Teaching is a career that mostly involves tutoring kids. But what can you contribute to the school as a teacher beyond just teaching? Well, you have the power to ignite curiosity and a love for learning in your students. Hence, you can be a mentor to them. You could guide them through challenges and foster critical thinking. You could also champion extracurricular activities to stimulate your kids.
And that’s not all. You can do many things to help kids beyond teaching them that subject. Your role can transcend the classroom and result in shaping the school.
This article will explain what you can do to the schools and your kids as a teacher beyond just tutoring. So, shall we get started?
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What Can You Contribute to the School as a Teacher?
If you are willing to choose teaching as a career, then you should know how you can contribute to the lives of your students and to the school. Learning these amazing facts will motivate you to pursue a teaching career eagerly.
You can do the following things to the school and kids to help them grow.
1. Foster an Inclusive Classroom Environment
Beyond just teaching, this role involves creating a space where each student feels welcome and empowered. Regardless of each student’s background, they all should feel valued. They also need to feel that you provide them with a safe space that is excellent for learning and growing.
To implement this, you need to set some ground rules for respectful behavior among students. Enforce these rules consistently. Also, have diverse perspectives on the subject you teach to reflect on the real world.
And if there is any case of bias and discrimination, address it promptly to foster understanding.
2. Mentor and Guide Students
You have been through a lot. You were also a student at one point. That means your learners could benefit from your experience and insights. You can offer them the guidance to develop into well-rounded individuals when they have challenges.
For instance, you could dedicate a day for students to see you one-on-one in your office. During these sessions, you should discuss their personal and academic goals.
Also, provide resources and advice for all those who need help to envision their potential. Most of all, be approachable. Be open to students’ concerns so they can trust you.
3. Create a Good Relationship with Fellow Teachers
Strong relationships among teachers will create a collaborative atmosphere. Such will benefit your personal well-being and the school’s educational outcomes. Also, with a good rapport comes a sense of belonging and camaraderie, reducing the isolation of professionals.
To do so, initiate conversations with fellow teachers and exchange insights and experiences. You could also come up with collaborative projects that encourage co-teaching. A harmonious staff contributes to a positive school culture and enhances student experiences.
Read Also: What Can You Contribute To The School As a Student?
4. Champion Innovative Teaching Methods
Innovation keeps education engaging and relevant. It inspires curiosity, promotes critical thinking, and ensures that education evolves. What’s more, this makes learning an exciting and memorable experience for students.
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Here are some innovative ways you could employ:
- Flipped Learning: This involves providing review videos or instructional content to students before lessons. They should go through the while at home. You will use your lesson duration during class for discussions, interactive activities, and further questions.
- Gamification: Incorporate game elements that have rewards and challenges into your lessons.
- Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Immerse students in interactive 3D learning experiences. This is useful for technical subjects like Physics as it will make abstract concepts more tangible and memorable.
- Storytelling and Narratives: Formulate challenging educational content into stories. Narratives will make your lessons relatable and engaging.
- Microlearning: Break down complex topics into bite-sized lessons. Focused lessons are easily consumed, retained, and comprehended by students.
- Interactive Online Platforms: Utilize online platforms that have interactive elements. These include simulations, discussion boards, and quizzes. These will extend learning beyond your classroom.
- Flipped Assessment: Make your students design their own assessments. These include quizzes or projects that demonstrate their understanding of the course material.
- Peer Teaching: Assign brighter students to become teachers. They will be tasked with explaining topics to their peers outside the learning period. This will build their communication skills, promote active learning, and strengthen their understanding.
5. Writing Grants
If you can secure funds for the school, your impact will be felt beyond just the classroom. Grant funding will provide resources for technology upgrades, innovative projects, and enriching experiences. These would otherwise be unavailable to the school and students without grants.
Keep in mind that you do not need any skills to write grants. Just go online and read widely about the topic. Also, watch YouTube videos for insights on how to write effective grants that will get funding.
6. Engage With the Community
If you are a newcomer teacher from another region, you must engage with the community. Understand their culture and their ways. This will broaden your perspective and expose you to valuable local resources.
You also get to know your student’s families and even have an opportunity to tutor needy students at their homes.
7. Champion Extracurricular Activities
As the adage goes, studying without playing made Jack a dull boy. You do not want to have dull students. So, if you are experienced in any activity, offer to coach them.
These activities promote personal growth and teamwork. They also give your students a sense of belonging, enriching their school experience.
8. Continuous Professional Development
Education is an ever-evolving field. New teaching methods are being invented. Also, the syllabus keeps on changing. The best you can do for the school is to keep learning and seeking growth.
Attend workshops for teachers. If there are conferences and online courses relevant to your subject area, take them. Collaborate with teachers who are more experienced than you. They can give you new knowledge, better teaching strategies, mentorship, and coaching.
9. Champion Environmental Responsibility
Global warming rates have been increasing for the past decades. For us to have a sustainable environment, we need to reduce them. One way you can aid these efforts is by teaching your students to become responsible citizens.
Let them actively take part in waste reduction initiatives. They could also engage in tree-planting sessions around your school compound to make the environment better.
10. Engage in Research and Publication
If there is any research related to your subject of study, be sure to participate. You can also have your own hypothesis and conduct research that will provide useful insights.
Teachers who contribute or do research elevate the school’s reputation for academic excellence.
11. Sponsor Student Clubs and Organizations
Students have passions. They organize themselves in clubs and organizations which contain groups with similar hobbies or passions. You can take several groups of such students that align with your vision. Sponsor those groups and be their patrons.
Be it equipment they need and you have the means, you can chip in. You can also organize symposiums for them and events with students from other schools and areas. By engaging in clubs and organizations, your students will have extra skills that complement their academic pursuits.
12. Participate in School Committees and Leadership
Do not shy away from positions. With these leadership roles, you actually influence some school aspects. Some roles even enable you to contribute to school-wide improvements at the decision-making table.
While in these roles, shape the school policies and initiatives as best you can. Whether it’s department head or grade-level coordinator, you have some powers to change the school for the better.
Conclusion
Teachers are the heartbeat of any school. Your contributions extend far beyond the classroom. This role encompasses things like mentorship, leadership, innovation, and much more.
You also have an influence on the lives of students. You can forge character, spark curiosity, and nurture them to future leaders.
By doing more things beyond teaching, you become a catalyst for positive change in your school. Each day, each action propels your school to a brighter future. So, keep doing your best to continue becoming an architect of inspiration and transformation.
