There are some qualities that a teacher needs in this day and age
There are some qualities that a teacher needs in this day and age. One needs to have passion, resilience and integrity to teach.
A teacher needs passion, because when the going gets tough, passion is what normally perseveres.
We have all encountered situations when our inspiration is on an all time low. We all have bad days when we are not "up to it". If we lack this quality, then teaching becomes a chore and just a job. Sure it is a job, but what makes it different is we are dealing with education and young minds. Pretty similar to the situation with nurses, although that's another story.
We also need resilience as there are more days that are challenging than not. Resilience because a student can make or break your day. Students' discipline these days has reached an all time low. Forget about showing teachers respect, children can't even respect their parents and themselves. Here again, resilience is a virtue that needs reinforcing.
Teachers need to be stern and tell themselves, "That's life and I'm going to overcome this moment".
Lastly, integrity is necessary to teach the right way. We could take the easier option and make life easy for ourselves, but then we might as well look for another job.
Teachers need integrity to stand up to students, parents and principals even if what they believe in is a breach of the code of conduct or procedures.
Compromising such values only belittles if not demeans our profession. In short, here's a tribute to all teachers past and present who've stayed the course and endured the agony of dissatisfaction at some point in their lives.
Keep the candle burning and believe that this is your calling, even though it may seem bizarre at times. Sometimes life doesn't make sense, but what you are doing does. Have faith.
Deep
Jakarta
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