Teacher's Guide

            1– Job description

The man / woman teacher represents a cornerstone within the framework of both educational and teaching processes, selected by the school administration through a set of specifications and standards, to have the responsibility of educating a group of students in one or several classes, and to impart to them knowledge in one of the school accredited disciplines.

 

             2 –Reference

The man / woman teacher refers to the Section Head and then to the School Principal for all administrative and educational matters, as he refers to the Coordinator and then to the Section Head in all academic matters related to the discipline taught.

 

            3 – Rights

 The teacher is entitled to:

• Be treated with respect or on a love-and-trust basis.
• Be encouraged in developing his academic background.
• Have the opportunity to participate in training courses to develop his/her knowledge, skills and teaching methods,
• Get all necessary books, cognitive references and assistance to carry out his/her educational mission.
• Give his/her opinion on both teaching and educational policies.
• Participate in educational decisions taking, in class councils meetings and in the students’ evaluation.
• Give his/her opinion on examinations dates and in educational plans elaborated by the Administration.
• Refer to the Administration to resolve any dispute that may arise between him/her and any other party of the school family.
• Get his/her legal rights as stipulated in the law on teachers, and in the employment contract.
• Be absent from school for illness or for an unexpected reason considered valid by the administration, provided he / she ensures enough work for the students to compensate for the missed periods.
• Rest in free hours and during breaks in a room specially conceived for the teachers, which meets rest and cleanliness conditions.
• Get a scientific and fair assessment of his personality, knowledge, performance and behaviour, by officers entitled to evaluate him/her: the School Principal, the Section Head and the class representatives.

 

 

4 – Duties and tasks

A – Vis-à-vis the Student, he / she:

• Educates the student, guides him and directs him in the right way, seeking to build up his personality and knowledge, and helps him foster his culture.
• Initiates the student on learning methods, and provides him with the necessary techniques on how to express his opinion and carry out his functions.
• Leads students and accompanies them, combining between encouragement and motivation on the one hand, firmness and leniency on the other, and questioning and evaluation on the third.
• Lays down with the students the class chart which includes duties, rights, authorizations, prohibitions, rewards and punishments.
• Communicates with students with respect, kindness and fairness.
• Remedies the students’ misconducts, setting them right in a positive way.
• Cares for the student’s intellectual, emotional and health needs.
• Is keen on prioritizing the human and spiritual dimension in the relations with the students, taking into account that the main purpose of the student in school is not only to let him gather information and knowledge, but to help him discover his talents and abilities, and enrich his personalities with values and ideals.
• Encourages the student to progress in his studies in all positive ways, and stands by lagging students, helping them psychologically, scientifically and educationally.
• Develops the sense of analysis and constructive criticism.
• Provides the student with an adequate cultural, scientific and analytic background, urges him to creativity and innovation and develops his desire of self-learning.
• Encourages students to read and tries exploiting all books and references available in the school library.
• Accepts the students as a partner and as the main goal in his education mission, that is why the teacher must avoid:

 

A – Repressing and inhibiting the student.

B -   Submitting the student to any physical punishment.

C – Directing to him any reprimand contrary to education and human dignity.

D – Taking any emotional measures so as not to have to go back on them.

E – Expelling the student from the classroom, depriving him from his lessons, except in

       exceptional circumstances and after informing the concerned people in the section about

       the matter.

 

• Through the education and instruction he imparts, the teacher seeks to develop the students’ personality, to raise them to levels of maturity, awareness and community commitment, which make them contribute directly and effectively to the development of the social, cultural, economic environment, making it a better place to live.

 

 

B – With regard to teaching activity and classroom life, the teacher:

• Makes sure that all students are present in all class periods.
• Stimulates students to study and collect knowledge, away from monotony.
• Fully exploits the class period without wasting time.
• Adheres to the limits required and set in the program methodically, without expanding and exceeding these educational limits, which means getting away from the essence and the goals fixed.
• Oral and written tests are performed on a systematic basis, which help the teacher gather data and avoid the habit of putting off which causes unpleasant work pile up.
• Seeks to reach the goals set to the student by putting into application, in every teaching period, the lesson prepared in advance.
• Makes sure, in every teaching period, of the extent of acquisition of the students in knowledge and skills.
• Tries to make the classroom a place for dialogue, discussions, thinking and concentration, within a calm and disciplined framework.
• Seeks to make all students participate in debates, does not give speech to a student and not to the other, remains unbiased and does not monopolize speech alone throughout the whole period.
• Adopts, for explanations, the language of his discipline and not any other.
• Leaves the classroom at the bell, after having recorded in the registry book his accomplishment during the period, the name of the absentees, the remarks, homework and practical work.
• Ensures work to be done by the students during the class period he is obliged to miss, after having met the procedure required by the administration in case of absence.
• Refrains from assigning non-educational tasks or personal services to any student.
• Seeks to compensate for all periods acquisitions a student had to miss for compelling reasons.
• Underlines the need for to students to take care of their looks and clothes, and the need to preserve a clean classroom and school environment.
• Refrains from engaging in sectarian and political conversations, as well as in personal discussions with the students.
• Refrains from requesting any amount of money from students, whatever the motive or need, or even for educational purposes. Also refrains from engaging in everything related to selling, buying bartering and marketing within the classroom or in the school premises.
• Records the progress or regression achieved by the student in a special registry, with the purpose of encouraging, motivating, treating and questioning.
• Informs the students about the basic classroom habits, in view of applying them and adopting them as a life guideline.
• Abstains from being superior, scoffing or cynical, reinforcing the students’ confidence in themselves.
• Abstains from class collective punishment.
• Encourages and motivates students using educational methods, away from adding marks at random or offering these as presents.
• Calls the students by their name, avoiding using their reference number, nicknames or epithets attributed to them.
• Provides opportunity for constructive teamwork.
• Congratulates and rewards students who deserve congratulations and awards and does not resort to deducting marks as a punishment.
• Appreciates any positive step or action undertaken by the student with high-praise words and practically with appropriate marks.
• Uses in his description all auxiliary aids, such as maps, models, tapes, compact audio and video tapes.
• Distributes class responsibilities and tasks to all students successively, so as all are involved in the responsibility.
• Monitors carefully every deviation that may arise in one student or more, discussing with the concerned parties the causes, aspects and way of treating it, under the supervision of the Section Head.
• Abstains from expelling the offending student out of the classroom or depriving him from one or more educational sessions.
• Refers the student who committed offense to the Supervisor, and to the Section Head in the event of a serious violation, along with a written report describing the offense in both cases.

 

 

C – Vis-à-vis the Coordinator and/or Section Head, the teacher:

• Considers the Coordinator as the main reference in academic matters.
• Participates with the Coordinator of the discipline and /or the Section Head in the selection of the appropriate school textbook, expression his/her   opinion thereon, based on a set of educational and technical standards.
• Participates with the Coordinator of the discipline and / or the Section Head, along with his/her colleagues and counterparts, in setting the discipline policy and in drawing a calendar of expected and desired assignments and objectives, at each level and at the end of each learning session.
• Participates with the Coordinator of the discipline and/or the Section Head in the elaboration of the detailed annual schedule of assignments and objectives at all levels of the teaching sections,
• Informs the Coordinator of the discipline, at the beginning of each week, of the daily preparation work, showing the number of periods, their contents and objectives, as well as applied work, environmental functions and kind of evaluation and auxiliary aids.
• Develops his preparation workbook annually, updating the periods contents and deposit a copy of it in the coordination office as well as in the section administration office, in view of ensuring proper follow-up and monitoring of the contents implementation.
• Meets with the Coordinator regularly to discuss matters related to the discipline, to analyse together the work process, the approach, the curriculum, the teaching methods and the students’ state, thus collaborating in developing the methods, activating the learning process and the presented educational problems.    
• Receives the Coordinator in his classroom, according to a pre-determined appointment, enabling the latter to analyse the teacher’s performance and the students’ interaction, for a later evaluation and discussion of the class visit.
• Participates in a class session explained by the Coordinator in order to benefit from new approaches and methods.
• Takes into account the directives given by the Coordinator and / or the Section Head, and work by them in view of developing the teaching performance.
• Participates in training sessions organized by the Coordinator within and outside school.
• Reviews every report on him/her, submitted by the Coordinator and / or the Section Head to the Administration, reserving the right to discuss its contents and express his/her opinions.
• Submits to the Coordinator the exams questions for review and agreement, before forwarding them to the Section Head. (See the examinations guide).
• Accepts the concept of preparation of the entire examination by the Coordinator, even without viewing its contents.
• Hands the exams papers to the Coordinator, corrected in accordance with and annexed measurement standard schedule, then later on discusses his / her remarks on the students’ scores and correction method. (See the examinations guide)
• The Coordinator reserves the right to modify the marks, if he sees it fit, bearing entire responsibility for the modification.
• It is possible for the teacher and/or the Coordinator, to reconsider the marks measurement standard schedule, if he / she deems it necessary and justified, after informing the Section Head accordingly.

 

• Vis-à-vis the Section Head, the teacher:
• Respects the rights and prerogatives of the Section Head, collaborating with him/her in earnest, abiding by his/her directives.
• Respects the calendar issued by the section administration, containing the dates of tests and examinations, of receipt and delivery of the exam papers, of the activities and celebrations, as well all school events including Class Councils meetings, regular meetings, parents’ meetings and holidays.
• Informs the section administration regularly of the academic and disciplinary process in his classes and discipline.
• Submits a written request to the section administration, awaiting its approval, to meet the guardian of one of the students for educational purposes, provided the meeting is held in the school premises, and at the time fixed.
• Hands the section administration a detailed version of his / her monthly and half-yearly work process schedule, together with weekly and daily preparation papers, thus enabling a follow-up with the Coordinator of the discipline.
• Sends every offending student to the section administration with a detailed written     report, explaining the reasons for offense, reminding the number of prior oral and written warnings addressed to the offender, according to a special journal for the students, elaborated by the teacher since the beginning of the school year.
• Submits a written report to the section administration, whereby he/she lists the auxiliary means needed at the beginning of and during the school year.
• Respects the placing of the students in their seats and does not change the place of any student without the knowledge and approval of the section administration.

 

• Vis-à-vis the School Administration and the school as an Institution, the teacher:

• Respects the employment contract signed by the School Principal as first party, and by him/her as second party, and complies with its provisions, contents and rules and regulations established in school.
• Respects the administrative hierarchy and grades.
• Bears development responsibility in whatever is required by the School Principal.
• Complies with the School Principal’s directives and written instructions issued by her office.
• Refers to the judgment of the School Principal in case of disagreement or conflict with one of his colleagues or with one of the fellow members of the school family or with one of the student’s guardian, which are beyond the prerogatives of the Coordinator and the section administration.
• Abstains from verbal abuse against the administration, and from objecting to its decisions in the teachers’ room, and reserves the right to private written objections through a memorandum signed by him/her, submitted to the School Principal through her Secretariat Office.
• Writes a memorandum to the School Principal, whenever he/she has a progressive educational proposal.
• Respects the school, safeguards its reputation, undertakes everything in its interests, keeps silence on its privacy as well as on the privacy of the school family members.
• Recognizes the school respectability and its history, values its achievements and appreciates its graduated students.
• Respects the school environment and safeguards its structures, equipment, furniture and contents.
• Takes part in everything that contributes to the school developments in all aspects.

 

• Vis-à-vis the colleagues and counterparts, the teacher:

• Respects his colleagues at work, whatever their functions.
• Keeps away from gossiping and cause trouble and discord among them.
• Cooperates with his colleagues in the teaching discipline he is responsible for, and in the classes he/she teaches and takes care of.
• Avoids relying on his/her colleagues, who work in parallel in one division or more of the same class.
• Devises with colleagues and counterparts in matters related to the students.
• Profits from the experiences of his/her colleagues, offering in turn the fruit of his/her own experience.
• Forms with colleagues and counterparts a school family that exchange love, respect, trust and cooperation.
• Contributes in activating the Class Councils and teachers Committees’ meetings.
• Adopts the principle of dialogue to conciliate the points of view and to listen to the other, abstains from monopolizing decisions-taking, and accepts constructive criticism.

 

• Vis-à-vis the students’ parents, the teacher:     

• Keeps contact with the parents in order to achieve success in the educational process, the purpose of these relations being only in the student’s interest.
• Builds his/her relations with the parents on a mutual trust basis.
• Is keen to reach the common goals between the school and the parents, within the framework of uninterested, transparent and constructive cooperation.
• Personally calls for the parents, with the knowledge and approval the section administration, provided he/she justifies the reasons for calling them.
• Meets with the parents collectively during the parents’ general meeting, convened by the section administration on a regular basis.
• Ascertains, before meeting the parents for the first time, that he/she knows the student, his competence and scores well, building his meeting with them on accurate data, not confusing between a student and another.
• Confines his conversation with the parents to the educational conditions of their son/daughter alone, avoiding addressing private or bilateral talks.
• Encourages the parents to participate actively in extra-curricular activities.
• Avoids personal contacts with the parents by phone or by written correspondence.
• Avoids agreeing with the parents on private lessons to give to their children.
• Abstains from accepting presents or gifts from the parents, whatever the motive and the occasion.
• Avoids making any promise to the parents.
• Writes a general summary on the discussions held with the parents of every student, in order to be able to follow up on these later on.
• At the end of the individual and collective meeting with the parents, he submits a comprehensive report to the section administration, comprising the name of the attendants, the extent of their wish to cooperate, and an evaluation summary of the general atmosphere.
• Refrains from talking about the privacy of the meeting and the discussions held, reporting them only in writing to the section administration.

 

• Vis-à-vis the social environment, the teacher:

• Interacts with the school environment, especially at both cultural and development levels, so he/she participates, if possible, in the activities organized by the local authorities, clubs, associations and municipalities.
• Exchanges opinion and experience with the teachers of neighbouring schools.
• Reflects, in the school surrounding environment, the image of the ideal and example teacher, showing his true and deep affiliation to the school.
• Seeks to communicate the spiritual, social, moral and patriotic values to his environment.
• Enriches the current dialogue by accepting the other and rejecting all violence among the different members of his society.

 

• Pedagogic, cultural and educational skills

The man/woman teacher, selected by the school for pedagogic, cultural and educational tasks, must:

• Be holder of a university degree in the discipline he/she teaches.
• Master adequate knowledge and culture in the discipline he/she teaches.
• Well-versed in educational culture, enabling him/her to understand and solve educational problems.
• Be aware of all the competences to be developed at all levels and teaching periods.
• Master his discipline language, able to express himself/herself fluently and communicate easily.
• Be up-to-date with most recent educational methods.
• Be well-versed in pedagogy and teaching, with enough experience gathered throughout the course of his carrier, or through diligent follow-up in specialized training sessions.
• Master Informatics, good at making use of it, and exploiting it to facilitate and enrich his tasks.

 

 

Remark:

If the teacher, selected by the School Administration for the task of education, is worth the position, he/she should show enough readiness and eagerness in having a training prior to starting his work, taking into consideration that his/her selection is based on a collection of data and standards, among which: (a rich Curriculum Vitae, more than one meeting with the School Principal, the Section Head, the Coordinator, class attendance during the month of May to get to know the class environment and school ambiance, attendance of a specimen teaching lesson given by one of the colleagues, preparation and presentation of a lesson, etc.)

(See Contract and Employment manual).

 

• Personal qualifications and general morality

The teacher in the schools of the Antonine Sisters Congregation must:

• Have a Christian spirituality and be committed to his church.
• Have a good reputation.
• Be able to accept the others and communicate with them willingly, with open-mindedness and flexibility.
• Be objective, creative, active, alert, intelligent, methodical, serious, patient, unbiased,   well-mannered and dutiful.
• Have a faculty for listening, assimilating and understanding.
• Be able to cooperate and exchange experience with others.

 

It is expected from him

• To take care of his/her looks and general appearance, tidiness, decency, fitness and neatness.
• To avoid showing his own feelings arising from personal problems.
• To be accurate in his appointments, attendance, arrivals, departures, and work delivery.
• Not to be absent from work, except in compelling circumstances.
• Not to be biased towards any of the students.
• To refrain from accepting or giving gifts from and to the students, leaving to the administration alone to give presents to those who deserve them.
• To be ambitious in view of self-development and sustainable improvement.
• To be positive when receiving his evaluation by the administration and/or the Coordinator, and/or the Section Head, or through a report from the class Representative. To be willing to consider this evaluation as a means for self-development, as well as for his skills and performance improvement (see the evaluation manual).