PERSISTENCE: TEACHERS’ STAIRWAY TO SUCCESS

Mouna Abou Assali
Dr., Mohammed V University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
mouna.abouassali@um5a.ac.ae

Abstract

It is hard to imagine teachers teaching without showing any kind of emotional reaction. In fact, ‘emotions’ are at the heart of teaching. Many research studies have focused on the relation between these types of emotions and the teachers’ educational practices. Close to this relation is teachers’ self-understanding of their beliefs, identities and attitudes. It seems that all of these together play central roles in shaping the teacher’s personality and apparently control the teacher’s actions in his/her teaching-learning process. Consequently, the changes that come along with any educational reform agenda may pose a great pressure on teachers and cause the arousal of a mixture of emotions.

The presenter in this discussion group will raise some questions with regard to the vast global educational changes, teachers’ emotions, and the effect of adopting positive\negative attitudes towards all/any of the changes on teachers’ persistence, personal life and teaching practices. The main concerns that the presenter would like to share with the participants is what emotional states they experience in response to changes? (e.g. curriculum, teaching techniques, etc). What does it need for a teacher to cope with educational changes?  Participants are invited to share their experienced emotions in dealing with demanding changes in their contexts and give examples of factors that contributed to a better utilization of these changes in their classrooms.

Keywords: persistence, beliefs, self-understanding, emotional intelligence.