Course: Professionalism in Teaching (8612)

Semester: Spring, 2022

ASSIGNMENT No. 1
Q.1 What makes teaching effective? Discuss teaching as a profession.
“Teaching is the noblest profession in the world,” stated President David O. McKay. But teaching is a
profession that only appeals to a special type of person—a person who is concerned about others, one who has a
desire to touch the lives of his students and somehow leave them better than they were. The richest rewards of
teaching come when a teacher can observe growth and development in his students. One of the largest of all
professions, teaching employs more than 2 1/2 million people annually. Nevertheless, jobs are sometimes
difficult to find because of the large number of people currently prepared to enter the profession. In the field of
social sciences, for example, there are almost no opportunities. On the other hand, elementary placement is still
quite high. Special education and physical sciences (chemistry, math, and physics) have many opportunities,
too. Naturally there are more opportunities in some geographical areas than in others and especially in schools
where teaching conditions are poor. Eight out of ten recent BYU graduates found teaching jobs last year.
Salaries vary and are dependent on the teacher’s experience and education, and on where he teaches. For most
positions the hours are long. Not only does the teacher spend about eight and one-half hours per day in the
classroom, but two to three hours are spent at home grading papers and preparing for the next day. Since
teaching can be very difficult and nerve taxing, one should carefully look at his interests, abilities, and goals
before deciding upon a career in education. If he finds himself to be stable, interested in continued study and
learning, and capable of seeing beneath the surface to the basic needs of other people, he can discover in
teaching extraordinary satisfaction and the nobility President McKay referred to.
The skills needed for effective teaching involve more than just expertise in an academic field. You must be able
to interact with people and help them understand a new way of looking at the world. This is not an easy job!
Although there are many different ways to teach effectively, good instructors have several qualities in common.
They are prepared, set clear and fair expectations, have a positive attitude, are patient with students, and assess
their teaching on a regular basis. They are able to adjust their teaching strategies to fit both the students and the
material, recognizing that different students learn in different ways. As a teacher, you are a role model who sets
the tone for the class. If you are able to show enthusiasm and commitment, your students are more likely to
reciprocate. Conversely, when you are negative, unprepared, or impatient, these qualities will be reflected in the
attitudes of your students. Undergraduate students at Georgetown have high expectations of their instructors,
and they also have many competing interests beyond the course you are teaching. Give them a reason to
remember your class as an important part of their college experience!
POSITIVE
Keep your students engaged with a positive attitude. Teaching is most effective when students are motivated by
the desire to learn, rather than by grades or degree requirements. Many first-time TAs are confused by the new
authority of being a teaching assistant, and mistake intimidation for respect. Think of your students as

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teammates, not adversaries. Learning and teaching are challenging, but that doesn't mean that you can't have fun
in the classroom. Stay focused, but don't be afraid to be creative and innovative. Allow yourself to be
enthusiastic and find ways to let students see what is interesting about your subject.
PREPARED
You should know the course material. If students are required to attend lectures and read assignments, then it
seems reasonable that you would do the same. Most faculty expect graduate TAs to attend lectures, especially if
they have never taken or taught the course. Review key concepts and ideas if you are unclear about them,
particularly if it has been a while since you have worked with the topics you will be teaching. Think about how
the material can be most effectively demonstrated and design a strategy. Write an outline or take notes to follow
during a lecture, and prepare your overheads, diagrams, handouts and other aids well in advance. Don't wait
until the morning of the class!
ORGANIZED
Have a plan for what you want to teach. Your job is to illustrate key points and essential context, to help
students integrate all of their work (reading, labs, exams, papers, lectures, etc.) for the course. Given that there
is never time to teach everything, choose the most important concepts and show how they are related. Explain
ideas so students are able to build on material they have already mastered, whether from your course or
previous classes. Don't just focus on what you happen to be teaching today. Show students how what they are
learning now is connected to material covered later in the course. Keep your long term goals in mind, pace
yourself so that you don't run out of time at the end, and try to end every class with a conclusion.
CLEAR
Effective teachers can explain complex ideas in simple ways. As you develop expertise in an academic field, it
is easy to forget that students may have no prior knowledge of fundamental concepts that you take for granted.
Help students understand and use new terminology, so they can become fluent in the language of your
discipline. Many concepts can be more effectively demonstrated with visual aids such as diagrams, drawings,
charts, slides, etc. Make sure that they are large enough to see, neat enough to read, and don't stand in the way!
Think about the role body language can play. Having your teaching observed by someone else (or even better,
having it videotaped) can reveal habits that you would never notice on your own.
ACTIVE
Keep your students thinking? Unless they are actively using the concepts you are teaching, most students will
remember only a small fraction of what you teach. A lecture is an efficient way to deliver information to large
numbers of people, but it is an inefficient way to provide students with lasting knowledge and skills. Consider
using at least some classroom time for activities other than traditional lectures, discussions or question and
answer sessions. Problem solving exercises in small groups can take no more than a few minutes, yet allow
students to engage with the material being covered.

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PATIENT
Remember what it is like to learn something for the first time. Give students time to process information and
answer questions. Know that it is fine for students to make mistakes if they can learn from them. Realize that
learning can be hard work, even for the most motivated students. Rather than blaming students when things
don't go right, consider ways you could change your approach to reach them more effectively. Concepts,
background information or conclusions that seem obvious to you may not be so clear to someone who is new to
the subject. Be patient with yourself, too. Teaching can be difficult and frustrating at times. Give yourself the
same opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them.
FAIR
Consider what it would be like to be one of your students. Chances are you would want an instructor who set
clear expectations, applied them consistently and could admit when they were wrong. Whether you mark off
points on an exam question, give a low grade on a paper, or penalize someone for a late assignment, you should
be able to explain why you did it. Of course it helps if you have already outlined clear policies, both for the
entire course and for each assignment. Once you have set standards, it is very important to apply them equally
and consistently, otherwise you will lose credibility. On the other hand, if you make a mistake or don't know the
answer to a question, it is much better to acknowledge rather than ignore it.
TECHNOLOGY TIP
Since it is often hard to remember what it is like to encounter your discipline's material at an early stage, peer
instruction offers an alternative to the "sage on stage" model. Peer instruction, which usually happens in small
group activities or paper response assignments, allows students to get feedback at their own level of discourse
and understanding. This provides a helpful complement (not replacement) to instructor feedback. Technology
such as the discussion tool in Blackboard helps peer groups stay in contact over long distances and over
different periods of time.
WHAT'S YOUR LEARNING STYLE?
CNDLS has several ways of helping you discover the learning styles you tend to favor. Being more aware of
your own tendencies will help you recognize similar or different preferences in your students and react
accordingly. Besides the more well-known Myers-Briggs test and visual, auditory, and tactile differences, there
are also documented differences in how people problem solve.
TECHNOLOGY TIP
E-mail is an excellent and perfectly acceptable way to give feedback to your students. In fact, several professors
ask their students to turn in assignments over e-mail. By having a digital copy of students' work, faculty can
make comments using the editing tools in Word, have access to the papers wherever there is an internet
connection, and keep up with less paper-work, not to mention having a date and time record of when the student
turned in the work.
Q.2 What are professional ethics? Describe role of a teaching in promoting professional ethics.

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All teaching is founded on ethics – whether it be the teacher-student relationship, pluralism or a teacher’s
relationship with their work.
Dignity means respect for humanity. Teachers must respect every person, regardless of gender, sexual
orientation, gender diversity, appearance, age, religion, social standing, origin, opinions, abilities and
achievements.
Truthfulness is one of the core values in teachers’ basic task, which involves steering learners in navigating life
and their environment. Honesty with oneself and others and mutual respect in all communication is a basic
aspect of teachers’ work.
Fairness is important both when encountering individual learners and groups but also in the work community.
Fairness involves in particular promoting equality and non-discrimination and avoiding favouritism.
Teachers are entitled to their own values, but in their work, teachers’ responsibility is tied to their basic task and
its standards such as legislation and the curriculum.
Teacher’s ethical principles
The aim of teachers’ ethical principles is to draw attention to the ethics involved in teaching.
Good professional ethics are among a teacher’s most important resources.
Teachers commit to the standards and ethics of their work. Teachers manage their duties responsibly. Teachers
develop their work and expertise and assess their own actions.
Teachers teach in a manner that reflects their personality, so developing and caring for their individuality is
their right and obligation.
Teachers are entitled to be treated fairly in their work.
Teachers accept and treat learners as unique human beings. Teachers respect the rights of learners and react to
them humanely and fairly.
Teachers try to understand the learners’ starting point, thoughts and opinions. Teachers considerately handle
matters linked to the learner’s personality and privacy. Teachers pay special attention to learners who require
care and protection and do not, under any circumstances, tolerate bullying or the abuse of other people.
Teachers’ work also includes teaching learners to co-operate and to become good members of society. Building
up confidence and good relationships is part of teachers’ work.
Teachers value their work and respect their colleagues. Teachers try to pool their resources and find a balance
between their autonomy and the work community.
Accepting the individuality of colleagues, understanding them and helping and supporting each other are key
principles of the work community.
Teaching is one of the most important jobs in society. Teachers’ ability to be effective in their work and take
care of their professional development are dependent not only on their commitment, but also on the resources
allocated to teaching and education. Teachers promote the opportunities offered by education and growth.

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Teachers represent, above all, learners’ rights and interests – even critically, if necessary. In their work, they
also teach learners to become responsible members of a democratic society.
Teachers work together with learners’ parents, guardians and other parties responsible for education, training
and well-being. These include social and health care expert groups, authorities and numerous other
collaborating parties.
The co-operation supports learners’ learning and development.
Teachers need to ensure that all learners have the same rights and obligations as members of society.
They make sure that learners and their parents’ cultures and world views are respected equally and that no one
is discriminated against based on them.
Q.3 Explain professional standards of teaching profession.
A nation depends on the activities of the teachers. Identically, they are working to grow the basement of the
students. No matter it is school, college or university, a qualified teacher is the builder of a student. Even a
teacher on the special skills or technical courses is keeping role responsibilities on the societies. For this reason,
the leader of tomorrow is created by a teacher. At the same time, if a teacher fails to discover the eternal power of
a student, the student fails in his whole life. That means a teacher is the best mentor for a life of the student.
The education system of the 21st century has changed radically with the integration of the technology in every
sector. At the same time, the students are more matured than the previous time. Now, in the twenty-first-
century education depends on Thinking Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Information Media, Technological Skills as
well as Life Skills. Especially, the education of the present time emphasis on life and career skills. Now there has
no value for rote learning. In general, it needs to meet the industry need. To clarify, the teaching will be effective
when a student can use the lesson outside of the classroom. For changing the globalizing world, the role of the
teachers is essential to improve the sustainable education. At the same time, inspiring and guiding the students in
increasing employability skills with the digital tools is the prerequisite for a teacher. Thus a teacher in the
twenty-first century will be a digital teacher. Teachers are not the facilitator for learning of the students only, and
now they are responsible for training the students for increasing employability skills, expanding the mind,
growing digital citizenships, critical thinking, and creativity as well as sustainable learning. Thus, the winning of
the students is the win of the teachers.
With the passes of time and integration of technology in every sector, the teacher’s role has changed a lot. They
need to enrich some skills to develop their students. Otherwise, the students will not get the lesson, and it will
increase the of educated unemployed in the digital era. Let’s see the changing role of a teacher in the 21st
century.
This is the most competitive world, and there has the diverse option to choose the next career for a student. In
this case, a teacher needs to become a big planner to support them according to their psychology. The future of a
student will depend on 4C’s (Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity). It is the duty of a
teacher to introduce them the mentioned terms very clearly. The students will need to try several

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multidisciplinary jobs. So the teachers will define where they will give more importance and which skills are just
for adding value or keeping as optional. Besides, if an educator can provide a proper guideline to build the career
in the 21st century for the students, he will be the all-rounder in his career and life. 
2. A Resource Provider
In this digital age, the internet is full of supportive resources. When a teacher teaches the students from a
collaborative perspective, the students will learn more deeply if they get the resources. It can be YouTube Video
Tutorial, Digital Content, eBooks or even the printing documents. If the student receives the supportive materials
on how to enrich Critical thinking, Communication skills, Collaboration, and Creativity, they can lead their own
future. A teacher can show the resources according to their interest. Even a teacher can’t be expert on the topics,
albeit he can easily point the links of the supportive materials. It will ensure better learning environments and the
students will be engaged with the lesson.
3. A digital Instructor for Different Ways of Learning
Effective teachers don’t limit the learning resources for the students. Correspondingly, they are the best instructor
for the students. In contrast, they will create the learning materials entertaining. In the digital age, you can find a
lot of resources who are teaching the course efficiently. The instructor knows how to make the meaningful
learning opportunities for all students. Providing practical examples in the classroom or collaborating in a class
with another teacher can also help them to learn perfectly. To emphasize, they know mixing the knowledge with
an expert collaborator can make the student motivated.
4. Learning Facilitator
A digital teacher or leader in the teaching profession don’t teach the students only. Also, they help their
colleagues to become the supporter of technology and show them how to find the online resources and how to
stay updated on their subject. They know how to enjoy the work and how to make the lesson enjoyable. That
means they are the facilitator for all the students and teachers. Remember, if you can share your knowledge you
will learn more deeply. Similarly, the people will love you.
5. A Technology Lover for Learning
Now, it is so tough to attract the students without the use of technology. If you don’t teach the right use of
technology and how to find the internet resources, they will get the evil resources. Important to realize, a teacher
needs to learn how to read the psychology and what the students want. With attention to, if you can’t maintain
the online community with the students, you will not be able to inform the students about the world. Indeed,
there has no way of the teachers to deal with the students without learning the technology and internet world. As
a result, when you want to build the nation, you have to develop yourself first. Must be remembered, you have to
know how the Google Advanced Search process works.
6. A digital Learner for the lifetime
Effective teachers who are the builders of a nation are the lifetime learner. To point out, they keep knowledge of
the latest changes in their subject. Then again, they keep knowledge about which jobs will be available in the

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next decade. In addition, they learn the newest technology to help the students. To put it differently, they know
how to combine the technology, pedagogy, and content which will ensure Real-World Problem Solving and
cooperative learning. To summarize, a teacher needs to follow the quotes from Henry Ford.
 A successful teacher will collaborate with a specific objective
 They know when to listen and when to ignore
 Believe winning of the students is the win of the teacher
 They can praise smartly
 Welcome the changes always
 Explore the new tools in the technology
 They have the sense of humor
 Grow a personal learning network
 Measure success
 Be open-minded
 Expect students will be the Mentors of future
 Power to the students
 Take the Learning Process Outside of the Classroom
 Help the students to become the entrepreneur and Innovator
Q.4 Describe Islamic Principles of professionalism.
Different careers have codes of conduct aligned to their lines of profession. However Islam has more
comprehensive and unifying principles which are adequate enough to create good professionals. I derive this
study from the following key aspect of Islamic Shura:1. Ali R.A. once asked the Prophet (PBUH) that if they
had a matter in which they didn’t have or find a command or prohibition, what was his advice? He said consult
the righteous wise people and don’t depend on individual opinion. (Tarabani) From this we can draw that in
Islam, consultation is primarily centralised to ALLAH and decentralised to the Righteous Wise. Our key
problem areas are humans not fulfilling the right of Allah’s central role but all that happens by the grace of
Allah and we are merely agents to helping others achieve this. So this agency is what we need to build on in the
area of decentralised Shura. Righteous Wise has two personalities in description:  The Righteous. The Wise.
An individual can hold one or both of the qualities but in practice today, the professional building system only
one quality of The Wise leaving The Righteous not catered for in the building process. The order of preference
is clear in the statement making righteousness primary and wisdom secondary to it. This creates two problems
one continuing and the other existing that is continuous roll out of the Only Wise professionals and already
Practicing professionals. This can only be solved through long and short term strategies:  Long term strategies
can be by building unique and comprehensive Islamic professional study materials for schools of different
professions. Short term strategies can be made by building training and certification programs for existing

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professionals to give proof of necessary Islamic proficiency. This hence forth builds The Righteous Wise. The
two stages also cater for placing righteousness and wisdom at the right time, right order and mending the
existing order in practitioners in the field. This hence forth builds The Righteous Wise and saves us from the
problems got from single sided professionalism. Part of what needs to be taught to all is Islamic economics,
Islamic business law and Economics in the Quran and Sunna.
Islam is not just a religion but a complete way of life. May that be our personal life or professional, Islam offers
a complete code of conduct for every muslim. Given below are the few Hadith and Quranic verses which define
that we should put our trust in Allah to provide us with the resources.
“They believe in God and the Last Day, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of
what is wrong, and vie with one another in doing good works and these are among the righteous.”–
Quran 3:114
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “If only you relied on Allah a true reliance, He would
provide sustenance for you just as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the
afternoon with full stomachs. (Ahmad, An-Nasa’I, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and At-Tirmidhi)
The professional conduct of a Muslim is defined very clearly in Islam which are discussed below.
1) Accountability
The first characteristic of a Muslim professional is that he holds himself accountable not just in front of the
authorities but also in front of the Allah (SWT). A muslim professional should be honest, committed and should
perform his duties in a rightful manner and fulfil his duties with responsibility. We as Muslims should always
complete out tasks and deliver on time. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) has said:
Always keep your word. The Prophet (PBUH) says, Each time you keep a commitment you are rewarded
by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for obeying Him. If you mix a few drops of wine in a glass full of water, it
spoils the whole glass of water and makes it unfit for consumption. Similarly, dishonesty in any sphere of
your life permeates and corrupts your entire nature and eeman. When a person’s words carry no weight,
it only reveals his/her treacherous nature. [Baihaqi]
2)  Courtesy
A good professional muslim should always treats his subordinates, co-workers, partners, managers and
customers with courtesy and should follow the Sunnah of The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said:
Abu Darda (radi Allahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Nothing will
be heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the scale of the believer than good manners. Allah hates one who
utters foul or coarse language.” [Tirmidhi]
Our way of life and how we behave shows who we are and being a Muslim it is our responsibility to present
ourselves as the true believers of Allah. If we act negatively at a workplace, it will not only destroy the overall
environment of the company you work for and also portrays a negative image regarding Islam and Muslims to

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the non-muslims. On the other hand if the conduct of Muslim professional is good, courteous, humbling and
respectful towards other so that the non-muslims get inspires and attracted towards Islam.
 
3) Respect
We as Muslims must give respect to our fellow brothers / sisters at all times. The Prophet Muhammad
(P.B.U.H) said:
He Is Not Quality Muslim Who Does Not Show Kindness To The Young Ones And Respect To The Older
Ones.   [Tirmidhi]
Muslim Professionals should respect each and everyone regardless of the class, creed, religion or designation. In
tough professional situations we should stay in control of our ego and suppress our anger. A good Muslim
professional must also respect the fact that every situation faced by them both professionally and personally is
from Allah and He is in control of everything.
4)  Honesty
 
Honesty or being honest is of utmost importance in Islam. Being honest can get you in trouble and it may not
look good, but in the eyes of Allah, honesty is obligatory, and the right way. As a professional we must
remember Islam teaches us to be honest in our every dealing with our customers, managers, peer and
subordinates. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man may speak the
truth until he is recorded with Allah as truthful. Verily, falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness
leads to the Hellfire. A man may tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.” [Sahih Muslim]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“The buyer and the seller have the option of canceling or confirming the bargain unless they separate,
and if they spoke the truth and made clear the defects of the goods, then they would be blessed in their
bargain, and if they told lies and hid some facts, their bargain would be deprived of Allah’s blessings”.
( Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 34, Number 293)
The above mentioned hadith teaches us to be honest in our jobs, careers, businesses and we must not take
advantage of others by deceiving them or lying to them. As a Muslim it is out sole duty to follow the teachings
of Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and do not do any type of transactions or business practices
which are based on lies. Such practices will not bring barakah but instead will be a source of no blessings from
Allah and the individual will end up hurting himself more than gaining from it.
5)  Punctuality
Being a Muslim, punctuality and being on time is all about keeping ammanah. The below mentioned Hadith
teaches us to perform our duties and prayers on time. So therefore if there are any meetings, events, calls or
reaching the office, one has to be punctual and on time.

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Narrated Jarir bin ‘Abdullah: I gave the pledge of allegiance to Allah’s Apostle for to offer prayers
perfectly, to pay Zakat regularly, and to give good advice to every Muslim.
As a Muslim, we should make a habit of being on time and never be late. Our niat should be to conduct our job
or business in a timely manner and be full of blessings of Allah and  successful.
6)  Tranquility
As a Muslim, we must show calmness at all times and be in a state of peace.  We can get tied up in long
meetings, disagreements, heated discussions, arguments.
Every person in their professional lives can get tied up into long meetings, heated discussions, disagreements
and arguments. Bur as Muslims we must stay calm and be always in a state of peace. By doing this one will stay
positive and will also have a positive effect on the overall work environment and everyone around you will feel
comfortable talking to you. Allah says in the Quran:
Allah says: “Those who believe and whose hearts find tranquility in the remembrance of Allah, verily in
the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility.” [Surah Ar-Radd: 28]
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Richness is not having
many possessions. Rather, true richness is the richness of the soul.”
Al-Bara reported: A man was reciting the chapter of the cave (surah al-kahf) and there was a horse tied
with two ropes at his side, a cloud overshadowed him, and it came nearer and nearer as his horse became
frightened of it. He went to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in the morning and mentioned
that to him. The Prophet said, “Continue reciting. Verily, that was tranquility which came down for the
recitation of the Quran.”
7)  Focus
No matter the circumstances, a Muslim should stay focus on performing his duties to the best of his abilities.
One might suffer some losses but being a Muslim we must have faith in Allah and stay focus and get the job
done regardless of the challenges we might face.
Our prophet would go through battles during Ramadan and through hard times, but he remained focused to the
duty of his people.  This is a reminder from Allah that we must focus on our priorities and stick to them and
don’t lose sight!
8)  Self-Critical
For a Muslim, it is necessary to be self-critical in whatever work or task he performs. It is necessary for a
Muslim to evaluate his own actions and not look to point fingers at someone. The Prophet (PBUH) said:
‘Blessed is he who preoccupies himself with his own defects, rather than those of others.’ (Musnad Al-
Bazzâr)
Being a Muslim, it is of utmost importance that he or she should avoid conflict at any cost but if a conflict arises
within the organisation, one should self-evaluate his opinions before standing ground on them. What this will do

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is that it will avoid conflict and help resolve the issues at hand rather than growing the conflict bigger and
bigger.
9)  Ethics
As a Muslim one should be ethical in his conduct and should choose the path  defined by Allah while
performing his professional duties. The path of righteousness might seem less profitable and hard but being a
Muslim, we are here to please Allah and not for the temporary gains. Being a Muslim ethics should be integral
part of our lives and we should treat everyone justly and ethically. The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said:
“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he does him no injustice, nor does he leave him alone (to be the
victim of another’s injustice); and whoever does the needful for his brother, Allah does the needful for
him; and whoever removes the distress of a Muslim, Allah removes from him a distress out of the
distresses of the day of resurrection; and whoever covers (the fault of) a Muslim, Allah will cover his sins
on the day of resurrection.” (B. 46 : 3.)
10)  Faith
The core of our Faith is that Allah is the one only true God and he is the king of kings. Being a Muslim
professional, we must know that everything we earn, our profits, losses, happiness, success and failures are
from Allah. It’s a blessing what he has given to us to allow us to succeed in our professional careers. Allah says
in Quran:
“They believe in God and the Last Day, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of
what is wrong, and vie with one another in doing good works and these are among the righteous.” –
Quran 3:114
“And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his
purpose. Verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion” (Surah Al-Talaq)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“If only you relied on Allah a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just as He does the
birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the afternoon with full stomachs. (Ahmad, An-
Nasa’I, Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim and At-Tirmidhi)
Q.5 What do you think about a teacher as a role model? Comment.
The definition of a role model according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is: A person whose behavior in a
particular role is imitated by others. Teachers definitely fit the definition of a role model for their students
whether they like it or not. It is something teachers must accept when they choose the profession, and if they do
not accept being a role model, it may be time to change professions or retire.
For many students the teacher is the role model in their life, so every teacher needs to take this into account as
they go about their duties as a classroom teacher. This definition is not only for the homeroom teacher; it is for
every teacher in the building. Students are aware of your presence and every move you make, positive, negative

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or otherwise. It is why it is important for teachers to be mindful of their words and actions throughout the
school day. You never know when you are being watched, critiqued, and more importantly, imitated.
What can teachers do to be good role models? Besides being conscious of hundreds of eyes watching you each
day, there are best practices you can follow to become the best role model possible for your students. Of course,
all teachers are human too, so if you slip up occasionally, accept your humanness and move on. Unless you
have done something that becomes a cause for dismissal, your students will be very forgiving.
One way to become a good role model is to show the students you are a person just like them. They need to
know you can make mistakes, and you learn from them. The “teacher makes no mistakes” attitude only sets you
up for more criticism when you do fail in the eyes of your class. For example, misspelling a word on the board
may lead to a criticizing comment by a student, but your reaction can go a long way in showing your
humanness. No need to argue or get on the kid who points it out, simply thank her, accept the error and move
on. The response shows other students making mistakes is okay, and accepting criticism is not the end of the
world and can be helpful.
Next, be careful with the personal remarks you make about a student in front of other students. It can often be
easy to do especially in the heat of the moment, or when you are having a conflict with a particular child in the
class. Students will pick up on this immediately and see that it is okay to be condescending or mean to their
fellow classmates. They may think, “If a teacher can talk about him or her, why not me?” There are many
instances in the field when teachers have contributed, unknowingly, to the bullying of a student. If the teacher
cannot accept students on a personal level, the unpopular students are further placed at a disadvantage. In fact,
without leading them into become a “teacher’s pet”, embrace the unpopular student along with the popular kids,
even when the particular student does seem to make it difficult for you. This behavior models tolerance for
others regardless of differences.
Furthermore, the conversations you have with your peers are not for the students’ ears, and special care should
be taken to prevent this from occurring. Again, students hear and see everything, and some will gravitate to a
conversation between two adults when they hear their friend’s or another student’s name being spoken aloud. It
is often necessary to speak to another teacher about a student, but be careful to do it privately. If necessary,
respond to the student who is eavesdropping and tell him this is a private conversation. The behavior you
demonstrate shows students that everything they hear or see does not always concern them, and models respect
for others, both students and adults.
Finally, and this is one that sometimes is difficult to accept, your personal life is usually not a secret. Whether
you like it or not, and especially if you live in the same community of the school, a teacher’s personal life is
magnified by students and their parents. It would be nice if this were not so, but it is inevitable and there is not
much you can do about it, except live a life you want young children to imitate.
Remember again, many of the kids you teach look up to you as the main influential adult in their lives. It cannot
be avoided. Of course, there are times when you may need to speak to the class as a whole, or to individual

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students, about something occurring in your personal life, and that is okay. It goes back to showing them you
are human, and you have a life of your own, and are asking them to respect it as you respect theirs. Sharing
some of your personal life will also encourage students to come forward with the personal issues or problems
they may be facing. They will feel safe.
There are many more ways to be a good role model to your students, but treating your students with respect and
dignity will certainly help them to do the same thing with people in their lives.
Teachers follow students through each pivotal stage of development. At six to eight hours a day, five days a
week, you as a teacher are poised to become one of the most influential people in your students’ life.
It is not an exaggeration to say that a great teacher can change a student’s life. There are an endless amount of
great teacher stories that attest to the benefits of a strong relationship between an educator and pupil.
As some of the most influential role models for developing students, teachers are responsible for more than just
academic enrichment. If you want to be a great educator, you must connect with your pupils and reach them on
multiple levels, because the best teachers are committed to their students’ well-being both inside and outside the
classroom. By forging strong relationships, educators are able to affect virtually every aspect of their students’
lives, teaching them the important life lessons that will help them succeed beyond term papers and standardized
tests. It is not always easy to change a student’s life, which is why it takes a great teacher to do so.
One of the most difficult aspects of becoming a teacher is learning how to motivate your students. It is also one
of the most important. Students who are not motivated will not learn effectively. They won’t retain information,
they won’t participate and some of them may even become disruptive. A student may be unmotivated for a
variety of reasons. They may feel that they have no interest in the subject, find the teacher’s methods un-
engaging or be distracted by external forces. It may even come to light that a student who appeared unmotivated
actually has difficulty learning and is need of special attention.
While motivating students can be a difficult task, the rewards are more than worth it. Motivated students are
more excited to learn and participate. Simply put Teaching a class full of motivated students is enjoyable for
teacher and student alike. Some students are self-motivated, with a natural love of learning. But even with the
students who do not have this natural drive, a great teacher can make learning fun and inspire them to reach
their full potential.
Investing yourself in your students creates a positive atmosphere in the classroom that enhances your
relationship with students and makes them feel important. A student is far more responsive to a teacher who
cares, and is therefore more likely to learn and engage. Connecting with your students establishes trust, which is
important to the students’ learning because it makes them comfortable enough to participate, ask for help when
needed
You may decide to become a teacher because you care about education and the students you’ll be working with.
You know the lasting impact a great teacher can have on a student perhaps having even experienced it yourself
and you want to make a positive impact on someone else. You want to be a role model. To commit yourself to

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teaching means you care about education, but once you actually become a teacher, that vague concept becomes
more defined. It becomes real, specific and tangible. Once you become a teacher, you care, not just about
education, but about your students’ education.

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