Every adult who has occupied a place in a classroom for several years will always remember those teachers who positively influenced their personal lives, who left indelible marks on the development of their personality or their particular way of perceiving the world around them. and in the vast majority of cases that teacher has been the Group Director Teacher.
The Group Director is the adult who, after the parents, has the greatest responsibility in the formation of the student since in his hands he has the inescapable mission of transmitting all those values proper to each educational community, defined in the Institutional Educational Project.
The Group Director, in addition to his / her teaching function itself, must exercise the necessary supervision and control over the group of students in charge with the recurring purpose of creating and maintaining an optimal pedagogical environment (favorable conditions for learning).
That generates the highest level of excellence and efficiency, according to the characteristics of the group, the school work and the institution, not only in its area but during the development of all classes.
The work of every Group Director Teacher will always be articulated with the pedagogical activity of all the teachers who interact with the students in the group in charge, this will become a reality through conversations in which the information that each student has been shared is socialized. collected and their interaction with the other members of the group, to promote an adequate exercise of pedagogical activity, adequate time management, integrated didactic work, optimization of available resources and a more meritocratic evaluation process, all aimed at driving the group towards academic excellence and personal development of the student.
Group management
The purpose of Group Management is to facilitate student development processes by carrying out planned actions in accordance with the particular needs of the group, the institution and the community to which it belongs.
It will be determined by the purposes and institutional philosophy.
This purpose may be broken down into more specific objectives according to the development processes of the student and of the Institution itself. (Fields of action in which activities will be clearly established by the Group Director Teacher).
- Cognitive development
In this aspect of student development, the exercise of Group Management will promote better use of time, adequate management of study techniques, continuous improvement of student performance levels, optimization of the work to be carried out by students, with a view to maintaining their productivity and competitiveness with high levels of demand.
- Personal and social development
Clearly, the need to provide comprehensive training to the student has been established, in which both academic and attitudinal and value purposes prevail.
Once again we must refer to the institutional philosophy in which the specific values to be developed must be defined, including the consensual definition of them.
However, there are some values that are considered primary or basic in every individual and the School's social commitment in the training processes it develops, these are: responsibility, punctuality, honesty, solidarity, sociability, love of knowledge, study and work habits, self-demand.
- Institutional development
This field of action of the Group Management is of great importance because this is where the group director teacher contributes to relate the particular facts of institutional life, how relationships occur, how processes develop, what are the advances in the achievement of institutional intent.
From the Group Management, quality information must be collected about the personal development of each student in the social, academic and attitudinal aspects, through the completion of the different descriptive and evaluative records of their performance.
This information must be valuable for detecting difficulties, strengths and for making timely decisions.
The Group Management requires, on the part of the teacher who exercises it, the appropriate knowledge of each of the students that make up the group, the management of didactic strategies, the adequate exercise of authority in the classroom, and a high degree of commitment to achieve institutional and educational purposes.
The exercise of group leadership must rest on a good planning process, on the establishment of excellent relations between teacher and disciples, on the efficient leadership of the group and on the adaptation of more meritocratic school environments that promote interest in learning. and the formation of more self-demanding and competent individuals.
Good or bad school results will largely depend on group leadership.
The Group Management is framed in three identifiable models or styles in its exercise.
In the first case, the authority is focused exclusively on the current regulations, where the established order inside or outside the class prevails, even at the expense of the instruction processes.
It is characterized by being in constant control and vigilance of the student's work, preventing possible breaches of regulations and in the event that they occur to “punish” those who commit them in an exemplary manner, isolating them (excluding them from the group) if possible.
This model can be characterized by the accumulation of records of a misnamed “follow-up in which only all the negative aspects that the student may have are related, suspension of students, students removed from class.
With the development of the pedagogical act, "the classes" are related: low grade-sanction, constant threats, carrying out "plans" as punishment and many that depend on the characteristics of the geographical area in which it is located the institution in terms of social, cultural and economic level.
The formation of values, the generation of positive attitudes and self-control in the student are in a second or third plane in the order of priorities in the institutions that practice this model, which I have called Anti-formative. The student is not trustworthy, he has no credibility, he starts from the premise that he may be lying.
In a second model, the Teacher assumes a complacent position with the group, does not exercise any type of minimum necessary control, makes friends with the students, they are always right and the levels of demand are minimal, in many cases the teacher assumes an attitude of indifference, exercising Group Management or dictating their classes without taking into account what happens with the student.
It generally occurs when this responsibility is assigned to a teacher without the necessary experience or without sufficient advice to allow them to grow in the exercise of Group Management.
In the third model, the teacher who exercises his authority with an Authoritative style can be located, he becomes the leader of his students, as a teacher he leads them through persuasion, dialogue and example.
It seeks to exercise Group Management understanding the individual characteristics of each student, respect for their personality, the formation of positive study and behavioral habits that allow them to carry out a process of personal growth in the academic, emotional and social areas.
In this model, the teacher persuades, describes and teaches what the student should be and do, by example, with dedication, with clear samples of joint planning with the students of activities in the short, medium and long term, being self-demanding in achieving of the achievements proposed and known by his students in Group Management, showing coherence in his life with the group, in a climate of trust and respect for the possibilities of the students and guiding them to overcome their weaknesses.
This model has been called Formative and promotes in the student the need for achievement, the desire to learn and a spirit of continuous improvement.
Undoubtedly, the model or style of exercising Group Management is largely determined by the model that the institution has adopted.
“A Curriculum can assign greater importance to some of the spheres of human development. The evaluative aspects may, for example, be privileged in front of the psychomotor. In the first case, reflection on affective manifestations, love, feelings or freedom, will have to have more time and space to be addressed and lived.
Companionship, autonomy or regulation will then be more relevant aspects, in educational practice, than learning and knowledge.
In the second case, knowledge, research, information, thought or learning will acquire a preponderant place and the school would have to create the conditions to facilitate its development ”
Group Leadership Program Planning
At this point the need arises to clearly define the action plan to be followed during the school year, based on the pedagogical hexagon (Purposes, Contents, Didactics, Sequence, Resources and Evaluation), to establish each component before moving on to the next, taking into account the specific purposes of the level, the degree in charge and finally the characteristics of the members of the group.
The definition of the action plan, its organization and its systematized execution must reflect institutional philosophical intent.
The entire program must determine a relational environment between parents, teachers and students, for this reason the main task of the Group Director is to create a "virtual" environment or space for students to experience, experiment and reflect on in the present time. the characteristics of the ideal society that adults in the educational community have thought of, dreamed of for them, in terms of managing affective relationships, love, feelings, emotions, freedom, knowledge, science and technology.
In other words, creating learning environments for students to acquire instruments of knowledge that allow them to access knowledge and know-how and to live respect for human dignity, for themselves and for the other people who share with them that relational space that it is the Educational Institution.
A space for coexistence, solidarity and active reflection in which the student sees in the adult the clear example of self-demand, discipline and solidarity as principles and characteristics of an excellent person, who is spiritually, emotionally, ethically, socially and ecologically responsible.
A guide for your development as a person and as a human being in relation to God, Science, Nature, your Culture and the other people in your community as individuals who share this space of coexistence.
Factors that characterize the exercise of group management
It is in this space where parents, teachers and students will basically coexist, share, coexist in which factors such as:
- The management of effective communication processes. The management of excellent interpersonal relationships. The exercise of an authoritative style for the management of authority in the classroom (teachers) and in the family environment (parents).
An instructional process that guarantees the student the growth, development and expansion of their capacity for action (Cognitive and Expressive Dimensions) and their capacity for reflection (Affective Dimension)
Recommendations for the group leader
The assignment as group director is not a simple position, but one of the many tools that a School Institution has for the achievement of its intention, defined in the philosophical component of the Educational Project.
Its mission therefore does not consist in the simple execution of isolated actions or activities, in the blind compliance with rules and regulations or the filing of documents due to a simple labor requirement.
The purpose of the Group Director is to better direct the integral learning of the student, promoting, reflection, participation, individual and group work, in accordance with the previous planning contemplated in the Program prepared taking into account what has been discussed so far. in previous paragraphs and the following recommendations:
1. Plan the activities of the Group Management program well, according to the particular needs of the Institution, the group and the students.
2. Try to include activities of various types, to be carried out in the short, medium and long term, which require patience, effort and passion from you as a teacher and from the students.
3. Carry out your interventions in the group and individually with property, firmness and security and face the situations that arise in the group with the best disposition and understanding of the circumstances.
4. Always promote an environment of respect among all members of the group and of these towards the other members of the educational community.
5. Avoid criticizing or admonishing the student in class or in front of his classmates. If necessary, do it privately.
6. Listen carefully to the individual cases, try to persuade the student to understand through reflection of the negative and the positive of their behaviors, for him and for the group.
7. Give precise and clear instructions about what you want the student to do, how to act, these instructions must be fully known by the students, so that they too feel responsible for them.
8. Publicize the rules that will govern school life and make sure that all students understood them, this can guarantee a higher level of commitment by students to their compliance.
9. Do not overlook the offenses committed, explain the reason why it should be sanctioned and subsequently sanction it.
It should not be sanctioned without explaining clearly and explicitly why the punishment.
10. Never sanction the entire group of students for the behavior of one or more students, unless there are obvious general implications of the entire group.
11. Always be prepared to negotiate a rule or sanction in reasonable circumstances.
12. Avoid using metalanguage when communicating with students, don't be ironic.
13. Be impartial in dealing with students, avoid preferences for particular students.
14. Assign responsibilities to the students of the group guaranteeing the periodic rotation. For example:
Group Representative, Board Cleaner, Classroom Cleaner, Keeper of Forgotten Items in the Classroom, Chalk or Marker Keeper, Window Opener, Classroom Maker, In charge of turning the lights and fans on and off, In charge of the administration of the library.
15. Don't make promises you can't keep.
16. Don't threaten.
17. Avoid making negative comments about the work of other teachers.
18. Always act wisely. Never lose control in front of students. You should not act in moments of lack of control and anger.
19. Do not discuss private matters in front of the group or individually.
20. Plan all your activities. I didn't rely too much on improvisation.
21. Avoid openly and ostentatiously manifesting your political and religious preferences.
22. Stay informed of the particular difficulties of your students, this allows you to guide them in a timely manner when necessary.
23. Respect the way of being of each student, directing him, when appropriate, towards forms of social acceptance.
24. Identify those students who show leadership characteristics within the group and channel their activities for the benefit of their peers.
25. Identify withdrawn or rejected students within the group, observe their behavior, characterize the possible causes of the behavior, and together with the school counselor provide the necessary advice that allows them to integrate normally with the group and achieve acceptance.
26. Break paradigms and anticipate the necessary changes in difficult situations.
27. Be lavish in encouragement and recognition of all the good things students do, being clearly meritocratic
28. Try to attend to individual differences, both in school work and in personal relationships with students.
29. Avoid ridicule and sarcasm, as these forms of reaction from the teacher can definitely distance you from the student.
30. Be honest and frank with your students, discussing with them the forms of behavior considered undesirable; of freedom so that they manifest themselves with spontaneity and mutual respect, so that the misunderstandings disappear and the unthinkable attitudes are felt and reflected on by all.
The school guidance department and the group director.
The importance and educational value of the work of the School Guidance Department, carried out in many cases by Educational Psychologists, psychologists, Special Educators or Social Workers, in the development of the training processes of the students inside the School, has been very poorly recognized by the authorities of the education sector.
However, much of the support that a Group Director requires in the exercise of this work, must be received from the School Counselor.
I have determined this support from three classes: Counseling, Psychometric Evaluation and Diagnosis.
The advice that a Group Director may receive will be determined by the particular circumstances of the group, analysis of the characteristics of the students according to their age, sex, parental training, personality development, behavior patterns, attitudes, values training, interpersonal relationships, workshops for parents, sociograms, interpretation of information collected by the group director.
Both the school counselor and the group director collect valuable information on the student's development during their stay in the institution, this information is derived from the observations made to the group and to the students, it is recorded by means of the list of facts or significant events in life of the group in all areas of the school or outside it, and is recorded in the different instruments that the Institution has designed for this purpose (evaluative record, student observer, record of personal growth and development, anamnestic record)
This information must be studied and analyzed jointly by the Group Director and the School Counselor, the latter will rely if necessary on other psychological measurement instruments to give greater validity and reliability to the observations made.
Once a diagnosis has been determined about the situation of the group or of the students in particular, a set of methodological and / or didactic suggestions should be presented to the teaching staff that adjust to the treatment needs of the difficulties detected.
It is not superfluous to point out that due confidentiality of the topics discussed must prevail in the teaching team.
Likewise, if the circumstances require it, the information should be treated jointly with the parents in order to integrate them and commit them to the solution of conflicts, difficulties in which their children are involved or in the implementation of additional programs to enhance the development of students.
The realization of all this joint work, suitably studied and systematized, will allow a harmonious growth of Teachers, Parents and Students that will be reflected in the development of the Educational Institution as such as it will give rise to guidelines and suggestions aimed at redirecting the Project Educational towards better optimization of results.
School government and group leadership
There is a Government in every school institution made up of the Rector, the Board of Directors.
It is very important that the School Government, headed by the principal, express clear interest and support in the way the Group Management programs are developed in the Institution.
This interest begins from the knowledge of the programs of each group director to the realization of formal and informal evaluations of the interests, expectations and concerns of the students throughout the academic year.
The school government cannot assume permissive positions in the face of the violation of children's rights with the application of arbitrary measures that are not contemplated in the Coexistence Manual, the violation of due process, just as serious, will also be closing your eyes to the facilitator position. of the teacher who loses control of the students, sacrificing the discipline necessary for the optimal development of the instructional processes.
In addition to the organizations of the School Government, there are other instances that must be involved by the Group Director in the execution of their program, these are: The Student Council, the Student Representative before the Board of Directors, The Student Representative, The Council of Parents and the Association of Parents, the latter as representative of the community to which the institution belongs.
Articulating the work of the Group Management in a collective action from the School Government itself and with the participation of the Educational Community will allow to transcend the walls of the School and reach the projection towards homes and the social environment.
The group address and the coexistence manual
The norms that govern coexistence within the Educational community must be agreed and jointly constructed by all the levels that comprise it.
For this, it is of vital importance that the Group Management allow students a full knowledge of the Manual, its intent and its operation throughout the school year.
This information will be valuable for decision-making regarding the validation and reform of the coexistence manual.
The application of sanctions that are not in accordance with the offenses, that the student is not listened to, sanction for sanctioning, can generate more serious consequences than the same offense.
The behavior of every human being, of every community or human group, to coexist and develop in harmony, requires adequate regulations that include their interests and promote respect for human dignity.
Group management and parents
All students require constant supervision by teachers and parents, so that in an environment of freedom, trust and harmony, they can receive the advice, help and guidance necessary to assimilate failures and successes, identify the attitudes that lead to them.
In this way their training can be guaranteed to make responsible use of that freedom.
Both the School and the family must work together and for this the Group Management will open the necessary channels so that relations of exchange and unification of joint actions are given to achieve the development of environments of respect, tolerance, understanding, affection, demand, solidarity, discipline and community construction of norms that satisfy the needs of all its members.
Paper presented at the 1st Maicao La Guajira Group Teachers 'Teachers' Congress April 2005
De Zubiría Samper, Julián, Conceptual Pedagogy Treaty4, The Pedagogical Models. Alberto Merani Foundation, Bernardo Herrera Merino Publications Fund. Bogotá DC. 2002
