By Mohammed Azaouibaa
Rabat - It goes without saying that teaching is the noblest profession in the world. Teachers, as a result, are glorified and given great care and attention in many cultures for the great and noble role they play in educating future generations and the growing citizens of tomorrow.
The responsibility that is placed on the shoulders of teachers, however, is a heavy burden that very few teachers manage to take as seriously as it should be. As their profession entails, teachers are increasingly called upon to promote leadership in the classroom and foster student-leaders with certain competencies and standards that will enable them to compete in the real world. As a teacher-leader, I can say that there are many ways in which one can promote leadership in his or her students.
The concept of leadership has always been a controversial issue that has caused and is still causing debates and controversy among scholars. It has always been a fuzzy concept, and all attempts to define it have been tentative. However, it is necessary to highlight the characteristics of a successful teacher-leader and bring to the surface the roles that are assigned to him or her so as to promote leadership in the classroom.
To begin with, a teacher who sees his or herself as a leader should try to keep a balance between what is theoretical and what is practical inside the classroom. That is to say, he or she should try always to provide his or her students with the theoretical background of a certain topic, and later have them practice with that topic in realistic situations. In this way, students can make sense of what they are learning and retain it for a lifetime, rather than learning only for exams.
One of the most essential aspects that a teacher should possess is critical thinking. A teacher with no critical thinking skills is going to instil in his or her students laziness, dependence on others, and a tendency to believe anything they read or watch. Therefore, these students are going to be vulnerable to mass media and its agenda. Thus, a teacher should promote in his or her students the skill of critical thinking by challenging students with difficult situations and providing them with the time and space to overcome these challenges on their own.
Believing in students’ abilities and capacities is one of the most important characteristics of a teacher-leader. It is necessary for a teacher-leader to regard his or her students as active and free individuals who are able to take up responsibilities on their own and make a difference in their societies. Moreover, the teacher-leader is required to develop in his or her students the habit of giving feedback and thinking critically about what they are studying, and also evaluate their progress by themselves.
Finally, despite all the difficulties that teachers face in their jobs, there are many ways in which a teacher-leader can positively influence his or her students and instil in them the spirit of challenge and the sense of citizenship that will enable them to become leaders, on their part, who can contribute to the development of their society.
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