794. Importance of teaching values





Today you have a post by a teacher, published in the web site of British Council – BBC, www.teachingenglish.org.uk , and a reply by me. Here you have them, if they be of any use to you. / Photo from: forouniversitario net. estudiantes atentos en clase.





Importance of teaching human values to the students.





A teacher affects eternity. How morals ethics and values can be incorporated in the pedagogy is a question that has disturbed me for long.


Your views shall be highly appreciated and shall go a long way in making this world a better place to live in.


Thanks.










Hi dr vipin oberoi,






I’m glad to see you write about something so essential in our daily teaching. I’m trying to give you some points you could think of, if any useful.







1. Whatever we, teachers, do or whatever we don’t, that influences and educates our dear students. We teachers are in front of our students and they ‘observe’ us.



2. Oh, first premise. The students are free. You can propose or set an example, but not impose. It’s the human person who takes up what he or she wishes to learn from us teachers.



3. Whatever we teachers do in the classroom, in the end either educates or does harm; nothing is neutral, if coming down to the roots.



4. Even we teachers, whatever we do, also out of the school, in our private life, in some way as well influences on the students. You can’t give what you lack, for instance, hard-working.



5. Two big values to educate our students: freedom plus responsibility: I choose to do this and the result or consequence is of my responsibility too (both for good or bad actions).



6. Some values which come to mind now: hard-working, autonomous learning, joy, friendship, environmental frienship and care, contemplation of nature, learning to think, generosity, honesty, respecting others’ dignity and mine as human persons, arriving on time, solidarity and helpig others, to have a small job in the classroom as service to others and as personal growth, to be a good son or daughter, to learn to listen to others... Oofff! It was a long list, yet not complete (impossible to complete, anyway).



7. We teachers and the way we face up our daily work and job sets an example to them.



8. The attention and interest for each and every student is of a paramount importance.



9. If possible, talk to their parents or organise a meeting or tutorials (conversations), to show them your sane eagernes to pass on values to their children: ultimately it’s the parents who are the first and indispensable educators. Often they’ll pull in the same direction as you. Listen to the parents. I’d say the order of ‘importance’ of a school to work well if we consider the ultimate reason of the existence of that school is: parents, teachers, and students.



10. In my school the parents want I should propose my students spiritual Christian values alike. [Which encomprise the afore mentioned ones, for sure]







I would tell you that the fact that you show your concern about passing on values to your kids implies you actually are already educating your kids in sane and life-long good habits, no doubt.







If you wish, you can find more things in my blog http://fernandoexperiences.blogspot.com . Values and educating people, persons, is an issue I’m also so concerned in my teaching English to my students and the prospective teachers I train and coach.







Hope these ideas would be any useful to you.






All the best






Fernando M Díez Gallego


Granada, Spain

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