EENET asia Newsletters : Symposium issue April 2006 Contents

Children Say What Makes a Good Teacher

The Education and Child Development Programme (MOE-UNICEF 2001-2005 China) promotes a child-friendly environment that raises educational quality and ensures that all school age children learn and grow in a safe, friendly and non-discriminatory environment. Teachers are a key factor to the realization of child-friendly schools by helping increase the interest of children in learning, participation and expression of their ideas.

“Teacher Gao is like a mother to me. She listens to all our troubles and sadness, and helps us solve our problems.”
Zhang Qi, Grade 4

The Beijng Academy of Educational Sciences, invited Chinese children to share their views of an ideal teacher. Over 4000 children from all over China responded. Through words and drawings the children’s messages clearly echoed the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It may be time for adults to start listening to children, to what they have to say in matters that affect them.

“Teacher Shan is always so humorous in our writing class, and makes me greatly interested in that class. Unconsciously I came to love writing, and gradually learned a few tricks about writing well”.
Shi Yujing, Grade 5

Children in China revealed in their writings and drawings that they wanted teachers to respect their self-esteem, be sensitive to their emotional well-being, give freedom to self-expression, and be fair to all children regardless of background, gender, ability, or other individual characteristics. Most children dreamt of loving and caring teachers!
What is a good teacher has always been assessed by educationists, educational administration or teachers themselves. Government officials, experts and scholars, as well as the public and media all have their own expectations.
However, not many have asked what children, at the receiving end of our educational services, have to say on this question. In fact, children are the raison d’être of the teaching profession, and through whom the profession derives its worthiness.
The book with children’s voices in stories and drawings should be useful for teachers and teacher-trainers as a catalyst for self-reflection. It can also be used in peer-learning groups to motivate and help teachers to reflect together and seek ways to reach standards that children set for them. It is important that children’s honest expressions inspire and motivate teachers to develop a responsiveness to their needs.

“He treats every student equally. In his kind and pure heart he is never partial. As a student I think this is the most valuable thing about a teacher….. In teacher Chen’s class we feel relaxed and lively. He always “accidentally” asks some questions or makes some mistakes so that we can correct him. If we say something wrong he would not blame us. Instead he would smilingly say: “Good mistake! The mistake helps us find out problems”. Not after very long, even the most timid student can raise his or her hand and answer his questions.”
Tang Yiyi, grade 4

Also in Pakistan a review was done looking at “What makes a good teacher” with the help of Save the Children-UK (2001). Not only children, but also parents and (head) teachers/colleagues were asked what makes a good teacher. The review found that a ‘good’ teacher was the outcome of a combination of factors, including education and (to a lesser extent) training, competencies (personal, social and pedagogical), and supervision and support of heads and colleagues.

“Our teacher knows the name of every child”
Boy from Peshawar

“She explains on the blackboard. If someone does not understand, then she seats the child next to her and explains again.”
Girl from Kasur

“She respects children, she always calls them ‘aap’ (‘aap’ ~ respectful form of ‘you’)
Girl from Lahore

“The teacher keeps an eye on all children while teaching.”
Boys from Haripur

Whether a teacher could deal with punishment and classroom management in a positive manner was often mentioned as a characteristic of a good teacher. Classroom management refers to those teacher behaviours that facilitate teaching and learning. They are particularly critical for handling large classes, teaching more than one class simultaneously, dealing with weak, shy, naughty and bright children. “What makes a good teacher” used interviews, focus group discussions, role-plays and drawings in collecting views of children about teachers. Children seemed to express themselves best through role-plays.

“I teach different subjects differently. For example, I teach Urdu like a story. First I read, then children act out the lesson. I give every child the opportunity to read daily and poems are sung in rhythm”.
Female teacher Peshawar

The review brought out some clear characteristics of good teachers. Good teachers are basically good human beings. They have a loving personality, are kind and warm-hearted, patient, assertive, flexible in attitudes, hard-working and committed to their job.
Good teachers are primarily child-focused. Their focus is not on the textbook or the curriculum, but on the child! They are very conscious of the different ways in which children learn, the differences between children, the need to use different methods to enable the child to learn (repetition, examples, individual coaching, peer teaching, etc.). Children in classes of such teachers do not need to take extra tuition classes after school hours!

Adapted from “Children Say What makes a Good Teacher” (UNICEF, China, 2004) and “What makes a good teachers” (Save the Children UK, Pakistan, 2001).

EENET asia Newsletters : Symposium issue April 2006 Contents