A facilitating Teacher

A teacher acquires a prime importance in the life of a student and in shaping his/her future. A teacher’s role is paramount in drawing out the best in a student. His role encompasses facilitating learning, devising various measures for this, motivating to unravel hidden talents, instilling of desirable values, attitudes and aspirations, enable wise and pragmatic problem solving and decision making, preparing them for future roles as a responsible person and citizen, thereby inducing overall development of his/her personality. All these tasks of a teacher endow him/her with de facto responsibility of guiding and counseling the students.

In addition to the knowledge that a teacher has of his/her subjects, knowledge of the students i.e. their abilities, interests and personality equips a teacher to perform the guidance role better. However, guidance should not be mistaken to be conventionally advising, instructing or dictating the students. Guidance is not a direction. It is also not imposition of one’s ideas on others. Guidance is not making decision for others. Decision should be made by an individual himself.

“Guidance is assistance made available by competent counselor to an individual of any age to help him direct his life, develop his own point of view, make his own decisions and carry his own burden.”(Crow and Crow). Knapp has given the definition of guidance as “Learning about the individual student, helping to understand himself, effect changes in him and his environment which will help him to grow and develop as much as possible.”

Thus, guidance provided by a trained professional involves use of scientific procedures to create, in the individual seeking help, a deep understanding of his/her own self and the situation so that a wise decision is possible. Guidance is based on the philosophy of human uniqueness, goodness, worth and dignity, all of which can be nurtured. There are three major philosophical doctrines, which have guided this thinking. The first is the doctrine of ‘Original sin’, which assumes that the child is a bundle of primitive needs and desires, and must be taught the right values. Another is the doctrine of ‘Innate Purity’ which holds that it is the adults that make it corrupt and their influence should be minimized in the early years. The third is the doctrine of ‘Tabula Rasa’ that assumes that the infant is neither corrupt nor pure but infinitely malleable and hence open to all influences. The guidance processes are based on the belief that given certain conditions, an individual’s potential to make a choice and make a decision can be utilized for maximum benefit to the individual and society. The  guidance process involves creating an awareness of strengths and potentials for overcoming problems and resolving difficulties. Guidance aims at making the individual self understanding of one’s strengths and limitations, self accepting of things one cannot change and self directing to make choices and decisions on one’s own. It is therefore, a collective responsibility of home, school and society to provide conditions, which are stimulating and facilitative to help the individual acquire ability to take decisions. Teaching, by virtue of its nature is intrinsically linked with the guidance function.

A teacher observes students in the classroom, in the library, on the sports field and during short intervals between classes. In such daily contacts, the teacher is in a unique position to understand the students’ need and problems and any deviations in their behavior. Teachers also have frequent interactions with the parents. Thus, they have access to information about a student’s home conditions, financial problems and any other difficulties.

Changing role of teachers also calls for new directions. Teacher’s orientation in guidance and counseling and their involvement in the guidance programme can make a positive contribution to the total programme of the school.  

A teacher is essentially associated with education. The goal of education is to bring out and develop the inherent potentialities of an individual. Education helps in fostering all aspect of an individual’s personality. Guidance has an important contribution in achieving these goals. School educational programmes consist of a variety of curricular activities. All activities which are a part of the formal curriculum such as teaching-learning of subject related sessions in the classroom, laboratory work , project work, etc. can become a vehicle for self development. The co-curricular activities such as sports, dramatics, field visits etc. are especially suited for the personal-social development of the child. As guidance aims at meeting the needs of the individual in educational, personal and social areas, all activities can thus be instrumental in realizing educational goals. Thus, we see that guidance and education share a common goal of meeting the educational, social, personal and career needs of individuals. Because of this commonality, guidance is understood as facilitating the realization of educational goals.   

Education is fundamentally, a guided enterprise in the sense that for teaching-learning to be effective, we must cater to the needs of the child. Thus, guidance is an integral part of education.

After having reflected over the  role of a teacher as a guidance functionary in a school, let us now try to further analyze how appropriate knowledge and skills in guidance and counseling may help a teacher in efficient discharge of his/her roles –

·         Teacher as a Counsellor

As discussed earlier, teachers stay in close contact with the students and occupy a key position in knowing them well. Because of the mutual trust and respect relationship of teacher with each of his/her student, students are more likely to approach their teachers to discuss their personal problems.  Only a skilled teacher-counselor trained in guidance and counseling will be able to provide the requisite help to the students in dealing with their problems and concerns in a professional manner. A good counselor should listen attentively to student’s problems, show empathy and warmth and establish a relationship of friendliness, mutual respect and regard.

·         Teacher as a referral agent

 Often as a teacher, we come across instances where students face difficulties of serious nature and may feel helpless or insufficient to deal with those cases. For ex. Extreme case of emotional disturbance due to various reasons.  In such a situation, a teacher should be alert enough to notice any symptoms of emotional problems, social maladjustment, poor or underachievement, or delinquent behavior, etc.  and ensure that students with counseling needs are not left unattended. They may require assistance from professionally trained specialists such as psychologist, doctor, physiotherapist, etc. A teacher can acquire the role of a referral agent  along with simultaneously supporting the student  in adapting and adjusting with the life situations.

·         Teacher as a facilitator

Identifying special abilities of particular students and promoting them. Many students possess special talents as in sports, music, dance, acting etc. The teacher can help in nurturing them by working with parents and guiding them.

·         Teacher as an aid for career planning

Apart from career information in the subject area of the teacher, a teacher with the help of achievement and diagnostic tests can have a better understanding about the strengths and weaknesses of the students in a particular area. A teacher can enable the students to visualize the usefulness of studying a subject in their present and future life. A teacher can also develop in students a positive attitude and respect for all kind of work.

·         Teacher as a supporter of counselling programme

The school’s counseling programme can be made successful and useful for the students if the teachers extend their full support, encouragement and a motivating environment. A teacher can communicate with parents, society and hence facilitate relationship building between school and home. For example, giving students an assignment to know about the parent’s viewpoint, on an educational issue like girl education etc.

·         Organising Guidance activities

The teachers can integrate guidance philosophy and practices in their day-to-day work and interactions with children in school. A teacher can also contribute in a number of ways in various guidance activities in the following manner-

-          Student Appraisals: For understanding and guiding students, information or data regarding their growth, development and achievements needs to be collected. The cumulative record card (CRC) maintained in the school is an example of such a record. Teachers are thus placed in a favourable position in maintaining a record of pupils, which helps them in identifying students’ strengths, developmental delays and deficits, etc.

-          Counselling: A teacher-counsellor can attempt to listen to the student, try to give support, show understanding, use resources etc. to help or guide the students. There are also situations when both counselor and teachers are present, they can both interact, work out and discuss the problems of the students so that s/he can be properly guided. Problems at the initial stages can easily be resolved,  sometimes through careful listening which gives opportunity to the hild to air out feelings, sharing and obtaining suggestions.

-          Career Information: Students  often need assistance for coping with subject matter difficulties, examination stress, choosing courses and planning a career. Teachers can disseminate information about occupations related to their subject  area; organize training programmes and community services. The teacher can set up an information service by collecting and displaying information to create awareness and motivate students for planning a future and building a career.

-          Orientation Activities: A teacher may organize orientation activities for new students or for orienting them towards a new scheme or programme. The teaher may conduct small group discussions where the newcomers can interact with senior students and learn about the school, its programmes and activities, etc. Such orientation activities can also be organized to facilitate interation between parents and teachers/administrative staff of the school.

-          Placement and Follow-up: In a broader sense,  placement may refer to where students are placed in the learning experience for effective transaction of the curriculum. A teacher is in a unique position to help students choose school and out of school activities, subject streams and combinations, and to remain in contact with them to see that they are receiving maximum benefits out of these. In a narrower sense, a teacher may have contacts built up with the employment exchange offices in their area and help students to get placement information on jobs of their choice.

-          Evaluation and Research: Teacher can do follow-up of the students after they have left school to see how they have benefitted and invite them to school to share their experience with the students.  The teacher may also take up active research to evaluate the effectiveness of each component of the guidance services.