As an educator, one interacts with people with different personalities daily in classrooms and outside classrooms. Some of the interactions are controlled by strict and specific rules and regulations, such as the classroom environment interaction, while others have fewer regulations. Irrespective of the nature of the interaction, there are some factors that determine the nature of how people interact. For example, personal identities, personality, previous experiences, and general worldview affect our perceptions and the expectations we have on other people. In educational settings, teachers interact with students and their families, and the expectations and perceptions of the teachers are affected by the teachers’ personal identity, worldview, and prior experiences.
Personal Identity
Personal identity is a general term that describes the concept one develops over his course of life. The identity includes life aspects that one has no control over, such as the skin color, race, and place of birth, as well as the choices one makes in life and personal beliefs. Elements of personal identity include beliefs, personality, qualities, and looks that one chooses for the sake of self-identity or group identity (Riley & Pidgeon, 2019). A person’s personal identity constitutes how the individual would want to be treated and perceived by other people.
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As a teacher, I consider myself a leader who guides students towards academic success as well as the basics of a successful life. When interacting with students, I would expect them to view me as their leader, treat me with respect, and above all view me as a parental figure whose interest is to plan and the best for them both in the classroom and in the society (Izadinia, 2016). Respect, hope, and commitment are key expectations teachers have on their students. When interacting with students’ parents, teachers expect that the identity of being an educator, a leader, and a stakeholder in the child’s upbringing will lead to a high level of respect and openness especially in the matters dealing with the students.
Worldview
Worldview includes a set of beliefs, and they influence peoples’ thinking, perceptions, expectations, and behaviors. They determine how people interact in terms of expectations and perceptions. My worldview about teacher-student is that teachers are supposed to guide students through academic and behavioral aspects of life through classroom teaching techniques and regular behavioral monitoring (Izadinia, 2016). This involves using school-based forms of disciplining whenever the student makes a mistake. On the other hand, the students are supposed to follow teachers’ instructions, participate promptly in school and class activities and discuss issues of concern with the teachers or parents in a respectful way.
Secondly, I consider teachers and parents as partners in the course of raising children. Teachers take care of the children at school while parents take over when they get home. Therefore, there should be a high level and regular interaction between the two parties. In most cases, they should be discussing matters concerning the student’s academic progress and behavioral developments. This interaction needs to be formal and respectful (Izadinia, 2016). Generally, teachers expect a high level of concern and appreciation when interacting with teachers.
Prior Experience
Teachers spend most of their work-life interacting with teachers and parents. This means that in a few years, there is already enough experience to know what to expect from various types of students or parents and to develop perceptions, some of which can be wrong. It is a natural reaction to note students’ and parents’ physical appearance, grooming, tone during conversations, personality, and communication skills when interacting with them (Izadinia, 2016). These factors are sometimes interdependent such that personal grooming would determine how a person will talk in a conversation. After some years of experience, a teacher will form perception and know what to expect from an interaction with a student or parent by just observing these other factors.
The Chosen Bible Verse
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) – “Start children off in the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” ("Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 22:6 - New International Version," n.d.). This verse advises parents, guardians, and teachers to show children the right and desired behaviors early in their lives, and they will stick to these behaviors to their adulthood. Children tend to learn from the older people around them who in his case, are parents and teachers. If these people show the right behaviors to the children, they will definitely grow up with these traits.
I chose this verse because it is a perfect description of my beliefs on child-upbringing. I believe that parents and guardians are at the top hierarchy in children’s development, followed closely by school teachers. Children’s traits and behaviors should be a mirror of what the child is taught by these stakeholders. Any unexpected and undesired behavior by a child should be instantly corrected by making the child know that it is wrong and punishable (Riley & Pidgeon, 2019). This verse considers that young children have developing brains that grasp things around and store them for a long time.
Conclusion
Teachers and parents are co-partners in the course of a child’s development. Most of their interactions involve planning and executing plans that are in the best interest of the child. However, the interactions are influenced by perceptions and expectations that they have from one another. Teachers tend to judge students and parents based on some aspects formed by personal identity, past experiences, and general worldview. The upbringing of a child has several approaches documented and explained using various theories and writings. According to Proverbs 22:6, children should be taught early on the expected behaviors, and they will follow the teachings to their adulthood.
References
Riley, T., & Pidgeon, M. (2019). Australian teachers voice their perceptions of the influences of stereotypes, mindsets and school structure on teachers’ expectations of Indigenous students. Teaching Education , 30 (2), 123-144.
Izadinia, M. (2016). Student teachers’ and mentor teachers’ perceptions and expectations of a mentoring relationship: do they match or clash? Professional Development in Education , 42 (3), 387-402.
Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 22:6 - New International Version. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+22%3A6&version=NIV
