Being a Teacher

* Among the given characteristics or qualities of an effective teacher, what do you think is the most important professional and personal quality to become an effective teacher?

In my opinion, one must have an understanding and appreciation of the teaching profession so that he/she may become an effective teacher. With this professional quality, everything else follows. Try to imagine two different teachers: a very passionate one, and someone who teaches just to earn money. Obviously, the passionate one is more effective than the other because he/she loves and enjoys his/her job. Teaching isn’t just about sharing what you know to the learners, it is also about making a significant change in their lives.

To be a teacher isn’t that easy. One must be a role model to others by being conscious with his/her traits. Being empathic, kind, helpful, and patient are some personal qualities of an effective teacher which I admire most. Teachers are once learners like every one of us, and they continue to be learners because learning is a continuous process; therefore, they probably understand how we feel. It is important that a teacher is willing to do his/her part in educating the learners patiently because as discussed in our class, learning is unique and individualized. Slow learners need extra help from the teacher to be able to catch up with the fast learners. Furthermore, a kind person would most likely inspire others by encouraging and influencing them to improve themselves; however, the learners themselves must also do their part to gain knowledge successfully.

* As a future health educator, how will you prepare yourself to do the duty of imparting knowledge and expertise to your patients or students?

To be a health educator needs a lot of preparation. As early as now, I must observe how other educators teach so that I could learn the dos and don’ts of teaching. Also, I must observe a healthy lifestyle; practice communicating well, and keep myself updated of recent findings about health. I hope that my interest in teaching could further be developed for me to become an effective educator.

* Considering the fact that there are barriers that would affect the teaching and learning process i.e. cultural, social, psychological, and language difficulties: give specific interventions on how to transcend these barriers in effecting change in knowledge, skills, and attitude among your learners.

For the cultural barrier, we must learn to respect others’ beliefs and practices to avoid any misunderstanding; besides, we also want to be respected by others, don’t we? Also, we must be aware of the different cultures so that we may render appropriate care to our clients.

For the social barrier, we must not be afraid to meet new people. Be open to build bridges of friendship; but be cautious, as well. Avoid trusting someone you don’t know well for your own sake.

For the psychological barrier, we must reflect about our achievements, failures, view of self, stressful activities etc from time to time so that we may overcome this hindrance. We may also consult a psychologist especially in worst cases.

For the language difficulties, we must be eager to learn different languages so that communication may be made easy. Moreover, we must know when to use a certain language depending on the student/client’s ability to understand.