“Miss, which is faster, a car or a train?” a student asked.“Miss, why did you pick Dea as Student of the Week?” asked another when the teacher picked one of her friends whom the teacher saw had made a personal improvement. Each day, a teacher deals with distinct individuals who have their own list of questions and ideas and jolts of creativity, many of which have never even crossed the teacher’s mind.

In performing their duties, a teacher is given a slew of tasks and responsibilities in relation with the students, their parents, the principal and society. A teacher is then demanded to be highly professional.

Education and Culture Ministerial Regulation No. 12/2017 states that a teacher is a professional educator whose duties include educating, teaching, guiding, directing, training, assessing and evaluating students in early childhood education, formal education and primary and secondary education. The regulation states that the teachers are responsible only for the students. In reality, teachers’ duties and responsibilities are much more than that; thus, they are required to be highly professional.

A professional teacher is required to perform school administration work, which is not easy nor is it small in scope. The administration work acts as physical evidence of all activities the teacher has performed and will perform. It is also required for the school accreditation process. A teacher is also required to guide the students, as well as provide them with counseling. This is especially important for those with learning problems or requiring guidance in their conduct. A teacher is expected to also conduct adequate research or observe a students’ learning style, their own teaching style and the relationships between parties in the school environment. Such observations are used to help solve issues faced by the students or the teacher themselves.

The mastery of teaching materials is a must for a professional teacher. The mastery of materials and the techniques to deliver them to the students in a fun way can make students enthusiastic about the learning process. At the end of each session, the teacher is also required to evaluate the results of their teaching and to note down any weaknesses the teacher may have for improvement.

The teacher also needs to evaluate the students. This is a form of accountability for the principal and the parents. A professional teacher should be open for interaction and be communicative not only with the students but also with their parents. Without good cooperation with parents, it is near impossible to achieve the learning objectives. Especially when a student has a problem with their attitude or learning, it is essential that the teacher and the parents cooperate to find the best solution as a form of adult support for the younger generation. Teachers are also required to interact and communicate with each other. They need to support one another in doing their assignments and in solving problems at school.

A professional teacher must understand class management. The teacher is required to make the classroom a comfortable and clean environment. They need to set up rules that don’t discriminate or allow favoritism; they also need to ensure the rules are observed so that the learning process runs smoothly and helps students achieve success. A teacher is required to create a learning environment that is effective and fun so that students are highly motivated to learn and perform their best.

Technology

Like the students, a teacher must never stop learning. With advancements in communications technology, a teacher needs to be adept in using today’s communications devices to improve their teaching skills. Technology is developed to help us, including teachers. For instance, with advanced information and communications technology, a teacher can more easily look for information related to their teaching as well as teaching materials. They can improve their teaching by using pictures or clips from the internet. They can also get interesting ideas from other teachers by communicating with them on the internet.

A teacher needs to master another language. Online learning helps teachers to do this anytime and anywhere with less money than what may have been required in the past. Truly, teachers can learn a lot and develop themselves online. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Getting involved in a teaching community both offline and online is so easy to do these days. There are many teaching communities available on the internet. Across the country, offline communities hold routine meetings to discuss various topics related to teaching and education. The benefits of being active in such a community include boosting motivation to stay true to the profession and to continue learning and developing. For example, the Kelompok Guru Belajar community founded by Guru Cikal campus routinely holds weekly discussions via the Telegram mobile application.

Close to 3,000 teachers from across the country are members of the group. They discuss various topics, including sharing creative ideas to solve problems they face in the classrooms. Sources come from the teachers who are willing to share their ideas. This spirit of learning burns brightly as they believe in the need for ensuring teaching and learning in the classroom should be an enlightening experience for both the student and the teacher. Learning in a classroom should come with a humanizing relationship between the teacher and the student. It should be an experience that both parties benefit from and find hard to forget.

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The writer is a teacher at Christian Elementary School (SDK) Tirtamarta BPK Penabur Cinere.

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