A few Tuesday’s ago I was invited to be on the panel at a Teach First event, where we were exploring the idea of Leaders as Motivators. This got me thinking about the role of the teacher; the leader, the motivator, the coach, the role model, the mentor.
Teachers have a lot going on in the classroom, as well as teaching there are the behaviour challenges that they face form both the young people and sometimes their parents. There are the continual changes around what and how to teach. And then there are the tests, where the teacher is held responsible for the young people achievements/results and in turn this reflects on the schools position in the league tables.
No wonder teachers are stressed out, having trouble with their time management and life balance, and at the same time we expect them to be brilliant.
So a question might be, how does a teacher manage all these roles?
Well I think the answer is in how they lead, how they motivate, and how they inspirer those around them.
When I work in schools, it’s clear to see those teachers who understand that they are the leader in the classroom, but that doesn’t mean they are the ruler. They have conversations with the young people they teach, are strong, fair and consistent. That way the young people know where they stand, knows the rules of the classroom and the boundaries of the teacher.
The teachers that are able to engage their class in learning, through stories, personal experience, creative activities, are also motivating and inspiring. The young people are excited to learn and want to learn. However it takes time and energy to create exciting engaging lessons, which is where the time management comes in, which is an area a teacher and a coach can work on.
A lot of teachers find that they are overwhelmed with the amount of work that have placed in front of them. I wish I could cast a magic spell and make it disappear…bit that’s not quite possible yet. However what is possible is working together, working in teams so that you are able to share the workloads, share experience and share skills.
Once you have that motivated engaged classroom, the chances are that you will have no need to manage behavioural. Where you do have behaviour issues, you can take on the coaches role to explore what is needed, what’s going on in that young persons world, perhaps using the 3Fs model.
Asking questions to expand awareness, awareness by the young people of how their behaviour impacts their learning, and their future. A lot of the challenging young people I work with, have very little idea of how their behaviour will impact them in years to come. I remember talking with one young man who had been arrested for breaking windows for fun, and then, as the session moved on he realised that his actions would now stop him from travelling to America.
A teacher who is able to listen to a young persons challenge and help them find a solution through questions and a sharing of their own experience, steps into the role of the mentor. Able to both listen and share relevant experience. I’m not saying that teachers should share their life’s story with young people, but simply remember that they were young once, may have had similar challenges, and are able to give some options, ideas, and show that there is a positive way forward.
It’s not an easy life being a teacher, but it is certainly a rewarding one. We remember our great teachers, and perhaps teachers, coaches, and mentors working together can create great classrooms too.
I wonder how you might manage the various roles that are presented to you as a teacher, a leader, motivator, coach, role model or the mentor?
