Higher Education Teachers as Role
Models
Brainstorming activities
Discuss on the following questions.
1. What is role model?
2. What characters do you suggest of to a
person to become a role model for others?
3. Who was your role model when you were at
school and now at your work place?
Role Model
Knowledge of subject content
Knowledge of teaching and Effective instructional
strategies
Self-Preparation and planning
Positive teacher-student interaction
Community building in the classroom which helps the
students with and without disabilities
Participate in department and school-wide meetings
and gives supportive feedbacks to the school
community for the improvement of education
Supports school related activities and functions
Contact other teachers through professional meetings
and organizations and shares experiences
Pursues professional development so that he or she
will become professionally qualified
Knowledge of different methods to assess students
Works as a counselor , a leader (leads by example and
encourages students to strive for excellence),
manager , motivator
is a reflective practitioner, mentor and publisher
believes in active learning and supports his or her
students to be engaged in higher thinking activities
knows effective instructional practices and will help
his or her students learn contents and skills
passionate about his or her subject matter and
possesses knowledge of the curriculum
has good interpersonal skills and is a good
communicator
believes all students can learn even if they have
differences
is conscientious who is committed to know his or her
students level, difference or problems
introduces new material and learning activities
because he or she is a good reader who cares
about the learning of their students
• Thus, higher education teachers are those who
show mastery of their subject matter, listen to
their students, provide the necessary support for
students, work collaboratively with their
colleagues, show self-discipline, open-
mindedness, understanding and many more
other qualities.
• In this unit, you will be able to reflect on
behaviors that can serve as positive role models
Reflective Activity 7 ( page 17 )
Characteristics: e.g. competence Behavior: e.g. punctuality;
and interest in subject area; responsiveness
years of service
Activity 11 : Cases in Role Model ( page 17)
• Ferdisa is liked by his students; he is always friendly and
cheerful, and often arrives late for his classes and cracks a
joke about his lateness. He is an entertaining teacher of
English and makes his students laugh. He is helpful and
encourages them with their work, and often uses his own
experiences as teaching material for the lessons. He
promises to help them improve their English, and they
often hand him drafts of the work they are doing. He
reads their work and makes helpful comments, but they
rarely get feedback in time to make improvements before
the final deadline. He is a good sportsman, and he
organizes football games for the male students and boys
in the local village.
• Fantu prides herself on account of her Master’s degree in
Educational Psychology from Addis Ababa University. She
has excellent knowledge of child development and delivers
well-structured lectures, using many technical terms in good
English. She is impatient when her students ask her very
basic questions, and does not waste her time going back
over things she thinks they should already know and
understand. She compares them unfavorably with the
students she studied with, and is often highly critical of the
comments they make when she occasionally asks a question
or provides an opportunity for discussion. She is very strict
with her marking. She gets disappointed when students do
not live up to her expectations. She runs an English speaking
club once a week where she enjoys conversing with
students and helping them to improve their English.
• Aster is a new Biology teacher. She is trying hard to establish herself
as a member of the teaching staff. Most students like her as she
shows interest in them as individuals and tries to learn their names
and is very patient when students ask her questions. Her subject
knowledge is good. But, there is a group of male students who
continually ask difficult (and often irrelevant) questions and disrupt
the flow of the lessons. She is always neatly dressed and well
organized. She always tries to get to class before students to greet
them and set up her work and materials. That way the lesson can
proceed smoothly. When she sets an assignment, she expects it to be
done within a week and promises to return it the following week.
Some of the boys in the class have handed in the work this semester.
Those who have submitted it are pleased with the comments they
have been given. They have found out that such feedback helps them
improve their work. She has set up a support group for female
students that meet once a week, but at the moment the group has
no clear focus.
• Use the tables on page 18-19 to comment on the
cases
Activity 12 ( page 20)
• What are your personal characteristics as a
teacher?
Positive characteristics Behaviors
Negative characteristics Behaviors
Reflective Activity 8( page 20)
1. What is your best characteristic as a teacher?
2. Which role model characteristic do you want
to develop?
3. Write three things you can do to develop the
characteristic you identified above.
Thank you for your
attention!
