Teachers are crucial figures in the development and growth of society. According to the latest data, Spain has approximately 765,000 professors without taking into account university teaching. To this figure must be added the teaching staff of the universities, which are, according to the latest data from the INE, 129,904 in total. Therefore, it is a basic profession, not only because of the number of people dedicated to this work, but also because of the essential task they perform and crucial communication skills that must go far beyond expertise and that “It is essential to be a good trainer”as explained by the academic manager of Deusto Health and Deusto Training, Jordi Navarro.
In relation to this adaptation, the academic head of CEAC, Conchi Fernández, states that “the pandemic has been key to confirming that in terms of training we must adapt to the circumstances, to the changes that are taking place in society”.
However, this adaptation has been, on many occasions, a complicated task. Digitization has been and is a challenge for many teachers and institutions: according to data from the Ministry of Education, in Spain 8 out of 10 teachers will have two years to acquire the necessary digital skills. According to the Project Manager of the Treintaycinco mm, Mint and Tokio School Leticia García, online education “It has not been valued until it has not been the only possible way”. Despite this, it is an education with many benefits such as “flexibility to access content or the possibility of avoiding displacement”, as explained by the editorial manager CEMP, Beatrice Nespereira.
Today, this has turned digitization into a complicated objective, especially if one takes into account that lack of time is the main obstacle that prevents teachers from receiving the necessary training to be at the level of digitization currently required. according to the SELFIE study of the European Union. The commemoration of this day, therefore, does not only consist in valuing the task of the teacher but also in highlighting the need to support this profession.
In addition to digital skills: the essential skills in a teacher
Teaching is a task in which vocation is paramount. Next, professionals from different training schools explain what are some of the essential characteristics when dedicating themselves to teaching and training people of any age in any branch of education:
- Beyond the expertise: according to the editorial manager of the European Center for Master’s and Postgraduate Studies CEMP Beatriz Nespereira, it is not about having knowledge and explaining it, but that “communication capacity is needed to transmit them”. The Project Manager of the Treintaycinco mm, Mint and Tokio Schools adds that “a good teacher must show passion for what they do, as this translates into motivation for the students”.
- Human skills above the technical. It is a job where you constantly interact with other people. According to the Academic Manager of CEAC Conchi Fernández, “a good teacher must be a person with empathy, who knows how to put himself in the students’ shoes and knows how to adapt to the group and its characteristics.” Knowing the needs of each group in order to provide them with knowledge in an adapted way is crucial for the training to be effective.
- Naturalness to adapt. Adaptability is key not only towards students, but also towards changing situations that can alter the content or the way in which it is educated. As explained by the Academic Manager of Deusto Training and Deusto Health Jordi Navarro, “The pandemic paralyzed face-to-face academic activity but it served to make the most of ICT capabilities to be able to continue training. Both trainers and students have had to learn as a result of this pandemic to get the most “juice” from educational applications and platforms in the cloud.
