The standards for teaching in the educational system keep increasing by the year. Methods used by tutors years ago have gone so obsolete that they just do not work anymore. To get to any student today, you have to speak their language. Sadly, force doesn’t cut it anymore. There’s a better approach to getting to your student nowadays, and that’s through serving.
University lecturers need to do more than just dump a pile of workload on their students every academic year. Leadership requires care. Showing some form of concern for the thought process of your followers. Let’s highlight some essential tips to become leaders of service in schools and colleges.
As servant leaders, teachers need to learn to empower their students through motivation. In all you do, you should aim at creating a healthy class. Enforcing your beliefs on the students has never been an effective method of education. Psychologically, you can nurture a child towards a specific behavior through motivation. Sounds cheesy, but it does work.
Start by observing the facial expressions and body language of your students in class. This would help you see if they feel motivated or not. When you notice a lack of interest, you can switch your method of approach. Creating a highly collaborative learning environment helps motivate students to learn willingly.
Servant leadership in classrooms encourages scholars to see beyond their limitations. Learn to create an environment where you can share your vision of what you see in your students. Your confidence in them matters a lot. If you notice a student’s strengths, always point them out using affirmative words. This way, they know they can achieve more.
Say words like, “I see you in the next two Olympics.” Our society is quick to define our kids based on their academic achievements. As a servant leader, it is your role to redirect the students’ focus to their strengths. Always believe in your students beyond the four walls of the school. Your impact helps them build trust in themselves enough to believe in your vision.
Professional development as a teacher involves helping your students feel relevant in class. Gone are the days when professors could just walk into a center without discussing the objectives of their lectures. Today, learners are getting more inquisitive, especially in teaching environments. Discuss the “why” behind a topic rather than simply teach.
While it’s important to give students project work, they must also know the objectives behind these tasks. Students should be guided to search the essays on servant leadership and learn more about understanding the objectives. An average student knows the reason and self-learning advantage for doing any project.
Servant leadership requires you to listen more than enforce your beliefs with words. It’s okay to give instruction or guidance now and then. Nonetheless, be prompt to listen to what each scholar has to say about their life or school work. As someone who is meant to encourage, the bulk part of your job lies in getting to know your students. You can only know them by listening to them.
As teachers, we should understand that every learner has their own story. We ought to show interest in what they have to say. Giving them an avenue to tell their story or share an idea is our main goal. As educators, our sole job is to make our students feel heard and safe enough to be confined to us. That should be the primary driver of servant leadership.
To guide effectively, you must come up with the terms that all students would come running to you. Some learners would never see the need to share their plans, emotions, or shortcomings with you. Service to people involves carrying everyone, irrespective of their beliefs or struggles. Servant leadership involves helping everyone face their challenges.
Spend more time with your hard-to-reach students. Those that’d never utter more than a few words during interactive sessions. Providing a safer space for them should be the priority. Making them feel safe enough to discuss their burden and struggles. You’d be able to pass on the right information needed from understanding their experience.
To record more success as a leader, you should be able to spot opportunities. Naturally, students are hard nuts to crack. By seizing the right opportunity, you’d be able to achieve what you could not do in a few months or years. You may sometimes walk into an ongoing discussion among the students deliberating on a matter. Seize that opportunity.
Perhaps you’ve just noticed a tough student sitting isolated during the break. That’s an avenue to start a conversation. By paying attention, you can almost tell when the students need more explanation on a subject matter. That day might be one of the very few days they’d seem so interested in what you have to say. Pay attention and act smart.
Leadership thrives on the wheels of humility. Scholars only respect a teacher that’s patient enough to lead them as young adults. Pride might help you maintain your title as a superior, but it never gets you any result. It only makes you seem unreachable to students that need your attention. Achieving any form of growth would be difficult in your school.
Leadership requires the highest level of service. Being humble with your students would help with building a healthy educational space. Be humble enough to notice your students’ skills, projects they love working on, and ways they need assistance. As leaders, we should learn to serve more without allowing pride to get in the way.
Educational leadership requires more than coordinating the students. A great tutor leads their learners by example. It is important to show behaviors worth emulating by the students. Teachers need to plan to do more service than instructing. Ultimately, it’s about the results you produce together, not your effort. Your students also contribute to your achievements. Set good examples for your students to follow. They must also feel safe enough to discuss things with you. Pay attention to their words and seize moments of opportunities to guide and counsel them. Additionally, always see beyond their limitations. Encourage every skill and enthusiasm outside educational activities.
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Servant-leadership is excellent for educators. We use The ACRONYM MODEL OF SERVANT-Leadership® which teaches:
- Selfless
- Empathetic
- Resolute
- Virtuous
- Authentic
- Nonpartisan
- Thorough
By the way, I was surprised to see you write, “sadly, force doesn’t work anymore.” Seems force never was appropriate.