“ At home, a young man should be a good son, when outside he should treat others like his brothers, his behavior should be one of trustworthy and proper, and should love the multitude at large and keep himself close to people of benevolence and morality. If at all these activities, he has any energy to spare, he should read widely to stay cultivated ” –Confucius
What is social commitment? The meaning of this phrase revolves around the acknowledgement that we do not live in a vacuum; rather, we live in an environment that has people, and other important aspects. At school, teachers, students, and other school staff make up the school community. However, we also come from different homes, cultural backgrounds, ethnic identities, social classes, political affiliations, racial groups, and economic backgrounds. With the term ‘commitment’ added, it implies that we have an obligation towards various aspects within the society, both the micro and macro societies.
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As a teacher, I need to recognize the various issuing happening in the society, both at school and outside. Firstly, as someone who grew up in a culturally-diverse environment, I feel I have an obligation to address the issue of equality at school. According to Peristeris (2017), the lack of understanding of needs and wants of students, as well as the presence of preconceived perceptions of cultures and identities of communities of people of color has caused a partial elimination of student cultures, and ultimately, the emergence of vulnerable, marginalized, and stigmatized student populations. Students from different cultures have different needs, and as I teacher, I realize I have the obligation to identify these needs and develop teaching strategies that are aimed at achieving positive outcomes among different students. The world is now becoming like a global village, and unlike in the past when student populations would only comprise of distinct cultures or racial backgrounds, the modern reality is that cultural diversity is here to stay.
My obligation is to ensure that I contribute towards student harmony in tackling this emerging trend. I am also aware of my cultural diversity, background, and biases, and similarly, I recognize it is vital to be rational, fair, and polite when dealing with individuals from diverse backgrounds at school. Even among the school staff, there are diverse backgrounds, and it is important to integrate and collaborate with all staff members to achieve positive learning outcomes among the students. It is not very possible to solve social issues or to commit towards various social issues outside the school but fail to solve or deal with similar issues within the school environment. For instance, for different social changes to be reflected among the students and to be implemented within the society, the students also need to see that their teachers believe in them, and demonstrate how to initiate change (Peristeris, 2017). Therefore, I am aware that I need to demonstrate leadership and be a role model to students, so that they can be inspired to implement certain social issues outside the school environment.
While students learn various education concepts, skills, and knowledge, they also need to be made aware that they have a responsibility of initiating various changes within the societies they live. I know I should be at the forefront of advocating for some positive social changes and demonstrating to students how they can implement those changes. For instance, issues of social justice are very popular in the current world. Firstly, students should be empowered to take part in initiatives such as agitating equality for marginalized and vulnerable groups, not only in their countries, but throughout the world. Students should be allowed to speak up, and express themselves on various issues they feel are great concerns to them (Esposito & Swain, 2009). In the classroom, I feel students should be made bolder and more confident by giving them opportunities to debate, discuss, and even try to come up with solutions about various social issues. One emerging issue is about global warming and environmental deterioration, and school children seem to have taken a prominent role in pressing for change. Greta Thunberg, who seems to be in charge of this movement, is still in school but her efforts have helped raise the much needed awareness. Similarly, other leaners can also be empowered to take up similar initiatives, become bold, and address such critical matters.
Students should have the ability to improve the communities they come from, and to carry out these improvements, they need to be empowered to think critically, and have the requisite knowledge to carry out various tasks (Breuing, 2011). In essence, education needs also to mold students into responsible citizens. As a teacher, I have the responsibility of teaching students about the importance of etiquette and embracing of good morals within the society. They need to know what is right and what is right, especially in this era when parents seem to be too busy and hardly have enough time with their children. Students need to know that use of drugs is not only punishable by law, but is also harmful to their own health, and can make them lose trajectory in life. They also need to be aware about emerging issues such as sexualities, consequences associated with engaging in irresponsible sexual behavior, bullying, and other prominent issues (Holford, 1995). They need to be aware of the political sphere, especially political tolerance, and the evolving technological trends. Therefore, as a teacher, I know my role will not be just about focusing on the education curriculum, but molding students holistically to become responsible citizens.
References
Breuing, M. (2011). Problematizing critical pedagogy. The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy , 3 (3).
Esposito, J., & Swain, A. N. (2009). Pathways to Social Justice: Urban Teachers' Uses of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as a Conduit for Teaching for Social Justice. Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education , 6 (1), 38-48.
Holford, J. (1995). Why social movements matter: Adult education theory, cognitive praxis, and the creation of knowledge. Adult Education Quarterly , 45 (2), 95-111.
Peristeris, K. (2017). Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Teaching and Learning for Justice in a Changing World. Journal of Teaching and Learning , 11 (1).
