Assignment 01

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Course: Professionalism in Teaching (8612)

Name: Hinna
Roll Number: CE612638
Level: (1.5) Years
Semester: Spring 2021

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Q.1 What makes teaching effective? Discuss teaching as a profession.
“Teaching is the noblest profession in the world,” stated President David O. McKay. But teaching is a
profession that only appeals to a special type of person—a person who is concerned about others, one
who has a desire to touch the lives of his students and somehow leave them better than they were. The
richest rewards of teaching come when a teacher can observe growth and development in his students.
One of the largest of all professions, teaching employs more than 2 1/2 million people annually.
Nevertheless, jobs are sometimes difficult to find because of the large number of people currently
prepared to enter the profession. In the field of social sciences, for example, there are almost no
opportunities. On the other hand, elementary placement is still quite high. Special education and
physical sciences (chemistry, math, and physics) have many opportunities, too. Naturally there are more
opportunities in some geographical areas than in others and especially in schools where teaching
conditions are poor. Eight out of ten recent BYU graduates found teaching jobs last year. Salaries vary
and are dependent on the teacher’s experience and education, and on where he teaches. For most
positions the hours are long. Not only does the teacher spend about eight and one-half hours per day in
the classroom, but two to three hours are spent at home grading papers and preparing for the next day.
Since teaching can be very difficult and nerve taxing, one should carefully look at his interests, abilities,
and goals before deciding upon a career in education. If he finds himself to be stable, interested in
continued study and learning, and capable of seeing beneath the surface to the basic needs of other
people, he can discover in teaching extraordinary satisfaction and the nobility President McKay referred
to.

The skills needed for effective teaching involve more than just expertise in an academic field. You must
be able to interact with people and help them understand a new way of looking at the world. This is not
an easy job! Although there are many different ways to teach effectively, good instructors have several
qualities in common. They are prepared, set clear and fair expectations, have a positive attitude, are
patient with students, and assess their teaching on a regular basis. They are able to adjust their teaching
strategies to fit both the students and the material, recognizing that different students learn in different
ways. As a teacher, you are a role model who sets the tone for the class. If you are able to show
enthusiasm and commitment, your students are more likely to reciprocate. Conversely, when you are
negative, unprepared, or impatient, these qualities will be reflected in the attitudes of your students.

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Undergraduate students at Georgetown have high expectations of their instructors, and they also have
many competing interests beyond the course you are teaching. Give them a reason to remember your
class as an important part of their college experience!

POSITIVE
Keep your students engaged with a positive attitude. Teaching is most effective when students are
motivated by the desire to learn, rather than by grades or degree requirements. Many first-time TAs are
confused by the new authority of being a teaching assistant, and mistake intimidation for respect. Think
of your students as teammates, not adversaries. Learning and teaching are challenging, but that doesn't
mean that you can't have fun in the classroom. Stay focused, but don't be afraid to be creative and
innovative. Allow yourself to be enthusiastic and find ways to let students see what is interesting about
your subject.

PREPARED
You should know the course material. If students are required to attend lectures and read assignments,
then it seems reasonable that you would do the same. Most faculty expect graduate TAs to attend
lectures, especially if they have never taken or taught the course. Review key concepts and ideas if you
are unclear about them, particularly if it has been a while since you have worked with the topics you will
be teaching. Think about how the material can be most effectively demonstrated and design a strategy.
Write an outline or take notes to follow during a lecture, and prepare your overheads, diagrams,
handouts and other aids well in advance. Don't wait until the morning of the class!

ORGANIZED
Have a plan for what you want to teach. Your job is to illustrate key points and essential context, to help
students integrate all of their work (reading, labs, exams, papers, lectures, etc.) for the course. Given
that there is never time to teach everything, choose the most important concepts and show how they
are related. Explain ideas so students are able to build on material they have already mastered, whether
from your course or previous classes. Don't just focus on what you happen to be teaching today. Show
students how what they are learning now is connected to material covered later in the course. Keep
your long term goals in mind, pace yourself so that you don't run out of time at the end, and try to end
every class with a conclusion.

CLEAR
Effective teachers can explain complex ideas in simple ways. As you develop expertise in an academic
field, it is easy to forget that students may have no prior knowledge of fundamental concepts that you
take for granted. Help students understand and use new terminology, so they can become fluent in the
language of your discipline. Many concepts can be more effectively demonstrated with visual aids such
as diagrams, drawings, charts, slides, etc. Make sure that they are large enough to see, neat enough to
read, and don't stand in the way! Think about the role body language can play. Having your teaching

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observed by someone else (or even better, having it videotaped) can reveal habits that you would never
notice on your own.

ACTIVE
Keep your students thinking? Unless they are actively using the concepts you are teaching, most
students will remember only a small fraction of what you teach. A lecture is an efficient way to deliver
information to large numbers of people, but it is an inefficient way to provide students with lasting
knowledge and skills. Consider using at least some classroom time for activities other than traditional
lectures, discussions or question and answer sessions. Problem solving exercises in small groups can
take no more than a few minutes, yet allow students to engage with the material being covered.

PATIENT
Remember what it is like to learn something for the first time. Give students time to process information
and answer questions. Know that it is fine for students to make mistakes if they can learn from them.
Realize that learning can be hard work, even for the most motivated students. Rather than blaming
students when things don't go right, consider ways you could change your approach to reach them more
effectively. Concepts, background information or conclusions that seem obvious to you may not be so
clear to someone who is new to the subject. Be patient with yourself, too. Teaching can be difficult and
frustrating at times. Give yourself the same opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them.

FAIR
Consider what it would be like to be one of your students. Chances are you would want an instructor
who set clear expectations, applied them consistently and could admit when they were wrong. Whether
you mark off points on an exam question, give a low grade on a paper, or penalize someone for a late
assignment, you should be able to explain why you did it. Of course it helps if you have already outlined
clear policies, both for the entire course and for each assignment. Once you have set standards, it is very
important to apply them equally and consistently, otherwise you will lose credibility. On the other hand,
if you make a mistake or don't know the answer to a question, it is much better to acknowledge rather
than ignore it.

TECHNOLOGY TIP
Since it is often hard to remember what it is like to encounter your discipline's material at an early stage,
peer instruction offers an alternative to the "sage on stage" model. Peer instruction, which usually
happens in small group activities or paper response assignments, allows students to get feedback at
their own level of discourse and understanding. This provides a helpful complement (not replacement)
to instructor feedback. Technology such as the discussion tool in Blackboard helps peer groups stay in
contact over long distances and over different periods of time.

WHAT'S YOUR LEARNING STYLE?

CNDLS has several ways of helping you discover the learning styles you tend to favor. Being more aware
of your own tendencies will help you recognize similar or different preferences in your students and

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react accordingly. Besides the more well-known Myers-Briggs test and visual, auditory, and tactile
differences, there are also documented differences in how people problem solve.

TECHNOLOGY TIP
E-mail is an excellent and perfectly acceptable way to give feedback to your students. In fact, several
professors ask their students to turn in assignments over e-mail. By having a digital copy of students'
work, faculty can make comments using the editing tools in Word, have access to the papers wherever
there is an internet connection, and keep up with less paper-work, not to mention having a date and
time record of when the student turned in the work.

Q.2 What are professional ethics? Describe role of a teaching in promoting

professional ethics.

All teaching is founded on ethics – whether it be the teacher-student relationship, pluralism or a

teacher’s relationship with their work.

Dignity means respect for humanity. Teachers must respect every person, regardless of gender, sexual
orientation, gender diversity, appearance, age, religion, social standing, origin, opinions, abilities and
achievements.

Truthfulness is one of the core values in teachers’ basic task, which involves steering learners in
navigating life and their environment. Honesty with oneself and others and mutual respect in all
communication is a basic aspect of teachers’ work.

Fairness is important both when encountering individual learners and groups but also in the work
community. Fairness involves in particular promoting equality and non-discrimination and avoiding
favouritism.

Teachers are entitled to their own values, but in their work, teachers’ responsibility is tied to their basic
task and its standards such as legislation and the curriculum.

Teacher’s ethical principles

The aim of teachers’ ethical principles is to draw attention to the ethics involved in teaching.

Good professional ethics are among a teacher’s most important resources.

Teachers commit to the standards and ethics of their work. Teachers manage their duties responsibly.
Teachers develop their work and expertise and assess their own actions.

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Teachers teach in a manner that reflects their personality, so developing and caring for their
individuality is their right and obligation.

Teachers are entitled to be treated fairly in their work.

Teachers accept and treat learners as unique human beings. Teachers respect the rights of learners and
react to them humanely and fairly.

Teachers try to understand the learners’ starting point, thoughts and opinions. Teachers considerately
handle matters linked to the learner’s personality and privacy. Teachers pay special attention to learners
who require care and protection and do not, under any circumstances, tolerate bullying or the abuse of
other people.

Teachers’ work also includes teaching learners to co-operate and to become good members of society.
Building up confidence and good relationships is part of teachers’ work.

Teachers value their work and respect their colleagues. Teachers try to pool their resources and find a
balance between their autonomy and the work community.

Accepting the individuality of colleagues, understanding them and helping and supporting each other
are key principles of the work community.

Teaching is one of the most important jobs in society. Teachers’ ability to be effective in their work and
take care of their professional development are dependent not only on their commitment, but also on
the resources allocated to teaching and education. Teachers promote the opportunities offered by
education and growth.

Teachers represent, above all, learners’ rights and interests – even critically, if necessary. In their work,
they also teach learners to become responsible members of a democratic society.

Teachers work together with learners’ parents, guardians and other parties responsible for education,
training and well-being. These include social and health care expert groups, authorities and numerous
other collaborating parties.

The co-operation supports learners’ learning and development.

Teachers need to ensure that all learners have the same rights and obligations as members of society.

They make sure that learners and their parents’ cultures and world views are respected equally and that
no one is discriminated against based on them.

Q.3 Explain professional standards of teaching profession.

A nation depends on the activities of the teachers. Identically, they are working to grow the basement of
the students. No matter it is school, college or university, a qualified teacher is the builder of a student.
Even a teacher on the special skills or technical courses is keeping role responsibilities on the societies.
For this reason, the leader of tomorrow is created by a teacher. At the same time, if a teacher fails to

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discover the eternal power of a student, the student fails in his whole life. That means a teacher is the
best mentor for a life of the student.

The education system of the 21st century has changed radically with the integration of the technology in
every sector. At the same time, the students are more matured than the previous time. Now, in the
twenty-first-century education depends on Thinking Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Information Media,
Technological Skills as well as Life Skills. Especially, the education of the present time emphasis on life
and career skills. Now there has no value for rote learning. In general, it needs to meet the industry
need. To clarify, the teaching will be effective when a student can use the lesson outside of the
classroom. For changing the globalizing world, the role of the teachers is essential to improve the
sustainable education. At the same time, inspiring and guiding the students in increasing employability
skills with the digital tools is the prerequisite for a teacher. Thus a teacher in the twenty-first century will
be a digital teacher. Teachers are not the facilitator for learning of the students only, and now they are
responsible for training the students for increasing employability skills, expanding the mind, growing
digital citizenships, critical thinking, and creativity as well as sustainable learning. Thus, the winning of
the students is the win of the teachers.

With the passes of time and integration of technology in every sector, the teacher’s role has changed a
lot. They need to enrich some skills to develop their students. Otherwise, the students will not get the
lesson, and it will increase the of educated unemployed in the digital era. Let’s see the changing role of a
teacher in the 21st century.

This is the most competitive world, and there has the diverse option to choose the next career for a
student. In this case, a teacher needs to become a big planner to support them according to their
psychology. The future of a student will depend on 4C’s (Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration,
and Creativity). It is the duty of a teacher to introduce them the mentioned terms very clearly. The
students will need to try several multidisciplinary jobs. So the teachers will define where they will give
more importance and which skills are just for adding value or keeping as optional. Besides, if an
educator can provide a proper guideline to build the career in the 21st century for the students, he will
be the all-rounder in his career and life.

2. A Resource Provider
In this digital age, the internet is full of supportive resources. When a teacher teaches the students from
a collaborative perspective, the students will learn more deeply if they get the resources. It can be
YouTube Video Tutorial, Digital Content, eBooks or even the printing documents. If the student receives
the supportive materials on how to enrich Critical thinking, Communication skills, Collaboration, and
Creativity, they can lead their own future. A teacher can show the resources according to their interest.
Even a teacher can’t be expert on the topics, albeit he can easily point the links of the supportive
materials. It will ensure better learning environments and the students will be engaged with the lesson.

3. A digital Instructor for Different Ways of Learning

Effective teachers don’t limit the learning resources for the students. Correspondingly, they are the best
instructor for the students. In contrast, they will create the learning materials entertaining. In the digital
age, you can find a lot of resources who are teaching the course efficiently. The instructor knows how to
make the meaningful learning opportunities for all students. Providing practical examples in the

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classroom or collaborating in a class with another teacher can also help them to learn perfectly. To
emphasize, they know mixing the knowledge with an expert collaborator can make the student
motivated.

4. Learning Facilitator

A digital teacher or leader in the teaching profession don’t teach the students only. Also, they help their
colleagues to become the supporter of technology and show them how to find the online resources and
how to stay updated on their subject. They know how to enjoy the work and how to make the lesson
enjoyable. That means they are the facilitator for all the students and teachers. Remember, if you can
share your knowledge you will learn more deeply. Similarly, the people will love you.

5. A Technology Lover for Learning

Now, it is so tough to attract the students without the use of technology. If you don’t teach the right use
of technology and how to find the internet resources, they will get the evil resources. Important to
realize, a teacher needs to learn how to read the psychology and what the students want. With
attention to, if you can’t maintain the online community with the students, you will not be able to
inform the students about the world. Indeed, there has no way of the teachers to deal with the students
without learning the technology and internet world. As a result, when you want to build the nation, you
have to develop yourself first. Must be remembered, you have to know how the Google Advanced
Search process works.

6. A digital Learner for the lifetime

Effective teachers who are the builders of a nation are the lifetime learner. To point out, they keep
knowledge of the latest changes in their subject. Then again, they keep knowledge about which jobs will
be available in the next decade. In addition, they learn the newest technology to help the students. To
put it differently, they know how to combine the technology, pedagogy, and content which will ensure
Real-World Problem Solving and cooperative learning. To summarize, a teacher needs to follow the
quotes from Henry Ford.

• A successful teacher will collaborate with a specific objective

• They know when to listen and when to ignore

• Believe winning of the students is the win of the teacher

• They can praise smartly

• Welcome the changes always

• Explore the new tools in the technology

• They have the sense of humor

• Grow a personal learning network

• Measure success

• Be open-minded

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• Expect students will be the Mentors of future

• Power to the students

• Take the Learning Process Outside of the Classroom

• Help the students to become the entrepreneur and Innovator

Q.4 Describe Islamic Principles of professionalism.

Different careers have codes of conduct aligned to their lines of profession. However Islam has more
comprehensive and unifying principles which are adequate enough to create good professionals. I derive
this study from the following key aspect of Islamic Shura:1. Ali R.A. once asked the Prophet (PBUH) that
if they had a matter in which they didn’t have or find a command or prohibition, what was his advice?
He said consult the righteous wise people and don’t depend on individual opinion. (Tarabani) From this
we can draw that in Islam, consultation is primarily centralised to ALLAH and decentralised to the
Righteous Wise. Our key problem areas are humans not fulfilling the right of Allah’s central role but all
that happens by the grace of Allah and we are merely agents to helping others achieve this. So this
agency is what we need to build on in the area of decentralised Shura. Righteous Wise has two
personalities in description:• • The Righteous. The Wise. An individual can hold one or both of the
qualities but in practice today, the professional building system only one quality of The Wise leaving The
Righteous not catered for in the building process. The order of preference is clear in the statement
making righteousness primary and wisdom secondary to it. This creates two problems one continuing
and the other existing that is continuous roll out of the Only Wise professionals and already Practicing
professionals. This can only be solved through long and short term strategies:• • Long term strategies
can be by building unique and comprehensive Islamic professional study materials for schools of
different professions. Short term strategies can be made by building training and certification programs
for existing professionals to give proof of necessary Islamic proficiency. This hence forth builds The
Righteous Wise. The two stages also cater for placing righteousness and wisdom at the right time, right
order and mending the existing order in practitioners in the field. This hence forth builds The Righteous
Wise and saves us from the problems got from single sided professionalism. Part of what needs to be
taught to all is Islamic economics, Islamic business law and Economics in the Quran and Sunna.

Islam is not just a religion but a complete way of life. May that be our personal life or professional, Islam
offers a complete code of conduct for every muslim. Given below are the few Hadith and Quranic verses
which define that we should put our trust in Allah to provide us with the resources.

“They believe in God and the Last Day, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what
is wrong, and vie with one another in doing good works and these are among the righteous.”– Quran
3:114

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Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “If only you relied on Allah a true reliance, He would
provide sustenance for you just as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in
the afternoon with full stomachs. (Ahmad, An-Nasa’I, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and At-Tirmidhi)

The professional conduct of a Muslim is defined very clearly in Islam which are discussed below.

1) Accountability
The first characteristic of a Muslim professional is that he holds himself accountable not just in front of
the authorities but also in front of the Allah (SWT). A muslim professional should be honest, committed
and should perform his duties in a rightful manner and fulfil his duties with responsibility. We as
Muslims should always complete out tasks and deliver on time. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) has said:

Always keep your word. The Prophet (PBUH) says, Each time you keep a commitment you are rewarded
by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for obeying Him. If you mix a few drops of wine in a glass full of water, it
spoils the whole glass of water and makes it unfit for consumption. Similarly, dishonesty in any sphere of
your life permeates and corrupts your entire nature. When a person’s words carry no weight, it only
reveals his/her treacherous nature.

2) Courtesy
A good professional muslim should always treats his subordinates, co-workers, partners, managers and
customers with courtesy and should follow the Sunnah of The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said:

Abu Darda (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Nothing will
be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the scale of the believer than good manners. Allah hates one
who utters foul or coarse language.” [Tirmidhi]

Our way of life and how we behave shows who we are and being a Muslim it is our responsibility to
present ourselves as the true believers of Allah. If we act negatively at a workplace, it will not only
destroy the overall environment of the company you work for and also portrays a negative image
regarding Islam and Muslims to the non-muslims. On the other hand if the conduct of Muslim
professional is good, courteous, humbling and respectful towards other so that the non-muslims get
inspires and attracted towards Islam.

3) Respect

We as Muslims must give respect to our fellow brothers / sisters at all times. The Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H) said:

He Is Not Quality Muslim Who Does Not Show Kindness To The Young Ones And Respect To The Older
Ones. [Tirmidhi]

Muslim Professionals should respect each and everyone regardless of the class, creed, religion or
designation. In tough professional situations we should stay in control of our ego and suppress our

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anger. A good Muslim professional must also respect the fact that every situation faced by them both
professionally and personally is from Allah and He is in control of everything.

4) Honesty

Honesty or being honest is of utmost importance in Islam. Being honest can get you in trouble and it
may not look good, but in the eyes of Allah, honesty is obligatory, and the right way. As a professional
we must remember Islam teaches us to be honest in our every dealing with our customers, managers,
peer and subordinates. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, said,

“Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man may speak the
truth until he is recorded with Allah as truthful. Verily, falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness
leads to the Hellfire. A man may tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.” [Sahih Muslim]

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“The buyer and the seller have the option of canceling or confirming the bargain unless they separate,
and if they spoke the truth and made clear the defects of the goods, then they would be blessed in their
bargain, and if they told lies and hid some facts, their bargain would be deprived of Allah’s blessings”.
( Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 34, Number 293)

The above mentioned hadith teaches us to be honest in our jobs, careers, businesses and we must not
take advantage of others by deceiving them or lying to them. As a Muslim it is out sole duty to follow the
teachings of Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and do not do any type of transactions or
business practices which are based on lies. Such practices will not bring barakah but instead will be a
source of no blessings from Allah and the individual will end up hurting himself more than gaining from
it.

5) Punctuality

Being a Muslim, punctuality and being on time is all about keeping ammanah. The below mentioned
Hadith teaches us to perform our duties and prayers on time. So therefore if there are any meetings,
events, calls or reaching the office, one has to be punctual and on time.

Narrated Jarir bin ‘Abdullah: I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah’s Apostle for to offer prayers
perfectly, to pay Zakat regularly, and to give good advice to every Muslim.

As a Muslim, we should make a habit of being on time and never be late. Our niat should be to conduct
our job or business in a timely manner and be full of blessings of Allah and successful.

6) Tranquility

As a Muslim, we must show calmness at all times and be in a state of peace. We can get tied up in long
meetings, disagreements, heated discussions, arguments.

Every person in their professional lives can get tied up into long meetings, heated discussions,
disagreements and arguments. Bur as Muslims we must stay calm and be always in a state of peace. By

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doing this one will stay positive and will also have a positive effect on the overall work environment and
everyone around you will feel comfortable talking to you. Allah says in the Quran:

Allah says: “Those who believe and whose hearts find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah, verily in
the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility.” [Surah Ar-Radd: 28]

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Richness is not having many
possessions. Rather, true richness is the richness of the soul.”

Al-Bara reported: A man was reciting the chapter of the cave (surah al-kahf) and there was a horse tied
with two ropes at his side, a cloud overshadowed him, and it came nearer and nearer as his horse
became frightened of it. He went to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in the morning and
mentioned that to him. The Prophet said, “Continue reciting. Verily, that was tranquility which came
down for the recitation of the Quran.”

7) Focus

No matter the circumstances, a Muslim should stay focus on performing his duties to the best of his
abilities. One might suffer some losses but being a Muslim we must have faith in Allah and stay focus
and get the job done regardless of the challenges we might face.

Our prophet would go through battles during Ramadan and through hard times, but he remained
focused to the duty of his people. This is a reminder from Allah that we must focus on our priorities and
stick to them and don’t lose sight!

8) Self-Critical

For a Muslim, it is necessary to be self-critical in whatever work or task he performs. It is necessary for a
Muslim to evaluate his own actions and not look to point fingers at someone. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

‘Blessed is he who preoccupies himself with his own defects, rather than those of others.’ (Musnad Al-
Bazzâr)

Being a Muslim, it is of utmost importance that he or she should avoid conflict at any cost but if a
conflict arises within the organisation, one should self-evaluate his opinions before standing ground on
them. What this will do is that it will avoid conflict and help resolve the issues at hand rather than
growing the conflict bigger and bigger.

9) Ethics

As a Muslim one should be ethical in his conduct and should choose the path defined by Allah while
performing his professional duties. The path of righteousness might seem less profitable and hard but
being a Muslim, we are here to please Allah and not for the temporary gains. Being a Muslim ethics
should be integral part of our lives and we should treat everyone justly and ethically. The Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said:

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he does him no injustice, nor does he leave him alone (to be the
victim of another’s injustice); and whoever does the needful for his brother, Allah does the needful for
him; and whoever removes the distress of a Muslim, Allah removes from him a distress out of the

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distresses of the day of resurrection; and whoever covers (the fault of) a Muslim, Allah will cover his sins
on the day of resurrection.” (B. 46 : 3.)

10) Faith

The core of our Faith is that Allah is the one only true God and he is the king of kings. Being a Muslim
professional, we must know that everything we earn, our profits, losses, happiness, success and failures
are from Allah. It’s a blessing what he has given to us to allow us to succeed in our professional careers.
Allah says in Quran:

“They believe in God and the Last Day, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what
is wrong, and vie with one another in doing good works and these are among the righteous.” – Quran
3:114

“And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his
purpose. Verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion” (Surah Al-Talaq)

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“If only you relied on Allah a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just as He does the
birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the afternoon with full stomachs. (Ahmad, An-
Nasa’I, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and At-Tirmidhi)

Q.5 What do you think about a teacher as a role model? Comment.

The definition of a role model according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is: A person whose behavior
in a particular role is imitated by others. Teachers definitely fit the definition of a role model for their
students whether they like it or not. It is something teachers must accept when they choose the
profession, and if they do not accept being a role model, it may be time to change professions or retire.

For many students the teacher is the role model in their life, so every teacher needs to take this into
account as they go about their duties as a classroom teacher. This definition is not only for the
homeroom teacher; it is for every teacher in the building. Students are aware of your presence and
every move you make, positive, negative or otherwise. It is why it is important for teachers to be
mindful of their words and actions throughout the school day. You never know when you are being
watched, critiqued, and more importantly, imitated.

What can teachers do to be good role models? Besides being conscious of hundreds of eyes watching
you each day, there are best practices you can follow to become the best role model possible for your
students. Of course, all teachers are human too, so if you slip up occasionally, accept your humanness
and move on. Unless you have done something that becomes a cause for dismissal, your students will be
very forgiving.

One way to become a good role model is to show the students you are a person just like them. They
need to know you can make mistakes, and you learn from them. The “teacher makes no mistakes”
attitude only sets you up for more criticism when you do fail in the eyes of your class. For example,

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misspelling a word on the board may lead to a criticizing comment by a student, but your reaction can
go a long way in showing your humanness. No need to argue or get on the kid who points it out, simply
thank her, accept the error and move on. The response shows other students making mistakes is okay,
and accepting criticism is not the end of the world and can be helpful.

Next, be careful with the personal remarks you make about a student in front of other students. It can
often be easy to do especially in the heat of the moment, or when you are having a conflict with a
particular child in the class. Students will pick up on this immediately and see that it is okay to be
condescending or mean to their fellow classmates. They may think, “If a teacher can talk about him or
her, why not me?” There are many instances in the field when teachers have contributed, unknowingly,
to the bullying of a student. If the teacher cannot accept students on a personal level, the unpopular
students are further placed at a disadvantage. In fact, without leading them into become a “teacher’s
pet”, embrace the unpopular student along with the popular kids, even when the particular student
does seem to make it difficult for you. This behavior models tolerance for others regardless of
differences.

Furthermore, the conversations you have with your peers are not for the students’ ears, and special care
should be taken to prevent this from occurring. Again, students hear and see everything, and some will
gravitate to a conversation between two adults when they hear their friend’s or another student’s name
being spoken aloud. It is often necessary to speak to another teacher about a student, but be careful to
do it privately. If necessary, respond to the student who is eavesdropping and tell him this is a private
conversation. The behavior you demonstrate shows students that everything they hear or see does not
always concern them, and models respect for others, both students and adults.

Finally, and this is one that sometimes is difficult to accept, your personal life is usually not a secret.
Whether you like it or not, and especially if you live in the same community of the school, a teacher’s
personal life is magnified by students and their parents. It would be nice if this were not so, but it is
inevitable and there is not much you can do about it, except live a life you want young children to
imitate.

Remember again, many of the kids you teach look up to you as the main influential adult in their lives. It
cannot be avoided. Of course, there are times when you may need to speak to the class as a whole, or to
individual students, about something occurring in your personal life, and that is okay. It goes back to
showing them you are human, and you have a life of your own, and are asking them to respect it as you
respect theirs. Sharing some of your personal life will also encourage students to come forward with the
personal issues or problems they may be facing. They will feel safe.

There are many more ways to be a good role model to your students, but treating your students with
respect and dignity will certainly help them to do the same thing with people in their lives.

Teachers follow students through each pivotal stage of development. At six to eight hours a day, five
days a week, you as a teacher are poised to become one of the most influential people in your students’
life.

It is not an exaggeration to say that a great teacher can change a student’s life. There are an endless
amount of great teacher stories that attest to the benefits of a strong relationship between an educator
and pupil.

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As some of the most influential role models for developing students, teachers are responsible for more
than just academic enrichment. If you want to be a great educator, you must connect with your pupils
and reach them on multiple levels, because the best teachers are committed to their students’ well-
being both inside and outside the classroom. By forging strong relationships, educators are able to affect
virtually every aspect of their students’ lives, teaching them the important life lessons that will help
them succeed beyond term papers and standardized tests. It is not always easy to change a student’s
life, which is why it takes a great teacher to do so.

One of the most difficult aspects of becoming a teacher is learning how to motivate your students. It is
also one of the most important. Students who are not motivated will not learn effectively. They won’t
retain information, they won’t participate and some of them may even become disruptive. A student
may be unmotivated for a variety of reasons. They may feel that they have no interest in the subject,
find the teacher’s methods un-engaging or be distracted by external forces. It may even come to light
that a student who appeared unmotivated actually has difficulty learning and is need of special
attention.

While motivating students can be a difficult task, the rewards are more than worth it. Motivated
students are more excited to learn and participate. Simply put Teaching a class full of motivated
students is enjoyable for teacher and student alike. Some students are self-motivated, with a natural
love of learning. But even with the students who do not have this natural drive, a great teacher can
make learning fun and inspire them to reach their full potential.

Investing yourself in your students creates a positive atmosphere in the classroom that enhances your
relationship with students and makes them feel important. A student is far more responsive to a teacher
who cares, and is therefore more likely to learn and engage. Connecting with your students establishes
trust, which is important to the students’ learning because it makes them comfortable enough to
participate, ask for help when needed

You may decide to become a teacher because you care about education and the students you’ll be
working with. You know the lasting impact a great teacher can have on a student perhaps having even
experienced it yourself and you want to make a positive impact on someone else. You want to be a role
model. To commit yourself to teaching means you care about education, but once you actually become
a teacher, that vague concept becomes more defined. It becomes real, specific and tangible. Once you
become a teacher, you care, not just about education, but about your students’ education.

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