Teacher Training Development: Essay, Research Paper

Man s fulfillment as a creature lies in his attainment of eternal happiness in heaven; he works towards this goal by developing himself to make him worthy of the glory and happiness in God s company. But what is development? Development is the act by which a person or a thing s potentials and capabilities are brought to light and are actualized. It is the elusive goal on the horizon that beckons us to do better, to try harder, and to tread onwards, always. But regardless of how hard we struggle, it will always be a step ahead of us, never letting us get any closer because always there is that new aim that is to be worked for. How does one develop his being? We are formed, influenced, and guided by the values we acquire as we traverse the different stages of existence. As we meet new challenges, are introduced to TRUTHS, and made to experience life, we become better individuals but the standards change with the passing of time and so again we must strive to meet them — through LEARNING. Teachers, instructors, educators, pedagogues, professors, these are names that we use when we refer to the hewers of minds and the pathfinders for the souls who search for knowledge. They are those who have taken the responsibility of helping us become what we are meant to be. They work in the noblest vocation of all — the education of the world through the enlightenment of individuals. They introduce facts to masses, instill rules, nurture and refine potentials, inspire men think for themselves, and imbue the desire for spiritual and physical growth. On the 14th of September 1998, in tune with the 5th anniversary the University of Asia and the Pacific s School of Education, a colloquium for teachers was held in the Dizon auditorium to celebrate teaching, to honor teachers and to address the current issues that the profession is facing. Human Developers were invited from all over to participate in the said discussions where esteemed speakers and commentators grazed the event and where a daughter, a student and a former-student-turned-teacher shared their thoughts on parents, teaching, and teachers. With the gravity of a teacher s task one would say that people who dedicate their lives to teaching should naturally be highly intellectual men and women of strong character, talent, and who possess enthusiasm and thirst for knowing — this is not the case however. As we have learned from the conference, some of those who are teaching chose the profession because they didn t know what career path to take. Others that didn t have the means to pursue their personal designs, or because they do not possess the knowledge and the skill that would qualify them to their dream job ended up as teachers. The unraveling of reality to the human mind lies in the hands of teachers, so what would become of the world if we entrust it to people who haven t done well and are dissatisfied with their own lives? People are made better by education. It is great teachers that help man become what they are meant to be. Students when they enter the portals of learning look up on their teachers, they believe that what they are about to learn is the truth. They consciously or subconsciously imitate their teachers in the same manner that a child mirrors his hero s actions, they together with their parents entrust to them the crucial and most significant part of their lives, their formal education. Thus teachers not only affect them during their stay in the institutions; moreover they shape the way the learner will view life as he ventures in it on his own. Because of this a call for the revamping of the educational system. We live in a materialistic world that has forgotten or has placed the value of integrity, principles, and dreams behind success, fortune, and fame. Teaching does not offer these material gifts so few pursue a career in pedagogy, but those who despite of the absence of material rewards have embraced it wholeheartedly and those who are in the job because this where fate led them are in need of Teacher Training Development. No person can claim to have completed schooling and is therefor in no need of further instruction, may they be full-pledged professionals or fresh-from-school teachers.