Teachers urged to develop emotional intelligence

Motivational speaker, teacher, and youth adviser Robert Andreas is urging recent education graduates to employ emotional intelligence when teaching pupils from various backgrounds.

Andreas was speaking at the University of Namibia (Unam) Khomasdal campus as a Unam alumnus during the oath-taking ceremony of education graduates on Monday.

“The first pedagogical competency in education is purpose. Saying that you love children just doesn’t cut it,” he said.

Instead, fulfilment of purpose is what a teacher should strive for, he said.

“Purpose also includes a teacher’s personal philosophy on education, the attitude you bring to the classroom environment, and your teaching style,” Andreas said.

According to him, teaching is not a profession but a vocation.

“A teacher is someone who acts as a guide and inspiration to people, both young and old. A teacher has the responsibility of creating awareness as well as opening the minds of people by instilling values, morals, and ethics in pupils.

“Being a teacher is not just a job, but a lifestyle that can break and fill your heart every single day.

“As a teacher, it’s important to have emotional intelligence. You will be working with parents from different backgrounds. Some parents have master’s degrees in their different fields; some are doctors of philosophy; some do not even have a basic primary education.

“To yield effective communication and create a safe space for learning, it is important to have emotional intelligence.”

Andreas urged the education graduates to enforce discipline, but warned them that there are government policies that protect pupils against any form of corporal punishment.

“You won’t want to find yourself on the wrong side of the policy. Be warned that corporal punishment is not an option for enforcing discipline,” he says.

Andreas said it’s important not to look down on pupils who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“It’s also important for teachers to refrain from careless activities such as alcohol and substance abuse, clubbing, and sexual encounters with schoolchildren,” he warned.

During this year’s Unam spring graduation ceremony, which was held at the Mecure (Safari) Hotel, about 789 students in fields such as accounting, agriculture, education, engineering, health sciences and veterinary medicine, and humanities graduated.

The vice president of Namibia and Unam’s chancellor, Nangolo Mbumba, said the government will continue to ensure that the majority of young people have access to education and training, including university training.

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