The International Task Force on Teachers for Education for All (EFA) stated in 2015 that “teachers are one of the largest components of a nation’s labor force, the principal human resource in any education system,” this is why teachers and teaching should be at the top of policy-makers’ concerns. In order to perform or facilitate the teaching function, the government provides in-service training to teachers. But has anyone ever noticed that those “INSETS” are actually insulting to teachers? With all the gimmicks they provide just to make it look so needed and interesting, only to find out that the superiors are only after the test scores so they can report it or worse they will use it as data for their research. This makes the teachers become the guinea pig of the Department of Education. A program that focuses on the state of the teacher’s soul will be received with real gratitude. Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique. Good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher. These characters can only be developed through the human formation.
Human Formation is all about the development of a well-rounded and competent man, possessing personal maturity. The basis of this is the fact that we human beings are physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, social, intellectual, and spiritual, with the potentiality of each being fully realized by our efforts cooperating with God’s grace. Teachers need to have a strong and solid human formation since they play an important role in the growth and development of students. Teachers help students by imparting knowledge and guiding them through the acquisition of knowledge. They also ensure that an adequate environment is provided for the learning function. Learning is not limited to acquiring knowledge but also through developing their socio-emotional skills. Teachers need to cope up with such demand and hence the need for human formation is ever pressing.
If we will ask everyone to tell stories about the great and the good teachers, there will be various answers on who gives good lectures or uses the latest techniques. But one thing is for sure all will answer that their great teacher has presence, passion, personal identification with their subjects, concern for students, a certain largeness of mind and heart. How can we move from this conviction about the soul-sources of good teaching into a program for the formation of teachers? Government leaders and the department should have a change of perspective in dealing with education development and go directly to the root – human formation.
Human formation leads to psychological well-being. Psychological well-being in adolescence has always been a focus of public attention and academic research (Gao & McLellan, 2018). According to the theory of Carol Ryff named six-factor model of psychological well-being potentially provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for investigating the positive functioning of adolescents.
Ryff’s model is not based on merely feeling happy, but is based on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, “where the goal of life isn’t feeling good but is instead about living virtuously”. Six factors are considered key elements of psychological well-being; Self-acceptance, Personal growth, Purpose in life, Environmental mastery, Autonomy, and Positive relations with others.
We can easily create a well-being program using the six factors of Ryff’s model. The develop a well-being program will help teachers cope up with their daily lives. It aims to promote well-being as the top priority of human formation as it is where all our actions are rooted. In this way, we promote a healthy environment for teachers which will result in a more productive and fruitful work outcome. This suggested program is composed of daily wellness activities that will help teachers in having a balance between work and like. Mindfulness Monday is a 30-minute activity where teachers are asked to practice mindfulness and meditation. Tasty Tuesday is a day allotted for eating healthy where teachers are encouraged to eat healthy food. Wellness Wednesday is the day for taking care of the Earth. Gardening and other sustainable activities are encouraged on this day. This will excite all the “plantito/pantitas” (a play on words between “plant” + “tita/tito” and used to describe a person who is into urban gardening). Thoughtful Thursday is for social-emotional health, with the social distancing we are experiencing this day is perfect for making connections to other people and to ourselves as well. Here teachers can speak their minds, share their thoughts, and feeling without the fear of being judged. Fitness Friday caters to a physical activity online Zumba class or other forms of physical workout are offered during this day.
A supportive environment leads to teachers feeling safe to openly discuss and share their ideas, give and receive constructive feedback, and collaborate with each other to solve any perceived challenges in the workplace.
Supportive school communities recognize the stresses associated with juggling the multiple demands that teachers often experience while striving to encourage work-life balance by establishing clear boundaries between work and home life, coupled with supporting those who are experiencing stress and/or burnout.
Teachers who feel secure and have solid human formation are more motivated to explore innovative teaching practices that can provide students with deeper learning experiences in ways that promote their curiosity and creativity. What’s more, when teachers have the flexibility to try new things and adapt promising practices into their classrooms, they themselves are more engaged and excited about their work, which contributes to their own sense of well-being.
By: Camille Rose M. Tacazon, MASE | Teacher I | Olongapo City National High School | Olongapo City
