Not many days have passed since the absurd and harmful campaign of the group Hazte Oír against transsexual children. But it seems that human intolerance has reached an educational center in Leon. And not from the students but from a teacher. A religion teacher told a gay student that He had an incurable disease that made him very sorry. "Hopefully you'll be normal again" was one of the star phrases that the teacher expressed to the student.
I'm very sorry if this question offends you, but, What kind of teachers do we have in educational centers? Yes, I know that there are teachers at heart and that there are many who are passionate about teaching, but shouldn't something be done with teachers who have not even learned to be people?
Teachers with values in all classrooms
It is clear that values education cannot be promoted if some teachers in educational centers do not have them. How are they going to promote tolerance, respect and non-discrimination in the classrooms if they are contrary to those values? For this reason, and as I always say, schools and institutes need teachers who do not simply stop at transmitting knowledge.
For me, learning to be people is one of the most important goals of education. And values such as tolerance and respect should be key in classrooms for a good school climate. It is important that teachers propose activities and discussions to students to promote camaraderie, non-rejection and mutual support.
Abuse of teaching power with students
As hard as I can say, there are teachers who abuse their power with some students (and sometimes even the whole class). They believe they have excessive authority. And on some occasions they humiliate students, laugh at them and cause them continuous discomfort. When I was studying primary education, many teachers ridiculed me in the classroom. And today (although to a lesser extent) the same cases continue to occur.
Let a teacher say to a gay student that he has a disease and hopefully he returns to normal soon is offensive. And not only offensive but it generates rejection, discrimination and hatred among other colleagues. The humiliation of students is a clear case of abuse of power. And it occurs in more situations than we think.
How is it possible that these people are teachers?
I admit that I have come to think whether to put people in quotes. Regarding the question, I don't have a concrete answer. What I do know is that practically everyone can work in an educational center. There is no type of evaluation of teachers. That is to say, they do pass a degree and they do pass the oppositions. But that does not indicate that one is ready to be a teacher.
This is the case of the religion teacher who teaches the class at an institute in León. He is still working at the educational center (although the Leon Department of Education has already opened an investigation). And that's not the worst. The worst of all is that according to several students the teacher made sexist and offensive comments in the classroom on many occasions. Why does someone like that keep teaching in a high school? It is quite a mystery.
Teachers who are agents of change
We need teachers who change education. Teachers with values, good people and who believe that their work goes beyond the transmission of knowledge. Teachers who are examples for students and who promote respect, tolerance and solidarity in the classes. Teachers who are capable of opening minds (and not closing them).
Teachers who do not reject students (under any circumstances) and that they generate bonds of companionship between the students and not the opposite. Teachers who fight against bullying and not who favor it. Teachers who do not forget that learning to be people is also important in the classroom. And teachers who promote diversity and equality in their classes.
Now, do you think all teachers are like that? Do you think that all teachers who work in educational centers should do so? I hope the questions make you ponder. I hope that one day all the classrooms are full of teachers at heart. And hopefully having good teachers in class is the norm and not a matter of chance.