UNESCO has warned that the teaching profession is experiencing "an unprecedented crisis" and urges its revaluation. The ANPE teachers' union's ombudsman has repeatedly warned of the emotional decline of teachers, and in Catalonia, the USTEC union speaks of "the great resignation of teachers."
Let's face it: the unease is growing. Teachers often don't understand the pedagogical reasons for what they have to do, which is understandable if they have to assess specific competency 10 of the secondary school mathematics subject, which states that the student must "develop social skills by recognizing and respecting the emotions and experiences of others, actively and reflectively participating in team mathematics projects, promoting personal and group well-being and creating healthy relationships."
There are increasing numbers of teachers experiencing anxiety, depression, and sick leave, and a growing number of students with socio-emotional disorders and special educational needs. Add to this the rise in allergies and accidents associated with childhood. According to the latest TALIS report, 29% of secondary school teachers and 26% of primary school teachers report wasting a lot of class time. And to top it all off: our students view the future with great apprehension. 83% believe the world is getting worse. The result of all this is reflected in the Ombudsman's statement that in Catalonia "there are not enough teachers to meet hiring needs."
The difficulties of managing a classroom cannot and should not be hidden. Philippe Meirieu says that today's teachers, if they are serious about effective diversity in the classroom, are forced to practice a "waiter's pedagogy," rushing from one place to another to individually repeat an instruction that has already been given collectively, but to which very few have paid attention. The demand for individualized attention is growing because postmodern pedagogy has deemed it preferable to encourage the manifestation of differences rather than help students grasp the first lesson of democracy: the experience of being "one of the class." Classroom interaction must be individualized, lest you be accused of giving a lecture. We encourage scattered attention and then complain that our students find it increasingly difficult to stay focused.
Who takes slow reading seriously today, which has traditionally been the main humanistic tool for developing attention? Who is capable of convincing students that "it is a wonderful comfort to sit by a lamp, with an open book in your hands and converse with someone from the past whom I have never met" (Yoshida Kenko, 1283-1352)?
If classroom distractions increase, the teacher's persuasive ability must grow even more, which is not always easy, given that this ability is not derived from their current training. potestasbut rather it must be won daily with a auctoritas It depends increasingly on character traits and professional competence, and less and less on social respect. While in our parents' school teachers derived much of their authority from the fact of being teachers, today they must prove their worth every day. Andreas Schleicher He has publicly acknowledged that "students have become consumers, teachers service providers, schools some kind of social institution, and parents clients." And he concludes: "The lesson for me is that we must achieve student well-being, not at the expense of academic success, but through academic success." I recently read that ours is the age of the patient. I would prefer it to be the age of agents.
Marta Mata rightly said that we educate "by imprinting." True. We are always educating, at school and at home, by imprinting, especially when we don't realize it, because then our influence is more spontaneous and direct. The teacher's unconscious behavior seems to be more influential on students than planned instruction, especially regarding the acquisition of skills related to extroversion and responsibility.
It is necessary to create a positive school culture, attractive to teachers, that is in accordance with our somewhat individualistic temperament, without falling into chaos. laissez-fairewhich is probably the most harmful method for students. Teacher satisfaction is key if we want to improve their effectiveness. How can teachers who are emotionally hurting provide emotional education?
