Teachers speak up on personal philosophies

The Jakarta Post   |  Sun, 02/10/2008 12:58 PM  |  Discover

The following comments on respect and responsibility were collected from several UNJ postgraduate students who participated in the ethics and philosophy workshop series.

Anggiya: "Actually, children have these values naturally. In their friendships they usually show respect for each other, showing no hard feelings and a readiness to forgive mistakes.

"Respect and responsibility determine children's success and they feel happy because we care about them. As teachers we must model our own love of learning."

Movita Ruliana: "In school, the first journey of all life, values are learned and used in daily activities with teachers and friends.

"To respect means that we care about others, and to be responsible means that other people trust us and can depend on us.

"A teacher has to apply these values in her daily activities and children will learn how to do the same. For example, when a teacher is well-prepared and comes to class on time, she is showing respect and responsibility for her students and encouraging them to do the same."

Dini Pratiwindya: "A teacher and students can make class rules together as a team, choosing the rules that need to be followed by everyone.

"In a cooperative classroom, students are encouraged to give ideas, ask questions, gain knowledge from teachers and friends and solve problems together."

Desy Arlinda: "Keep in mind that respect is not the same as obedience. Children might obey because they are afraid. If they respect you, they will obey because they know you want what's best for them."

Rohita: "As primary level educators, we need to know how children learn from 8 years of age. At that age, they have great curiosity, courage to try anything and a strong desire to learn.

"They learn through imitating peers and adults, through exploration and experimentation. A responsible character is formed over time. It is made up of our outlooks and daily habits associated with feelings, thoughts and actions."

Farhan M.K.: "A child is not an adult with a small body. Children live in their own world, learning life values from the people closest to them and through practicing all day long at home and at school."

Intan I.P.: "Educators should have respect for the needs of students and involve them in honest conversation to know what students really want and need. In this way, students will feel respected and treated as equals, and will thus feel responsible for their actions."

-- Susan J. Natih

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