Students recruit teachers

Sometimes I feel like a treasure

hunter when I travel.

Jan Von Holleben. 02-08. Dreams of flying. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

There are amazing educational jewels hidden in schools, and I love to find them.

Jan Von Holleben. 02-08. Dreams of flying. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

It goes something like this…

 You visit a school and start to talk to a teacher or a headteacher. 

Jan Von Holleben. 02-08. Dreams of flying. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

Nothing out of the ordinary so far.  A normal school in a normal town. 

Jan Von Holleben. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

 But suddenly…

you hear them say something that catches your attention,

Retrieved from iStockphoto.http://www.istockphoto.com/

like the glimmer of a shiny jewel. 

Retrieved from Morguefile:http://www.morguefile.com

Just follow it…

ask the appropiate questions and...there it is!

A while ago I found one of these gems in a great school called Betània-Patmos located in Barcelona.

They had been asked by the regional governtment what kind of

profile a teacher needs in this global era

Jan Von Holleben. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

 but they didn’t rush to write down hasty conclusions as teachers. 

Jan Von Holleben. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

They did something smarter.  

Jan Von Holleben. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

They turned this

into a task for their last year high school pupils. 

Jan Von Holleben. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

The task

"Imagine you work in human resources and you

have to hire a teacher.  What profile would you be

looking for?"

And those teenagers (you know, the ones everyone describes as being “lost”) worked in teams

for a week, Jan Von Holleben. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

and they presented 11 ideasthat demonstrate they might not

be the ones who are lost after all, Retrieved from Morguefile:http://www.morguefile.com

but the ones looking for someone who isn’t.

Retrieved from Morguefile:http://www.morguefile.com

11 ideas about the Teacher profile required  for a

global era.Recruiters: Last year High school students.

Retrieved from iStockphoto.http://www.istockphoto.com/

This first set of requirements had complete consensus amongst

the group.

Teachers commited to helping their pupils, who care for them,

are close to them, and instill confidence through  respect and

generosity.

Teachers with a deep, broad and up-to-date knowledge of their subject area.

Teachers that can express themselves clearly and make themselves understood using

structured methods. Good communicators, balanced

and mentally organized

Teachers that exude emotion about what they are explaining,

and are enthusiastic and passionate about their subject

and respectful of other disciplines

This second set of requirements had a very high level of

consensus

Teachers who have mastered different types of learning - from paper to the latest generation of technologies (drawing, writing,

sound, image, and mixed media), following the idea of introduction

not substitution.

Teachers  who have mastered different languages, with English

being considered absolutely necessary.

 Teachers that teach critical thinking and promote alternative ways of

doing things.

Teachers with patience, modesty, energy and coherence.

Teachers that promote participation, interactivity

and practice.

Fun teachers, with a sense of humour that can make teaching

and learning a pleasure.

Requirement sine qua non

Teachers that are punctual and don’t miss classes.

The first time that I read this I was struck by two things:

Retrieved from Morguefile:http://www.morguefile.com

When a teenager says that he is looking for someone stable and

mentally organized...it makes you wonder about what he has seen

Retrieved from Morguefile:http://www.morguefile.com

Technology appears in a discreet second place. First people, then gadgets.

Retrieved from Morguefile:http://www.morguefile.com

So, as you can see here, our youth are just looking for a

stable reference in a confusing world.

Jan Von Holleben. Retrieved from: http://www.janvonholleben.com/?page_id=4

They are looking for educators that can teach their mind and their

soul.

Someone who can maintain the essence of the educational

experience even when all the elements keep changing.

 Because essencially our young generation is alone and we are letting them grow up alone with

no tribe to guide them. Retrieved from Morguefile:http://www.morguefile.com

As usual Mafalda said it first and better:

“Educating is harder than teaching. To

teach you need to know, to educate

you need to be” .

Retrieved from: http://www.imagenesdeocasion.com/anos-de-mafalda/

@pearsonELTweetshttps://www.facebook.com/PearsonEnglishHub

http://eltlearningjourneys.com/

ADD US TO YOUR PLN

Marta Cervera MolinerMarta.cervera@pearson.com

@martacerverahttps://www.facebook.com/marta.cervera.359

Any doubts?…contact me!