3 minutes
Do we really know what teaching entails, or do we simply use the title of teacher because we teach at an educational institution?
Teaching is the vocation of professionals passionate about education as a fundamental value for shaping new generations. If you want to become a good teacher, the first thing to ask yourself is whether you have this personal calling.
Otherwise, it is better to choose another career path. Vocation is what distinguishes an excellent teacher from one who is not.
What is the difference between being an educator and a teacher?
There is a difference between being an educator and a teacher, since a teacher approaches teaching with passion, love, and dedication, seeing beyond the classroom, school year, or course.
A teacher does not merely transmit knowledge to a group of students in a classroom conventionally, nor simply cover course content. Instead, a teacher touches lives and, above all, goes beyond what we colloquially call "their assigned duties."
Being a teacher means knowing our students and being able to determine each student's needs in the classroom so knowledge can reach them, facilitating meaningful learning that is collaborative and allowing students to develop an interest in the classroom and subject.
The article on improma.com discusses what being a teacher entails, mentioning several valid, important points that help us identify not only teachers' importance but their impact on students and society.
What determines who is a teacher and who is not?
Clear examples of what determines who is a teacher and who is not include continual preparation, humility, patience, and tolerance for frustration.
It is no secret that when students get stuck because they cannot master something, there are two paths: finding the right approach according to the student's 📝 learning style so they can understand in their own way, or failing them and continuing with the content.
A teacher with integrity is continually learning and open to feedback from students and colleagues. Beyond teaching what the program requires, teachers also 📝 motivate and encourage students to go further, always willing to discover their students' abilities, learning styles, and interests with the sole aim of helping them learn for life rather than for the moment—an exam, presentation, or class.
When teachers are truly passionate about what they do, they can work on their own without remuneration. Of course, this does not mean receiving a salary makes us stop being teachers; we naturally need income to survive.
I am really referring to the fact that, in their free time, they seek 📝 new teaching methodologies or even send students an encouraging email. If a student misses class, they take time to find out why. Likewise, several are even willing to work for free somewhere needing their services, because it is their vocation.
Profession or vocation?
We must clearly distinguish profession from vocation. A profession is performing work under a title, whereas vocation means practicing that profession with love, dedication, effort, and conscientiousness.
An educator has certain abilities, including making a method simpler and helping students become familiar with learning, making it possible for students to reach their full potential.
It is time to wake up and analyze whether we are being teachers, instructors, or educators, to be honest and reach a conclusion about what we want for our lives and, above all, for our students and society.
Those of us working in education know we are working with human beings, and what we do with our students' lives today will define their lives and have positive or negative consequences for society.
Sources:
Improma, Definicion.de, El diario de la educación, Escuela 20 and Concepto.de