Navigating challenges of teaching

Accountant Lena Yin (尹崇恩) — daughter of Ruentex Group founder Samuel Yin (尹衍樑) — posted on social media on Teachers’ Day on Monday last week that after serving as a part-time university lecturer for seven years, she has decided to leave the profession, saying that being a teacher is exhausting.

The statement resonated with many teachers. Teaching should be a respected vocation, not one that comes with a high degree of legal jeopardy. Teachers need to practice three major techniques to protect the interests not only of themselves, but also of their students. If teachers cannot protect themselves in the classroom, how can they protect disadvantaged students?

Teachers should familiarize themselves with educational regulations directly relevant to their work, such as the Fundamental Act of Education (教育基本法), the Teachers’ Act (教師法), the Primary and Junior High School Act (國民教育法) and the Gender Equity Education Act (性別平等教育法).

When their teaching methods are questioned by parents, they can say that their methods are in accordance with the law.

Taiwan is governed by the rule of law. From the perspective of “systems theory,” schools are the “subsystems” of society.

So how could school campuses possibly become lawless?

Teachers should express themselves effectively, and develop the ability to convey their teaching philosophy clearly and persuasively with parents. During parent-teacher meetings, teachers should articulate their educational philosophy and its implementation.

They should also master how to manage interpersonal relationships and conflicts. Teachers should understand that parents have differing views and identify sources of conflict. They should act as a “buffer” to smooth conflicts.