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  4D/Toto/Score

  Monday with the editor: The Teacher's Dilemma

      (cont'd)

     Back to FrontPage of article

  It has come to the stage where a teacher is faced with two dificult choices: leave the profession or stay put.

  Why is this such a difficult decision? Well, many join the teaching profession because their own teachers have left a profound effect on them, so much so they also want to become teachers. Many others become teachers because they love to be around children; they want to impart their skills to children; they also want to take a part in moulding the student's character.

  But, when faced with stress from having to manage difficult classes, such as those in the Normal streams, many become disillusioned. Some just can't take the pressure any more. Working in an office has become a viable alternative to these teachers - they want to be anywhere else, just so that they don't have to be around such students.

  So, on the one hand, these teachers desire to keep from throwing in the towel because of their love for teaching, and on the other, they are stressed out from having to deal with problem kids day after day. What makes the decision harder for them to make is the fact that the government is dangling more incentives, such as gratuities, to keep them from leaving the teaching profession.

  Just two days ago, Parliament passed a Bill to put in place yet another incentive for teachers who stay in the profession. Under this plan, the Ministry of Education will put aside S$2,000 to S$4,800 every year for each teacher. The teacher may then draw out part of the money at defined points - every three to five years - during his career. Larger payouts will be made during the 15th year and nearer retirement. But those who resign will forfeit the rest of the accumulated sum.

  Those who choose to ignore the attractive incentives and leave teaching may find instant relief, but only temporarily. Why so? Because when these former teachers take up work in the private sector, they will find themselves embroiled in the world of office politics - not the mild type of office politics they had been accustomed to at school - and subsequently discover that they had 'jumped out of the frying pan into the fire'. Ha Ha Ha. I don't mean to be mean, but, that's a plausible scenario.

  Dealing with kids is very much easier than dealing with adults - take my word. So leaving the teaching profession is not the answer, and staying put adds to the teacher's stress and just makes matters worse. How should the teacher in such a predicament handle the situation?

  I suggest taking a proactive part in managing problem kids. You see, the boy who threw that chair at the teacher may very well be crying for attention. He just might not have the attention that he needs at home. A disproportionate number of students in the Normal stream (NA & NT) come from broken homes. Teachers who teach such classes must come to terms with that fact. Once the teacher understands the family background, it will be easy for him/her to look at the student from a whole new angle, and take steps to help the student manage his own deficiencies. In the course of this, the teacher's stress will be alleviated.  

  But, that's only one problem student in a class of about 40 students. There are likely to be a few more of these students, together with a sprinkling of those who think they can boss around their teachers. I guess the teacher needs to spend more time in this area after classroom hours. But, I am sure the end result will be worth the many hours spent establishing rapport with these problem kids. Let us not forget, a teacher's job is to mould his/her students'  character. So, if you are a teacher, soldier on - your students need you as a pillar to lean against. Win over their hearts and minds!

The End

 

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