"The Quality of Student Learning Outcomes is Directly Dependent on the Quality of the Teacher?” : My Claim

The quality of student learning outcomes is directly dependent on the quality of the teacher. For me, this is true. Being an excellent teacher involves adhering to the codes of ethics of teachers because it is the mandate of being a professional teacher. To provide excellent student learning outcomes, a teacher must know the strengths and weaknesses of his/her students, use appropriate instructional materials to deal with multiple intelligences and must address the needs of the students to attain a higher level of education. If adversities happen during the instruction period, the teachers know the measures to do in order to continue effectively and efficiently the teaching procedure. He/She must be resourceful and must use alternatives if the intended means of instruction is not available or feasible. An educator must also know and understand the background of the students that influences their performance in school.

         But, in this present time when there are a lot of problems and intervening factors that affect education, the outcome of education is not 100% quality. With those personal/societal/environmental problems and factors in mind, teachers are greatly affected by it and eventually cannot practice their profession to its perfection in which leads to another problem on the human resource management. 

Quality Teaching: A Personal Outlook

For me, quality teaching is having excellent learning outcomes of student not only focus on academic but in attitudes and values developed as well. If my students are doing well, therefore I can say that I’m executing good teaching.

I haven’t been teaching yet but based on my past experiences as a catechist in the church and a volunteer for a local summer reading program, I wanted to give my students something that can help them appreciate the beauty of life and to survive it as well. I wanted to give significant insights that have impact on their lives and will lead them to a brighter future. For me, there is a significant difference between teaching for the benefits and teaching for the students. Teaching is more that the salary you receive. Teaching is what the outcome is. I wanted my students to be professionals someday and to be a good contributor to the society. I always encourage them to be best that they can be, to study hard and to do everything to have education all for the glory of the Almighty God.

How Teachers Become Instrumental in Making Students Imbibe Values, Morals and Ethics in Their Day-to-day Routine.

Education renders a prime service to the society. With trainings and just preparations, it delivers satisfaction in every life it touches through experiences. Educational experiences presumably promote the intellectual openness, flexibility, and breadth of perspective essential for self-direction values (Schooler, 1983). As people in the academe, teachers expose and propagate needed knowledge as well as values that children will need to survive their lives’ everyday struggle.

Teachers’ basic but tedious job is to disseminate education to our children. They tend to facilitate learning in many ways. They encourage children to go to school as it is the prime factor to elevate lives to a more beautiful experience.  Moreover, teachers are instruments of education to lead children to a better life. What they offer in school are experiences that students will eventually use in the future. It will mold them to face challenges that will be present in their lives. Above all these, teachers must be ethical.

Educators must be ethical in every single thing they do in school and also in their own houses. Apart from student’s parents, teachers are also the role models that they imitate. In order to be a good role model, teachers must know and do the right and just deeds mandated by their job and the Higher Order. According to Hill IV and Zinsmeister, some basic ethical codes are (1) ethical teachers should have disciplinary competence or they must be expert on what they teach; (2) teach effectively through effective pedagogy. In other words, teachers must use appropriate instructional strategies to certain group of students or he/she must use varieties of instructional materials to accommodate multiple intelligences; (3) ethical teachers must provide balanced content and free inquiry or he/she must give concepts/perspectives that will encourage students to use their mind critically in different points of view; (4) Must respect students. not only students will respect the teachers but also the teachers do vice versa; (5) ethical teachers foster academic integrity, must promote honesty and no plagiarism rule; (6) use objective and fair assessment so that students are treated equally and be given fair grades; (7) ethical teachers must protect their student’s confidentially. They also tend to do a job like of a priest. They keep in secret things that he/she and his/her students tackle regarding their education; and (8) they also have professionally appropriate relationships with their students. They must have a business-like relationship though they cater personal problems too with their students. All in all, teachers must be proactive, have professional development and promote transformational leadership in their schools. Most of all, they should have a high regard to our Maker, that they give all the glory to Him in all their deeds and tasks.

By these codes of conduct of teachers, children will adhere and copy what they see and observe teachers do. In the future, these children will give and become a good contribution to the society.

My Philosophy as a Teacher

I always have the heart to help the poor. Like grandmas on their 80’s still selling fish on streets or grandpas backpacking tools to make living; Even children who are left by their parents carrying their sisters or brothers begging for money and scavenging for trashed foods on streets; All these scenarios of poverty breaks me, all should have proper education and surrounded with love and care to achieve their full potential and become well-rounded citizens of the nation. Why can’t be all equal?

I am done blaming the government for those effects of greed. It had come to the time that I have to do something and as I thought of it, I wanted to become a lawyer, a doctor or anything that can suffice to their aid. God heard me, I know. So now, He put me to become a teacher. Being a lawyer and a doctor, both has high salaries, but why teacher? I needed to discern again and it took time.

Being a teacher is more than the amount and the title lawyers and doctors earn. The job of the teacher is to educate and help uplift generations. Teachers instil values and knowledge to the minds of the learners and become the second parents and role models for them to look up to so that they will strive to elevate their own status and to be one of the good citizenry. Inspiring children to become what they dreamt to be; teaching them the dos and don’ts; and letting them know that they are dignified individuals and has rights are the teachers’ deeds. Hence, I will never ever be sorry for taking this God-given destiny. Indeed, it is the noblest profession of all. It fits my purpose. It does not boast; it has the heart and it changes lives.