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Perspectives
Education is a never ending road. Beginning when we being to sense our mother's heartbeat to our timely trip to the other side of life. It is during this time that we enjoy both freedom to roam with our bodies and fly with the dreams of our mind.
When we are young we are enticed with pictures and ideas our minds can only dream about. With each year of growth we find new understanding and directions. We discover ourselves through new challenges. Challenges in relationships both close and distant. Challenges in our constantly changing bodies.
As an educator my job is to play many roles in the lives of young learners. There is the role of stimulator. As a stimulator I must energize those who struggle with the growing pains of life, both physically and mentally. Then I play the role of mentor. No all students need me as a mentor. But thee are those who hang on to every word and follow every move, mimicking every emotion and response. Another is a guide. Though a guide and mentor are entwined they are also separate. As a guide the student has a lot of freedom with gentle nudges to correct their direction, not the pace or their energy to achieve.
If a student doesn't achieve the high standards set by others there is a sense of inadequacy and depression. I have seen this often in students both young and old in cross-cultural situations. Failure for me, or harsh criticism, was a stimulant for me. It makes me more determined to not only succeed but achieve a higher level of competency. As a teacher each student must be considered for their individuality, taking more time with some, while allowing others the freedom to have success or fail. With either student, the confidence of the teacher's support gives rise to a willingness to go higher and struggle harder to achieve higher.
Cross - culturally there are several identifiable problems, and there are problems that show themselves immediately. The most visible ones are culture and language. Even with a high level of fluency culture can be a simple bump in the road of life. For others it is a major catastrophe. The first reaction to a problem is to consider where the problem really is.
For example the problem can seem like a simple cultural difference when it could be a personal problem. There is not end to probabilities, but the same goes for real life. We all have baggage. Another problem is attitude. Attitude is one large problem. The excitement and freedom of the home culture can give rise to other communication problems or emotional outbursts. Excitement is normal and lack of manners and discipline will occur. No panic needed. It is when this continues that more stringent decisions and/or discipline need to take place.
In the classroom there are also stresses. Making friends and homework are not always good friends. In my experience homework means that friends need to be relied on more. They will help the student understand the social mores and nuances of the school culture. Though friendships need to be encouraged, choosing good friends is important. The role of the home-stay parent, teacher, or supervisor needs to play a major role in these choices initially. The rule to follow would be to guide them not mother them.
I have been on both ends of this stick, both the foreigner and the host. My personal philosophy is to encourage the student to move out of their comfort zone. This can be achieved by understanding the nature of the student. A student who is a born leader needs to lead to gain confidence. But the student also needs to learn how to be a team player. This can be tough. Another student may be a leader but needs encouragement. This is done through challenging them to take it on.
There are those who are followers. These are not as motivated as the others. They need the class leaders to follow. In my philosophy of education there needs to be a good understanding of this focus. When you motivate the leaders you motivate the class. There is a danger in this approach. If you focus on the wrong students you will find yourself increasingly frustrated.
Having a philosophy can be easily developed. Putting the philosophy into action is much harder. I have experienced both. I have also initiated and developed programs like camps, which are based on an immersion theory. By going beyond the initial development to leading groups overseas, I have a good knowledge of both the training for, and the problems associated with studying abroad. There are some things that students cannot prepare for. This is where academics cannot reach but where a strong balanced philosophy will prove itself to be so valuable.
Philosophy of Teaching and Leadership
Teaching is an art. It is a reflection of who you are. Not all people are teachers but it is the job that has been assigned through circumstances or others. This does not mean that you cannot be a good teacher. Rather it can be seen as a job and a bore, making money to survive. Or, it can be seen as a challenge to develop yourself and your dream through different avenues.
Teaching is also hard work. It takes time to prepare the mind to teach. Off the cuff teaching is often done in Korea. This is due to a lack of program development. But many programs are too slow and others too fast. One person, when approached about an American program, asked only one question, “How long can we stretch this program out to maximise the profit? “ Sadly, this is often the way education is looked at. But is doesn't need to be that way. Teaching is the giving of oneself to another for their empowerment. You may also call this mentoring. But, mentoring is not done in large groups.
Teaching is also a continuous moving line. It is continually changing in methods and in technology. Teachers need to be moving and developing themselves to make use of the new ideas.
Leadership is teaching. Teaching is leadership. As a leader you give vision to those under you. You are the stable foundation which gives freedom and confidence to the teacher. You are the one to run to. The one who has all the answers. At the same time you are not the dictator who ignores the world. You are the teacher's mentor.
As a leader I have the ideas but I need people to take the ideas and put them into their classroom. Each class is different in dynamics. As a leader you need to give the teacher the freedom to teach so that the ideas and ideals can fit the students best. Who knows the student better than the teacher, who is on the front line.
But there are always outside stressors. Mothers who can not understand problems with their child's lack of progression, personal problems, or special students who just do not have a mind to study. Leadership is about finding these stressors and sharing the load, making a plan of action together. Leadership is about listening and responding through mutual interaction, finding a solution to each problem as separate not general. Leadership is about understanding the individuality of both student and teacher.
In the past the response from many leaders has been so general it missed the problem. Many times leadership overreacts causing hardship. Those were past theories which often had poor results. Leadership needs to be balanced. The balance coming from discussion with the people involved. Balance that comes from stable emotions is not always instant reactions. There are times when instant decisions need to be taken, but they are few and far between. Most often a short discussion and delayed reaction is better.
Leaders need to be close but often stand outside of the circle. This means that because they are held responsible they need to keep their perspective. They need to maintain clarity and not get involved in the emotions of the situation. This gives the balance for the teacher. A place to go when there needs to be discussion without the emotion.
Leadership is also about trust. Many leaders keep their job and position even though they have lost the trust of those under them. This means that what is said is held in confidence and not told to anyone. When a leader has crossed this threshold they have achieved a role of mentor. Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. Therefore, as a leader one must no succumb and react to everything but prove the value of everything they hear. Without trust leadership is just a power trip, and teamwork though performed loses its effectiveness.
Good teachers are not always good leaders. Good leaders are not always good teachers. But together in harmony are a formidable power to change the lives in their care.