by Brenda Y. Bal-iyang
Learning about their career successes through the social media makes me happy for days on end. I am talking about former students who get in touch every now and then. They make all the sacrifices year-in and year-out as a teacher with a salary which does not make a bank account fat worth it.
Of course there are various measures to gauge the success of teachers through evaluation instruments that determine our effectivity in the classroom. But how do we really measure our success in reaching out to our students?
My utmost role to teaching lies mainly in the inspiration and influence that I can contribute to my students, gaining more knowledge, skills and professional development, and collaboration with other teachers, professionals and parents. These are the areas that I usually measure and consider as the blueprint of being a successful teacher.
First and foremost, my guiding principle that “All children can learn regardless of their capabilities and circumstances” proves to be an essential tool that I have. This has always been my philosophy as a teacher. It is what motivates me to do more and shift beyond the usual norm of simply being a school teacher. Given the right attitude, proper student instructions and appropriate teaching methodologies that will cater to the unique needs of each student, I know that they can be successful in every task given and eventually become independent individuals. It is up to us, as teachers, to give students a learning experience that can suit their individualities and learning styles. It is up to us, as teachers to inspire and make a meaningful educational experience of our students and can make them realize that the school is a place of growth and knowledge, and a place where all students can become successful.
Every school year, teachers are faced with various types and diverse needs of learners and having different strengths or weaknesses in any area, nevertheless, the impact and influence of a teacher to her students can have a lasting impression. As I said in the opering part of this article, being a teacher, I am fortunate to hear some of my previous students. Some of them have kept in touch through the years, and others have reconnected lately through social media. Some of my previous students even sent me messages and greetings on “Facebook” and it’s a wonderful feeling knowing the paths they have taken and that I played even a little part of all these. As they share their stories with me, I felt blessed to be a part of the learning experience that shaped their lives. Seeing these former students do well and reached their best potential is my utmost reward and validates my impression that I am very blessed because I am a teacher.
Secondly, continuing professional development is but one important part of a teacher’s life. It is a sure way of becoming successful and competitive teacher. As a mother, having nine children to send to school is a difficult and demanding task, but in order for me to be an effective teacher, gaining more knowledge and getting more skills and expertise proved to be of vital importance. Indeed, education is fundamental for our growth and development and is mandatory for personal security and well-being.
Finally, to become a successful teacher, the practice of collaboration is an essential way that needs to be polished among teachers. Collaboration is simply an interaction among two or more individuals encompassing a variety of behaviors, including communication, information sharing, coordination, cooperation, problem solving, and negotiation. As teachers, we have to admit that teaching students is never a single effort but a collective endeavor from different resources that includes other teachers, other significant professionals and even parents having a unified and single objective that is for the overall success of all students. Collaboration is necessary to bring about improved student performance and the main reason why we collaborate is to get each other’s ideas, share knowledge and information as well as problem solutions that we can offer our students for them to be successful, to make a good living and to make positive contributions to our society.
In conclusion, there are different methods that can be formulated in order to become a successful teacher but nothing beats the emotional experience of being delighted, pleased and blissful when one student becomes successful, NOW THAT IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS!**
