of arts, languages,
philosophy, math, literature, and physical sciences are deemed necessary.
Likewise, because of scientific advancements, a teacher must also be
knowledgeable of information and communications technology (ICT) as in
the use of computers. In the midst of these innovations, a teacher must be
able to communicate ideas effectively and correctly, to listen intelligently,
and to read critically.

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Professional qualities include:
An appreciation of the teaching profession – This means that a
teacher must work harmoniously with different individuals like students,
administrators, co-teachers, parents, and other members of the school
community. The teacher must recognize the rewards, restrictions, and
trials of his/her profession. He/She must recognize the value of
professional organizations to himself/herself and to education itself.
He/She must be aware of the need to keep abreast of the changes in
education through in-service training programs as in master’s and doctoral
degrees.

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