La gerencia del aula desde la vocación del colectivo docente

Classroom management from the vocation of the teaching collective

Florihza González

florihza@gmail.com

Centro de Educación Inicial Bolivariano Lucrecia de Guardia, Santa Ana de Coro.

Venezuela

Lucrecia de Guardia Bolivarian Early Childhood Education Center, Santa Ana de Coro.

Venezuela

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0644-5778

Reception: 15 Julio 2019

Revision: 31 Julio 2019

Approval: 23 Agosto 2019

Publication: 01 Enero 2020

ABSTRACT

The objective of the research was to analyze the management of the classroom from the vocation of the teaching collective at Lucrecia de Guardia Bolivarian Early Childhood Education Center, located in Coro, Miranda municipality, Falcon State- Venezuela. The study was descriptive in nature with a population of 18 teachers to whom a Likert-type instrument with 13 response alternatives was applied. The aspects that define teacher’s vocation at childhood education are focused on the ability to work in teams, responsibility, manual tasks, physical and mental health, good treatment among colleagues, tolerance, patience, firmness and moral qualities; elements that are evident in each of the teachers that integrate this group. Commitment and responsibility play more important collective than individual roles in the years of service by teaching, but it implies a social cohesion that allows social educational organization to have a positive projection in the community.

Keywords: Teacher’s responsibility; teacher’s role; educational quality; educational relevance. (Words taken from UNESCO Thesaurus).

INTRODUCTION

From the globalization and complexity that characterize our reality today, there is a crucial point from the educational scenarios that allows us to realize how affected the teaching work is. By referring to the school process, each author gives meaning to particular aspects, some lean towards the curriculum, the physical structure or management and others towards the human being who is academically trained to carry out the role of the teacher based on a performance that, in times of crisis, must be studied considering it as an arduous labor and not as a simple task.

In this sense, the teachers' commitment should be focused on considering the pedagogical work as an act of vocation, that is, the same that allows them to generate goals, challenges and great works for students, since a teacher without a vocation could be a flawed or routine professional who lacks of creativity, sense, ownership and enthusiasm.

Vocation is a term that has been described by several authors, Pérez (2004) expresses that “the word has a religious origin: in Latin, vocare means" to call ". In its original meaning, vocation is a call from God. There are professions that are more "vocational" than others; teaching is one of them.” (p. 12). However, the teaching task requires innate personal qualities that strengthen the profession.

It is based on this conception, that the teachers, from his true and disturbing vocation, convert their learning spaces, inside or outside the classroom, as managerial vital spaces, since experiences and construction of learning must be generated from their pedagogical actions and with the interests and potential of children. For this reason, the teacher is considered as a manager or a mediator of processes, such as: planning, evaluation, leadership, organization; a series of practical theoretical aspects that the teachers must carry out from their work, and enrich from his professional vocation, Borrero (2019).

In this sense, teaching vocation overcomes the simple praxis of the teachers’ pedagogy. It has to do with their emotions, mission, vision, life projection, relationships, and positive conformity in addition to their works, their studies, investigations, emotional intelligence, among others. In sum, there are so many elements that form the teachers’ personalities which are necessary aspects in their pedagogy.

According to the aforementioned, the teachers consolidate themselves as professionals who manage solutions and turn complexities and uncertainties into strengths. Therefore, they perform the role of visionaries worried about what the group of children must learn, that is, they are researchers with a humble attitude, concerned with the needs of their classrooms and their groups, as well as participatory, respectful and also, with positive attitude towards listening and sharing.

From the conception of the teachers as classroom managers with a solid vocation of service, a pedagogical praxis with love and preparation is translated so that the act of teaching becomes dynamic, transformative, critical and effective, seeking the formation of children and their families in order to develop integral personalities and autonomous human beings.

In this sense, the reality observed, the conversations with a pedagogical companion and the rest of the teachers belonging to Lucrecia de Guardia school, allowed noting that there are some teachers who do not go beyond what is reflected in the guidelines, since they use a traditional pedagogy, which pedagogically mutilates the group of children. For this reason, innovative and creative strategies are not evident; even the appearance of some teachers do not motivate children to start their day with enthusiasm; thus, the inappropriate treatment of children is sometimes the product of a lack of vocation.

Within this order of ideas, there is a lack of interest and motivation towards the fulfillment of the functions and tasks of the teachers because their concerns, evidently, deal with another nature outside the work and school context, such as: lack of food, economic deprivation, problems with transportation, schedule of water supply; all these problems that are detrimental to teaching performance from an effective vocation. In addition, it is evidenced the presentation and execution of monotonous planning with the group of children, little contact with parents and representatives, confinement within their classrooms without other options for the development of pedagogical actions, little initiative in carrying out meaningful activities, including, ineffective decision-makings towards classroom problems, weaknesses and pedagogical processes.

These actions define a teacher without vocation and leadership from their professional practice, where there is no incentive to break paradigms and abandon routines, habits that prevent a more innovative and creative pedagogy. Therefore, this investigation revolves around the following objective:

General Objective:

Analyze the classroom management from the vocation of the teaching collective at Lucrecia de Guardia Early Childhood Education School, located in Coro, Miranda municipality, Falcón State - Venezuela.

METHODOLOGY

The research was descriptive, in this sense; it allowed describing the management of the classroom from the vocation of the teaching staff at Lucrecia de Guardia Early Childhood Education Center. This type of research interprets, describes, measures and tabulates data; in order to carry out an evaluation of the information obtained.

The data was gathered through empirical experience from the sample of Lucrecia de Guardia Bolivarian Initial Education Center.

The population consisted of eighteen (18) teachers who work at Lucrecia de Guardia Center. A survey was applied through an instrument of 13 closed questions with alternatives: always, almost always, sometimes, almost never and never; with the purpose of measuring the research variable. It had a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.98, being classified as highly reliable for its application.

RESULTS

This section contains the presentation and analysis of the results, which implies the treatment of the data obtained from the contact with the reality studied.

Item 1. Teachers have attraction to their profession.

The 67% of the teachers surveyed stated that they ‘almost always’ have an attraction to their profession, followed by a marked difference of 22% with the option ‘sometimes’, and 11% with the option ‘always’. These results allow taking into account that the attraction towards a teaching career is possible, especially, at the initial education level compared to those teachers who have taken this profession as a simple whim or as “the easiest”.

Item 2. Teachers have the appropriate qualities for their profession

The result stated that 56% of the teachers ‘sometimes’ stand out in their profession, followed by 22% with the option ‘always’, 17% with ‘almost never’ and 5% with ‘almost always’. Based on these results, the qualities to be an early childhood education teacher must be an important condition to perform at this level, because they deal with younger children, which implies to work with patience, love, understanding, in addition to mastery of manual skills and a high degree of innovation and creativity.

Item 3. Teachers have an authentic teaching vocation

67% of those surveyed stated that they ‘sometimes’ have an authentic teaching vocation, followed by a marked difference of 22% with the option ‘always’, and lastly 11% with the option ‘almost always’. The authentic teaching vocation is one that is observed under harmonic parameters between teacher-children-parents and representatives, which implies a fascinating pedagogical performance to reach children’s educational progress.

Item 4. Teachers’ pedagogical actions keep them motivated

61% of the teachers consider that their pedagogical actions ‘sometimes’ keep them motivated, followed by 22% with the alternative ‘always’ and 17% with the option ‘almost always’. This information allows affirming that motivation is an important factor in the pedagogical performance of the teachers. When this level falls, their development is affected, including their direct action with children.

Item 5. From teachers’ pedagogical practice, they have developed capacities over time

45% of the respondents consider that their pedagogical practice has ‘almost always’ developed skills over time, followed by the option ‘always’ with 33% and 22% ‘sometimes’. The experience and years of service accumulate many elements that strengthen the profession, in this case, the teachers of the Lucrecia de Guardia Early Childhood Education Center manifest that they have developed with greater and better attitude towards their profession as time passes.

Item 6. Teachers’ aptitude allows them to be good teachers and classroom managers

55% of the teachers state that their aptitude ‘sometimes’ allows them to be good educators and classroom managers, followed by 28% with the option ‘always’ and finally, 17% with the option ‘almost always’. Attitude is a key element within the teaching professional, especially, that of the initial education level, since it must be handled not only with the child but with their parents and representatives, offering confidence and comfort for the care of their children.

Item 7. Teachers have discovered skills that they did not know about them

45% think that they have ‘almost always’ discovered unknown teaching skills about themselves, followed by 33% with the option ‘always’ and 22% ‘sometimes’. The length of service and experience guarantee the acquisition of skills, that is, the skills that a teacher has with years of service in teaching, are not the same as one that is just beginning.

Item 8. Teachers manage enough skills for working with children

72% believe that they ‘sometimes’ manage enough skills to work with children, followed by 22% with the option ‘always’, and 6% with ‘almost always’. Teachers have specific skills that allow them to guarantee an effective pedagogical process, especially when referring to early childhood teachers, their vocation is authentic because love for work with children should be their essence, and this guarantees the effectiveness of management from their classroom.

Item 9. Teachers are creative in their pedagogical work

72% of the teachers consider that they are ‘sometimes’ creative in their pedagogical work, followed by 22% who selected the option ‘always’ and 6% ‘almost always’. Creativity is an indispensable condition for initial education teachers, it is their greatest strength, and although it is considered to be innate, it can be developed over time. The creative teachers encourage the highest performance of their students, and this depends on the creative degree that they impose on their pedagogical practice through innovative and novel strategies.

Item 10. Teachers are managers in their classroom

The majority of the teachers stated in 72% that they are ‘almost always’ managers in their classroom, while a minority represented by 28% chose the option ‘always’. Teachers preserve their autonomy from their micro learning space, following the directives of the guidelines; however, the managerial action that is carried out from the classroom has a high degree, as a trait of autonomy in their pedagogical performance. The classroom is a socio-educational organization that requires conditions for knowledge to be produced through the design and execution of strategies and resources to promote preparation according to social demands.

Item 11. Teachers are proactive

61% of the teachers consider that they are ‘sometimes’ proactive, followed by 28% who consider that they are ‘always’ proactive and 11% ‘almost always’. Being proactive teachers is related to the attitude and vocation given in their pedagogical performance. It deals with how to be prepared for the demands of children in initial education. It is an attitude of preparation to be effective in situations of uncertainty.

Item 12. Teachers assume criticism from themselves and others about their pedagogical actions

61% of the teachers ‘sometimes’ assume their own and others' criticism about their pedagogical actions, followed by 28% with the option ‘always’ and 11% ‘almost always’. The teacher must be open and receptive to their own criticisms and those coming from others about their pedagogical actions, that is, they accept constructive criticism for the improvement of their teaching performance.

Item 13. Teacher reflect on their own pedagogical practice

60% of the teachers surveyed ‘sometimes’ reflect on their pedagogical practice, followed by 25% who ‘always’ do and 15% ‘almost always’. Reflection as part of the teaching work is essential considering that action must be taken to improve those weaknesses that exist in teachers’ performances.

CONCLUSIONS

After applying the questionnaire as a data collection instrument to the Lucrecia de Guardia Center’s teachers, their subsequent descriptive statistical analysis, and in accordance with the specific objectives established for the research, it is concluded that:

Regarding the first specific objective related to the aspects that define the vocation of the teaching community at Lucrecia de Guardia Center, the teachers of this institution have a subjective vocation characterized by an attraction to their profession, but they represent just a few of the sample. That is why the aspects that define the vocation of the initial education teacher should be focused on the ability to work as a team in manual tasks or other activities with responsibility, physical and mental health, good treatment among colleagues, tolerance, patience, firmness and moral qualities; elements that are evident in each of the teachers that conform this group.

Commitment and responsibility play more collective than individual roles in the years of service in the area of teaching, but it implies a social cohesion that allows having a positive projection in the community as a social educational organization.

In order for teachers to add enthusiasm to their pedagogical performance, they must reflect and evaluate their educational practice with children, improving their weaknesses.

Subsequently, the second specific objective linked to the actions for the enrichment of the teaching vocation from its pedagogical practice involves the formation of autonomous and reasoning teachers, who carry out teaching and learning processes by a simple application of the curriculum in addition to the reflections on their practices. They should focus on a dynamic, strategic and self-regulating pedagogy. Furthermore, their daily work must be the object of systematization to use the tools that allow them to assume the roles of counselor, researchers, planners, evaluators, among others.

Similarly, it must be concerned with turning each physical space of the institution into an enriched and meaningful place for learning, leaving routine and monotony, always seeking innovation and transformation to work in the construction and reconstruction of educational practice both in an individual and a collective way.

Finally, the third specific objective related to the elements of the teaching vocation necessary for teachers’ role as classroom managers, merit not only becoming a mediator of significant experiences and knowledge, but also being effective in managing time, conflict, communication, decision making, physical environments, motivation and innovation.

Only the teachers with an authentic vocation are capable of carrying out appropriate plans and activities designed for the educational action. In addition to this, they tend to consider the strengths and weaknesses in their field of action inside the classroom; besides, they focus on the development and enrichment of the curriculum respect to the teaching- learning process, the experiences and people’s knowledge. Likewise, it is not only the fulfillment of administrative functions but also those actions that strengthen their personal, ethical, and creative growth in the teaching of each child.

From this perspective, teacher’s transformative actions in society can be added to these aspects, promoting their functions as guides, counselors, researchers, participants, facilitators, motivators and creators of fascinating teaching-learning opportunities using techniques and strategies that satisfy the concerns of the children. Also, teachers must prepare and update their pedagogy, acquiring new knowledge to implement from their classroom; having a proactive, critical and reflective attitude towards teaching, by seeking their excellence as a social value and by being demanding to be better every day.

FINANCING: Non-monetary

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

A special thank to the teachers at Lucrecia de Guardia Early Childhood Education Center, located in Coro, Miranda municipality, Falcón State, for the support provided to carry out this research.

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