Teachers' Attitude

Introduction

Based on experts’ opinion and our personal experiences, the attitude of the professor during class affects the learning process; his/her motivation toward the learning objectives has an important role. Professors’ attitude influence cognitive aptitudes of the students, their enthusiasm during class and also their self-esteem, affecting their motivation. So, in one way or another, the professor must submerge students in actions that will accomplish the goals established by him/her.

Create favorable conditions to learn

Professors have to take into account their students’ problems, feelings, and anxieties in the learning process. These aspects can affect students’ performance positively or negatively. For instance, if the students are facing a difficult situation, they will not pay attention during the class because they will only think in that problem. But the teacher can try to change this negative aspect into a positive one, for example, if the student has an economic problem and the teacher knows that, s/he can use the situation to motivate the student, the teacher can explains her/him that the education is the key to have a better life, that s/he can get a good job and in this way improve his/her family’ economical situation. Also, there are some circumstances in which the students only need to be heard, they need to share their feelings with someone, and after that, they can be part again of the teaching-learning process. It is so important that teachers know a little bit about students’ lives in order to understand their attitude in the classroom and motivate them during the learning process.

The students are really good observers of the teachers’ behavior, so any reaction or expression from the teacher will affect the opinion about him/her, for that reason, teachers have to make students feel that they are very important and this is possible by getting students involved and probably they will learn more. The teacher should be careful about how s/he expresses the ideas in the classroom because it can affect students’ interest in the subject. In some cases, a word, gesture or phrase can set the student against the teacher, consequently affecting the classroom atmosphere. That is why professors have to establish a pleasant relationship student-professor to build confidence and better communication. Teachers have to let students express themselves as they want to and give the opportunities for it. Teachers who love their job and show their dedication and passion about their subject are the ones who make the students to admire that passion and also be interested during class.

The management of the learning process, the cooperation, and the maintenance of a positive classroom climate is linked to teachers’ abilities to set an appropriated tone and gain learners respect which is essential in producing optimum learning. Furthermore, the teachers’ attitude in selecting the contents, materials, method, strategies and evaluation affect in different ways the students’ learning, because his personality without an appropriated balance could cause problems in the students’ learning process and understanding during the class. One way to know and overcome those situations is the experience in which the teachers learn by practicing how to get the class control.

Also, the perception that students have about themselves is important because it influences their personality and their role in the classroom. It is necessary to strengthen students’ self-esteem in order to improve the students’ learning, if they have confidence in themselves; they can express their ideas and opinions, participate in the classroom activities and interchange knowledge without giving importance if they are going to be criticize or not. So, one of the goals of the teaching learning process should be to improve the self-concept that the students have about themselves.

According to experts, students acknowledge is affected by their affective filter. The affective filter is defined as the emotions that students experiment during the learning process, such as anxiety, nervousness, even fear. If a student is anxious, his/her affective filter will increase making difficult to learn and/or acquire the language. On the other hand, if the learning environment is comfortable enough for the student, his/her affecting filter will low, letting the language to be acquired and/or learned.

Motivation in Second Language Learning

In some way, the teachers must get students interested in activities that will make them reach the objective. To do so, professors must motivate their students. Motivation is a combination of effort plus desire to achieve the goal of learning plus favorable attitudes forwards learning. In a cognitive perspective, people can choose the way in which they behave and they have control over their actions. It could say that it does not matter how much effort the professor makes to involve the student in the process but, at the end he is who makes the final decision to learn or not. On the other hand, motivation involves a three step process:

•         First, motivation could be internal or external; it could be by the teachers’ attitude or personal interests and difficulties.
•      Second, fixations are actually involved in deciding to do something.
•       Third, people need to keep on the effort required to complete the activities on their own fulfillment.

For that reason, that is a process; there is no place for motivation if every step is not complete successfully. As a final point, the motivation itself could be affected by facts in the classroom, by the social context as a whole, and mostly by the professors’ behavior in class. People participate in an activity not only because they are interested in the activity itself, but because performing it will help them to obtain something else that they want. Therefore, when the only reason for performing an act itself relies on passing an exam or obtaining some practices right the motivation is likely to be extrinsic. On the other hand, when the performance cause interest and gratification and the reason for performing the activity lies within the activity itself is likely to be intrinsic. Most of the times, students’ actions are probably a mixture of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. When it is intrinsic, learning is part of the personal enhancement and it could be a permanent learning process because students learn by their own desire, but if students learn because of extrinsic motivation, it could become into a competition and what could be forgot easily.

Although learning depends on students’ decision, teachers can influence on that choice. If the teacher knows how to use the students’ interests, goals, feelings, and their context in the development of the class, the teacher can get the students’ attention and motivate them to learn the language. Also, if there is a good relationship between the teacher and the student, the classroom atmosphere is positive and the activities are attractive, the students will be interesting on be part of the class. The teaching-learning process includes all these factors and teachers should take them into account when they make the plan. It is important to try to motivate students and increase this motivation in every class, teachers must remember that learners are the center of the process and all the things that they do should be for the students’ improvement.

Then, teachers should understand that being an educator is more than have knowledge about the subject, that their attitude affects their students, they are a model for learners, and they can make the difference in every student. It is necessary to love what they do, teachers must love to interchange knowledge, be a friend of the students, help students to face their academic and personal situations, reinforce their confidence, increase their self-esteem, motivate the learners and be motivated by them. All these aspects are part of being a teacher, and maybe we cannot be the friend of all our students, but if we can help some of them, we will know that our effort has been effective. All those attitudes would not be possible if teachers lack vocation and love for their job.