“What we call ‘emotional competence’ refers to the teacher’s ability to develop and maintain an emotionally-managed classroom, one in which there is neither too much nor too little emotion on either the teacher or the students’ part” Jack C. Richards
Teaching involves more than your pedagogical knowledge; Indeed, much to our surprise, pedagogical knowledge, that is, knowing when and how to teach words and grammar, the steps etc., may at times be the last thing you need in order to have a successful lesson. Of course coming up with a method whereby you can teach effortlessly requires a godlike superpower that the writer of this short essay is not by any means in possession of. Since it is not meant to be an exodus nor is the writer Moses. This cumbersome responsibility could not be avoided since the writer feels to be left holding the baby.
As strange as it sounds, teaching, apart from the necessary subject matter knowledge, needs a few things you will not have heard of. In the following, I am intent upon doing his outmost to shine a light on issues discussed very insufficiently with regard to teaching.
The Emotional Factor
What a teacher teaches often with dexterity can be of no beneficial result if it doesn’t involve the students and she herself affectionately. To make it clear, let us imagine a group of students aged 10 to 15. The teacher in this case, a seasoned teacher who teaches on a day to day basis. In that, students and the teacher are not emotionally involved enough; this can result in the following:
- Students do not take the lesson seriously
- Students aren’t motivated enough
- Teacher won’t achieve the success she aspires
Teaching the target language in a perfunctory manner can be debilitative. In a sense that it is not that meaningful. In his research on motivation, Zoltan Dorney recommends a new model upon which we can draw the following conclusion; if the vision on the side of the students and teachers is not positive, learning is not achieved, at least to the fullest. In other words, if the teacher is, simply put, not into the lesson, the result is going to be disappointing.
Curiously enough, teachers with a positive view and with a basic workable knowledge have better classes than the ones who have a great command of language pedagogy. That is, classes that are both fun and functional have teachers and students that are both motivated. In her article “how are your emotional skills” Anna Hasper points out the fact that “to make any learning happen teachers also need to be aware of the affective dimensions in the classroom and have the competences to manage these.” (Dr. Stephen Krashen, the Affective filter, observes that learners learn best when the atmosphere is conducive.). Yet, I believe motivation on the side of the teacher is apparently overlooked. It is of importance as a demotivated teacher will not be very encouraging and students will be feeling demoralized. “What a teacher believes to a very good extent can determine the success of the lesson. (Williams and Burden, Psychology for Language Teachers)
In a nutshell, it is palpable that methods and approaches are subservient to the feelings of the students and teachers not the other way around. Both teachers and students should feel motivated. Inasmuch as a demotivated teacher will never be able to motivate nor be fully aware of his or her students’ feelings.