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COPING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF THE TEACHING PROFESSION
Induction Lecture Presented by
Okechukwu S Abonyi
On the occasion of the 3rd Induction Ceremony of Grandaunts of the Faculty of
Education of the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki – Nigeria
this 26
th day of November 2014
Protocols
Introduction
A profession is a vocation founded upon a specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to
supply objective counsel, services to others for a direct and definite compensation wholly apart from
expectations of other business gains (Wikipedia, 2014).
The following attributes make an occupation a profession:
It is a fulltime occupation
It is established by a training school
It is established by both local and national association
It is established by professional ethics
It is established by licensing law.
In the 196 joint commentaries by the ILO and UNESCO it was clearly stated in recommendation
number 6 that teaching should be regarded as a profession and that teaching is a form of public
service which requires expert knowledge and specialized skills acquired and maintained through
rigorous and continuing study which also calls for a sense of personal and corporate responsibility for
the education and welfare of the pupils in their charge. By the forgoing it could be seen clearly that
teaching apart from satisfying all conditions of a profession is the only profession saddled with the
enormous task of sustaining every other profession. The Engineers, Medical Professionals, Bankers,
Clergy, Scientists of all categories all pass through the professional touch of the teacher. It is this
singular responsibility of ensuring the survival of mankind through adequate nurturing of all
professions that made the teaching profession very tasking and inherently challenging.
Responsibilities of a Professional Teacher
A professional teacher is saddled with three principal responsibilities. They are;
(a). Development of individual abilities
(b). Development of individual personalities
(c). Community Development
Development of Individual Abilities
Ability refers to the totality of individuals cognitive and psychomotor dispositions. While the
cognitive aspect encompasses achievement and aptitudes, the psychomotor aspect is related to
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muscular and neuromuscular attributes. At creation, these attributes were planted in us by the creator
but are inherently latent and may wither if not properly nurtured. Our responsibility as professional
teachers is to nurture and polish them in such a way that the best in them are brought to bear on the
society for sustainable living. As professional teachers we must not lose sight of the fact that each
young learner is like an egg in our hands – we can break or incubate it.
Our professional responsibility is to incubate it and ensure that they hatch as appropriate. As you go
into the field you will discover that the little children that will be entrusted to your care are bundles of
talents awaiting your professional touch. You, as a professional, will discover that you are at the
center stage and not the parents in ensuring the manifestations of the latent traits in the learners.
Development of Individual Personality
Personality deals with the affective domain that encompasses emotion, motivation, interpersonal and
attitudinal characteristics as distinguished from abilities. Behavioural scientists and most importantly
professional teachers view the issue of personality with utmost seriousness because it deals with
human traits which change not only over time but with varying circumstances and which also
influence the functionality of human cognition and reflexes. As professional teachers we should not
lose sight of the fact that achievement is propelled by interest and dispositions. For a child to function
very well the teacher must not only shape his personality but also protect every aspect of it from
extraneous factors. It is our collective responsibility as professional teachers to ensure a stable
personality among the learners to encourage, to motivate and keep their spirit high.
Community Development
Teachers are usually referred to as “Odozi Obodo” in our traditional context. As a teacher we must
integrate ourselves into the society and work collectively with community members for the collective
development of the society. Teachers should see themselves as members of the community they serve.
They must work hand in hand with community members for the growth of the school and ensure that
the community values are preserved.
Challenges of Professional Teachers
Some of the major challenges which you must be prepared to deal with as professional teachers are:
(a) Mastery and Delivery of Contents
(b) Providing Feedbacks
(c) The changing World of technology
(d) Maladaptive behaviors
(e) All comers effects
(f) The reward system
Mastery and Delivery of Contents
“The Proof that you know something is that you can teach it” - Aristotle
As a professional teacher you are expected to be the master of the content. There is no going back on
this. The knowledge of your subject area must be at the tip of your fingers. Because every other
profession is at the mercy of the teacher, a faulty teacher spells doom for the entire universe. It is
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safer to send a bad surgeon to the theater than a bad teacher to the classroom. The bad surgeon will
kill only one person but a bad teacher ruins a generation.
A professional teacher is expected to update himself on regular basis through workshops, and short
training programs to keep abreast with the current trends. In addition the task of planning a learning
programme, setting goals and resourcefully communicating with the learners lies with the teachers.
The professional teacher faces the challenge of inculcating knowledge to a class where learners are
not only complex in terms of cognitive attributes but also complicated in their emotional dispositions.
It is not just a situation where you have mastered the contents but a case where you have to juxtapose
pedagogy with traits and adequately handle trait interactions in a classroom. This task is more
complex than performing an open heart surgery or designing a bridge across a river.
Providing Feedbacks
As professional teachers we are also faced with the challenge of providing feedbacks not only to the
learners but also to parents, the government and the society at large. This profession challenges you
to:
identify the strengths and weaknesses of learners entrusted to your care;
Offer assistance to students identified to be deficient to enable them to excel;
Provide feedback to parents, government and stakeholders so that they can justify their
expenditure on education;
Provide feedbacks to students as reward and source of motivation
Adequate feedback also guides the teachers and school administrators in taking critical decisions on
program implementation and adjustments, on curriculum reviews and interventions.
The changing World of technology
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) alter the ways in which time and distance affect
research and productive activities. Institutional programs, instructional processes, evaluation and
feedback processes have experienced new dimensions and are changing continually. Schools are
going digital and most of us who are unfortunate products of the analog system are caught in the
crossfire.
As you are being inaugurated today, most of you may find yourselves in digitalized institutions. How
do you cope? Who will understand that the system that just brought us up and is pushing us into the
labour market did not prepare us for the emerging challenges. In this respect you are on your own.
You must strive to stay afloat or sink and be forgotten.
Maladaptive behaviours
The issue of deviance has been approached from both social and medical perspectives. As Bandura
(1979) rightly pointed out, the medical orientation towards deviant behaviour has resulted in a
complicated approach to behaviour modifications which are not usually enshrined in the professional
training of every teacher. Even when the teacher has an idea of the procedure, lack of facilities
constitutes an obvious challenge. We are also aware that within the classroom there are a number of
children with varying behaviour problems. As a professional, the teacher is challenged with the task
of managing these behaviour problems and making referrals as appropriate. No child is worth
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neglecting no matter his/her accompanying complexities. The task of finding appropriate remedial
treatment for each maladaptive behaviour is entirely ours as professional teachers.
All Comers Effects
In the medical Profession it is a criminal offence for a non professional to handle patients. In the legal
profession it is absolutely forbidden for a non professional to perform the duty of a lawyer and
likewise in other professions except the teaching profession. A major challenge to the teaching
profession is false impression that every Dick and Harry can teach and are free to practice unhindered.
This demeans the teaching profession and the professionals. Teaching as a profession is therefore
seen as a last resort for the jobless who quits the system as soon as they find a greener pasture. The
professional dignity enjoyed in other professions is therefore eroded because professional teacher
lack autonomy.
The poor reward system
A popular saying is that the “teachers wage is in heaven”. This underscores the poor reward system
operational in the teaching profession in Nigeria. This is not the case with other professions in
Nigeria. We have heard enough about the ghost salary structure called the Teachers Salary Scale
(TSS) but till date all we can see is a continuous deterioration in the conditions of service of teachers.
It is also pathetic to imagine the working environment of the mother professionals, their offices and
facilities available to them. The teacher finds it very difficult to function under this deplorable
condition and achieve the set objectives of education for all and the Millennium Goals.
COPING STRATEGIES
So far, we have enumerated a number of issues which pose obvious challenges to us as professional
teachers. These are practical realities we have no option than to devise coping strategies.
Strategy I: Mastering content and pedagogy
As we discussed earlier, the proof that you know something is that you can teach it. To be able to
teach and teach for understanding, professional teachers must consistently upgrade their knowledge
and avail themselves of the opportunity of workshop and in-service training. A professional teacher
should not allow his brain to be dormant. I urge you as young professionals to procure new books and
publications in your subject areas. Make efforts to join your professional associations and attend
conferences and seminars. By so doing you will grow and develop to the fullest in your profession.
Strategy II: Familiarize yourself with Assessment & Monitoring Strategies
A teacher owes his profession the duty of exploring both the general and specialized methods for
assessing and monitoring students’ performance so as to provide prompt feedback to students, parents,
government and other stakeholders for proper accountability and motivation. We should encourage
each other to familiarize ourselves with the tenets of continuous assessment as against continuous
testing and its implications in the evaluation processes.
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Strategy III: Being ICT Compliant
Personnel is said to be obsolete in this respect if the individual or group of people entrusted with the
responsibility of training manpower for ICT, utilizing the ICT facilities and development of programs
are poorly equipped with the basic skills necessary for the realization of the set objectives. In
realization of the inherent weakness in ICT skills and bearing in mind that the skills are requisite for
the efficient functioning of teachers as professionals I enjoin you to upgrade your ICT skills in
available ICT centers or through workshops and short in-service training. This will expose you to the
realities of the 21st century education system and afford you the opportunity to function efficiently.
Strategy IV: Embracing Behaviour Modification Approaches
A number of behaviour modification approaches are available from learning theories. In addition a
number of counter conditioning approaches are also available for teacher to use in handling
maladaptive and abnormal behaviours of learners. Professional teachers are advised to explore these
strategies and ensure their proper utilization in practical classroom environments.
Strategy V: Guarding the Teaching Profession
Teaching as a profession is seriously abused. I enjoin the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria
(TRCN) to rise to the challenge and protect this mother profession. If this profession will survive, if
we expect teachers to raise their heads high in the public, only professionals should be allowed into
the classroom. I shift this bulk to the TRCN. It is not enough to induct these gentlemen and ladies it
this profession, it is most appropriate that the dignity of their profession is restored through firm
legislation and action. Teachers must also receive their reward on earth or at least commensurate
mobilization before proceeding to heaven.
Conclusion
So far we have taken a fair glance at our responsibilities and challenges as professional teachers. The
teaching profession (this mother profession), as we are very much aware is a profession enshrined
dignity and conscience. The popular saying that our reward is in heaven should not be taken lightly. It
is a reality you will experience and adore. I enjoin each and every one of us here to live the life of a
true teacher, built on love for sustainability, the love for mankind and rewards that transcend
generations. Once more, may I welcome you to this noble profession and urge you to be guided in all
you actions by this “passage hymn”:
Fading like the stars of the morning
Losing their light to the glorious sun
Thus would we pass from the earth and its toiling
Only remembered by what we have done
Only the truth in life we have spoken
Only the seed on earth we have sown
They shall pass onward when we are forgotten
Fruits of the harvest and what we have done