Unlocking Potential: The Power of Teacher Response

Response is one of the most powerful tools in our lives and workplaces. Our responses to issues and situations reflect our concerns about both. . Emotional intelligence teaches us how to lead ourselves in all circumstances, whether good or bad. Verbal and non-verbal irrational responses can quickly dismantle relationships, regardless of how much we may want to prove a point.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a response is defined as an answer or reaction to something that has been said or done. Your answer or reaction should leave something valuable behind once it is expressed. It is within your control how you choose to respond.

As Viktor E. Frankl stated,

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and Holocaust survivor who endured immense suffering with his family in concentration camps. Despite the brutality around him, Frankl was determined to find meaning in his circumstances. He chose to respond positively to the unfavourable conditions he faced.

As a teacher, how do you respond to your students and other members of the teaching and learning community? How impactful is your response?

The teaching and learning environment is filled with stimuli—actions that can prompt behavioural changes, whether positive or negative. These stimuli can arise from students, management, or other members of the community. Since actions will always elicit a reaction, it's important to remember that while teachers may not have control over these actions, they do have control over their responses.

Teachers can choose how to react to various situations and circumstances. By utilizing the gap between the stimulus and the response, educators can make positive choices. A response that fosters growth rather than harm, that celebrates the uniqueness of each student and respects diversity in learning abilities, can significantly enhance the learning experience. In the realm of teaching and learning, how a teacher responds to challenges is one way to assess emotional intelligence.

Teachers have various ways to respond to their students, and one of the most powerful methods is through feedback. Feedback should not be a criticism that damages the self-esteem and abilities of learners and their parents; rather, it should serve as a source of encouragement and a symbol of hope. Through feedback, teachers can address students' behaviour and performance genuinely and constructively. This, in turn, motivates learners to strive for excellence in all aspects of their education. The importance of providing positive responses cannot be overstated. Just as Viktor Frankl emphasised, we should use our ability to respond in ways that promote growth and freedom. Students look forward to this kind of guidance, and it is within our power to ensure that our responses foster an environment of peace and support.

Teachers often respond to learners' questions during classroom discussions. However, some teachers find this moment uncomfortable because, in traditional teaching methods, students were not encouraged to ask questions during lessons. In student-centered learning environments, the ability to ask questions is a key priority. Unfortunately, this traditional mindset has hindered some teachers and their teaching effectiveness.

To avoid challenging situations, some teachers may react negatively to students' questions, which can instil fear and discourage participation. Instead of responding negatively, teachers should embrace questions as opportunities for growth. If a teacher does not have an immediate answer, he or she can request additional time to research the topic and provide a thoughtful response later. It is crucial to avoid shutting down students’ inquiries.

The skill of questioning has been valued since the time of Socrates. Rather than being seen as a threat, questioning should be viewed as a means to promote deeper learning, understanding, and the construction of knowledge.

Another way a teacher can respond is through the correction of wrongdoing. While discipline is crucial, our approach should focus on improving learners rather than discouraging them. When addressing a learner's misbehaviour, it is essential to keep the purpose in mind: to help the learner grow.

 As a teacher, I have witnessed the impact of response to outcomes. I've seen teachers make progress through positive feedback, while I’ve also observed learners feeling discouraged and teachers becoming stagnant as a result of negative responses. This ability to respond effectively is a powerful tool we possess; let’s use it positively to encourage our learners and instil hope.