How to train our teachers and prepare them for the future

One of the best measures to ensure that we have a fair and optimal functioning education system, is to make it a priority that all teachers receive continuous training so that they are all on the same level. In South Africa, we know that we have a massive gap to bridge when it comes to our education system and infrastructure, but if all teachers are trained equally it doesn’t matter in which community children find themselves in, they will have a quality educator at the front of the classroom every day. Unfortunately, teachers in our country are set up to fail long before they even step foot in the classroom and the only parties suffering are the learners.

Education is not very high on the priority list when it comes to selecting who is accepted into the faculty. There are two sides to this – there is definitely a shortage when it comes to teachers and of course because teachers earn less than other graduates. So, instead of recruiting some of the best quality candidates for education, South African universities are selecting some of the weakest and these individuals are definitely not high on self-motivation. Unfortunately, this is not going to change overnight and a lot of training needs to be done in-career.

So how do we need to train teachers to prepare them for the future? There are many ways that school leaders can improve teacher quality. Here are a few examples of what can be done to help teachers grow and develop.

Meaningful evaluations: it takes a lot of time to conduct a thorough and meaningful teacher evaluation. We all know that teachers are easily overwhelmed with all the tasks at hand and extramural activities that are also on their plates, but evaluations are the single most crucial aspect when improving teacher quality. Management should ensure that time is made to observe and evaluate a teacher to help identify areas where improvement is needed and to help a teacher with a plan of action to be put into place to develop certain skills. 

Constructive feedback is key: there is feedback and then there is feedback. Once a teacher has been evaluated, management and leaders need to give detailed feedback to guide a teacher on what can be done to improve. It is also advised that there is an extensive feedback session on any and all matters, no matter how big or small, to ensure that a plan of action can be put in place and that time and resources are invested to help a teacher grow.

Quality professional development needs to be provided: we are all aware that the CPTD system exists and that teachers are required to achieve a certain amount of personal development points through the course of the year. Schools need to look thoroughly at the professional development they are scheduling and determine if it will be worthwhile and actually produce any kind of results. Professional development needs to motivate teachers, provide innovative ideas and give a fresh perspective from an external resource. Continuous growth and improvement is essential for all teachers and even more valuable for those who have gaps that need to be closed.

Schools need to make sure that they have the tools and resources available for teachers to do their jobs effectively. This is currently a challenge unfortunately, as we live in a country where funding is not high on the list. Teachers must be taught to use the Internet and other technologies as an educational resource in their classroom, but before that can happen, we turn to you Mr President – help our teachers become the leaders they need to be to raise the leaders of tomorrow.