Characteristics and demands of teaching profession

Characteristics and demands of teaching profession

            Teaching is the most vital and strategic profession for national development. This is so because teaching is an important activity which makes possible the acquisition of knowledge and skills that brings about the mark of an educated and useful person in the society. The characteristics and demands of teaching profession are as follows:

1. Professional knowledge: Professional knowledge is vast in scope, begins with the pre-service aspect of a teacher preparation program, and expands with experience. Examples of experiential knowledge include an awareness of the climate, issues that affect the role of teaching, a passion for teaching, an ongoing curiosity about the world, the confidence to become a risk-taker and change agent, and a belief that all students can learn.
2. Instructional Effectiveness: An effective teacher should teach well.  This demands again a very high level of flexibility and a wide range of expertise from the teacher. Teachers should construct new knowledge on the basis of their experiences, observations and reflections and encourages their students to do the same.
3. Good communicator: Teachers need to be highly skilled in the art of communication involving listening and speaking as well as reading and writing to excel in their profession. Proficient communicators make excellent teachers because they are able to transmit knowledge, skills and values at the same time they communicate their caring for their students.
4. Critical Thinking: Teachers must practice critical thinking in all content areas; they must be able to ask appropriate questions, gather relevant information, reason logically from this information, and come to reliable and trustworthy conclusions. Additionally, the teacher should teach the process of critical thinking and inspire students to be responsible citizens who contribute to society.
5. Interpersonal Skills: Effective interpersonal skills are also essential in the act of teaching. The capacity for empathy, a belief that every child can learn, attention to individual needs, sensitivity to home and community issues, ability to be at ease in the presence of children or young adults, and the ability to provide a positive, caring atmosphere for learning are examples of these skills. The teacher also must possess interpersonal skills that foster peer collaboration.
6. Integration of Discipline: Knowing content is important for a teacher; however, broadening the context and applicability of content through integration of disciplines provides students with a richer academic experience. Integration fosters ongoing reinforcement of skills learned in one area of study and utilized in other areas.
7. Technology Integration: Integrating technology into classroom instruction means the usage of technology to engage students and facilitate their thinking and construction of knowledge.
8. Organization and Classroom Management: This requires effective skills and supportive affective relationships. The teacher should adopt a proactive organizational and managerial style that involves interventions and strategies designed to include positive expectations, self-evaluation, and growth.
9. True Compassion for Students: Teachers should have a sixth sense when a student needs extra attention. They should not expect their students to leave the thoughts of the outside world at the doors of the classroom. They should take time to discuss subjects outside their teaching and understand that sometimes lessons can be taught without following the textbooks. Teachers should be well-versed in providing guidance and counseling to students and help them to solve their problems.