Essay Response to Teaching Presence
Essay Response to Teaching Presence
“What you are speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say you are.” This line of Emerson quoted by Kessler in her essay The Teaching Presence represents most of the points that would be discussed in the succeeding sections. This paper shall (a) enumerate three qualities of an effective teacher, (b) identify existing policies that are important in a teacher’s personal conduct, and (c) describe a number of Kessler’s philosophical ideas.
A teacher who is willing to care, possesses inner strength, and has a positive image of discipline is an effective teacher. These qualities can help him/her develop the student’s capacity to learn in the classroom. Every day, a teacher goes through a lot of preparations to make sure that the content of the sessions are appropriate to the students’ level, these fall within the required learning outcomes, and that students show positive scores when assessed. In addition to the academic aspects, teachers also have to make sure that the class behave and individual students do not disrupt their classmates or the other classes. Although the children in one class may be of the same age, they still are different individuals going through the process of growing up, and it is expected that the classroom setting would always provide a challenge to the teacher. The differences in personalities as well as varied family backgrounds produce a mix that would not always result in a smooth-sailing classroom activity. Thus, for a teacher to be effective he/she must possess the qualities discussed by Kessler especially the willingness to care, inner strength, and a positive image of discipline.
A teacher with the willingness to care can enable the child to learn better. He/she would design classroom activities that would help the individual students make most of their talents. He/she can be flexible to accommodate opportunities for learning when these instances come up. This quality does not mean that he/she will turn a blind eye to students who misbehave, instead a teacher who is willing to care would make sure that the student is made aware of the consequences of his action. When faced with issues of misbehaving students, the teacher who cares would be willing to follow up on the measures that address such problem. When students’ feel that their teacher is willing to care about them they develop a trust on their teacher which in turn can facilitate greater participation in class activities. Participation in class opens up greater opportunities to learn and the whole class benefits and they learn better.
A teacher’s inner strength is important especially in today’s setting. These days, children are more expressive and more distracted. It is not always easy for a teacher to bring the attention of everyone into the lesson for the day. Children are exposed to a lot of information from the media and even in their communities that many may not yet be capable of processing at their age. A teacher needs to have that inner strength to be able to present an understanding but firm stance. He/she offers reassurance to students who need emotional support but at the same time, there must be firmness in handling students displaying disturbing behavior. A teacher’s inner strength is felt by the students and such quality would convince students that they are in a secure environment where their safety is always made a priority. When students feel safe, they are able to better express their ideas and their emotions. They would feel less vulnerable and would be more relaxed to take in more learnings in class.
A teacher with a positive image of discipline would not hesitate to call the attention of a student who is disrespectful to others. This teacher believes that children need to be guided to the right direction so that they grow up better persons. Having a positive image of discipline will enable the teacher to carry out measures that would correct the behavior but would not harm the child. This teacher always have the well-being of everyone in the class in his/her mind. He/she does not put anyone’s interest above the interest of the whole class. He/she would find creative means to instill a sense of discipline among his/her students. When a teacher has a positive sense of discipline, his/her students would understand the importance of limits and control. They would understand why certain behavior is allowed at particular time and why it is not. They also would be able to learn that it is important for them to respect each other at all times.
Essential statutes
Kessler’s philosophical ideas
Among the different philosophical ideas discussed in The Teaching Presence, two ideas resonate with this author. The first is “Being Present” and the second is “Respectful Discipline.” A teacher’s presence does not mean only being physically in the classroom or with the students. It means having the belief that the teacher’s presence is there to serve a purpose beyond learning facts and skills about the subject matter. This author believes that to be truly present, the teacher is in the classroom to listen to what the children are saying, especially those that are not captured by their verbal expression. Being present resonates with this author because this author feels that to be truly effective the teacher has to be in that moment learning with the children and guiding them to open their minds about ideas and at the same time help the child see the value of learning. The value of being present can be incorporated to this author’s teaching philosophy by starting each day with an activity that would ask how each one feel. Such a simple task can remind the teacher that each child is a separate individual.
“Respectful discipline” is another idea that this author totally agrees with. As Kessler has emphasized, discipline is a group effort, but the teacher has to act as the guide so that he/she can bring the whole class to a safe environment. This author believes in the importance in working together and individuals contributing to a common goal. The idea of respectful discipline can be incorporated in this author’s personal teaching philosophy by emphasizing the need of consulting the students especially on goals about class behavior.
Conclusion
The Teaching Presence by Rachael Kessler discussed the qualities of an effective teacher. Among those Kessler has mentioned, this author believes that willingness to care, inner strength, and positive image of discipline are the most important. Such qualities enables the students to learn better because he/she can ensure the children’s safety, develop their trust, and promote respect of each other. An effective teacher likewise need to be aware of statutes that would protect his/her students and guide his/her conduct. Two such policies are the anti-school bullying law as well as the anti-harassment laws. Kessler’s essay also provide philosophical ideas that resonate with this author particularly the value of “being present” and “respectful discipline.” As a whole Kessler’s essay has been an inspiring read which has made this author to respond positively to The Teaching Presence.
References
Kessler, R. (n.d). The Teaching Presence. Available at
US Department of Education. (2011). U.S. Education Department Releases Analysis of State Bullying Laws and Policies. www.ed.gov. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-education-department-releases-analysis-state-bullying-laws-and-policies
