Paul Parkison from the University of North Florida and Jeff Thomas from the University of Southern Indiana emphasize that when educators excel at routine tasks through a Personalist perspective, they can enhance classroom norms, community, and happiness.
Teaching involves numerous challenging aspects. Often, educators focus on creating remarkable classroom experiences or outstanding demonstrations. However, achieving excellence as an educator begins with consistently fulfilling basic responsibilities. Viewing these responsibilities through a Personalist lens involves more than mere attendance; it means being actively present with intention and motivation, fostering an environment where students are active contributors to learning.
Personalist philosophy suggests that education should cultivate moral and intellectual virtues alongside technical skills or credentials. An educator who effectively performs their duties creates a setting where students can meaningfully contribute and develop learning dispositions. Transformational teaching occurs within a developed classroom community, which relies on mutual trust and collaboration rather than just task completion. This approach aims to foster long-term learning and relationships, emphasizing both personal and collective growth.
Personalism aligns with educational goals by underscoring the importance of recognizing and nurturing the personhood of both educators and students. It views individuals as inherently valuable and interconnected, promoting love, community, and moral responsibility. Personalist education focuses on the dignity, autonomy, and holistic development of individuals, supporting the notion that instructors and students should be active participants in building a community.
Educational formation is not just about information but about developing well-being through actions that fulfill one’s potential. Instructors who are present and reliable are seen as trustworthy and uphold values of fairness and responsibility. This environment fosters skills such as problem-solving and creative thinking, benefiting both students and instructors.
Practices exemplifying “Being There” include arriving early to set a welcoming atmosphere with music, promptly grading assignments, responding to emails within 12 hours, modeling attentive listening and gratitude, and showing genuine passion for the subject. These actions create a vibrant learning environment and a sense of community.
Instructors who consistently fulfill their duties with care contribute positively to the educational experience. By integrating themselves and their students into the learning environment with intentional presence, they foster dependability, engagement, and growth. This approach leads to extraordinary outcomes in education.
Original Source: scholarlyteacher.com
