Much is said today about the traditional teacher and the leader in the management of educational processes.
It is demonstrated by research that the latter is capable of leading the group or collective to goals that for the former are unattainable in our judgment. Today the leader has a clear mission and has the will to do what is oriented to obtain good benefits from the student body, there lies one of the great differences with the traditional teacher that we will refer to in this work.
Development
Ariel Ruiz points out: "True leaders are innovators, capable of anticipating the future and foreseeing solutions to new problems." They understand that “Looking to the future without acting is just dreaming and that acting without a vision of the future is meaningless.
A teacher who is a leader has a clear mission, knows and is willing to do what must be done to facilitate coordinated action for the benefit of the student group. A fundamental aspect of their leadership is the ability to communicate ideas and enthusiasm, to convince and influence students, achieving their commitment and effective participation in educational action.
The meaning of this educational action refers not only to what should be done and how to do things well, but also to knowing and understanding why and for what educational activities and tasks should be carried out in a harmonious, coordinated and integrated way. without forgetting that through action, man develops his own personality and history. ”(1)
The lead teacher instills confidence and believes in the abilities of the students to make the functioning of the student group possible. Trust breeds responsibility, promotes participation, and develops creativity. Therefore, the leader must trust people and earn their trust through good example, persistence, testimony and social commitment. A good leader is the one who drags others and they follow him to his last consequences. Therefore, the example is a force that can transform students and turn them into agents of change, into transformers of their own reality. Thus, the cohesion of the group is achieved with a more solid structure and a psychological-moral climate,that produces satisfaction in the course of the teaching-learning action until the planned objectives are achieved and the results obtained are evaluated according to the parameters of quality and efficiency.
The authentic leading teacher has to be an example and demonstrate the ability to evaluate himself, to recognize his possibilities and limitations, his successes and mistakes in order to improve the concept and esteem of himself and others.
The cited author points out that: "When the teacher or professor is a leader, he improves perception, self-esteem, respect and self-confidence, projects security, confidence and positive energy towards students and manages to share his satisfaction, enrich himself and enjoy their results, take them on as collaborators, thus improving the educational work and culture of the group ”. (2)
Regarding teacher leadership, Sprinthall states the following: “… The teacher, as a leader, can exert an enormous influence on the definition of the group. We have pointed out that a class can evolve in very different ways, so it can be from a simple collection of egocentric individuals, in which each one "does something different", to a machine with a perfect gear, in which each individual only it can be defined by your group membership. If the teacher does not know the social variables, or decides not to play the role of leader, the students will impose their own style of operation, which can lead to a somewhat unpleasant situation: that the teacher's role is defined by the group. Although we cannot forget that the opposite extreme,in which the teacher establishes objectives and relationships based solely on his own needs and values, is equally undesirable. Thus, the way in which the teacher uses concepts such as social facilitation, conformity, competitiveness, cohesion and group pressure is part of the teaching process ”.
It is very important as some authors have pointed out that the lead teacher directs his functions to achieve an understanding of the mission of the educational process, the achievement of common objectives, the defense of the principles and the achievement of values such as the sense of belonging, as well as achieve a good climate of communication between his disciples, as well as cooperation between them.
Others stand out among those noted by the cited author:
- Preserve the integrity of the group and the school through the development of values, compliance with the rules and the improvement of interpersonal, public and social relationships Generate changes in mentality and attitude in students, depending on the development of the school and their personality, both from the point of view of their instruction and their education.Consolidate the changes achieved in students by creating scenarios of creative, formative and productive interaction, in the curricular and extracurricular dimensions with an extensionist sense, for its continuous and sustained improvement.
From this it follows that the traditional teacher often constitutes an opposing force in the face of changes since in many cases they resist and follow traditionalism. Therefore, it is vitally important to assume leadership positions and readiness to the transformations and changes that occur in the process. Let's take an example, the universalization process is necessary to abandon the traditional and be willing to change, since despite the fact that it is a single university, the Blended model that is applied goes beyond the framework of the traditional, so professors and managers must adapt to the prevailing conditions and the new requirements posed by the universalization process.
Today, directing the educational teaching or teaching-learning process, in the light of advanced pedagogical trends, requires teachers to assume a leadership position with respect to their students.
We think the table where differences are discussed between traditional teacher and leader taken from the management module is vitally important to understand from our point of view the major difference between the leading teacher and traditional in the management of educational processes, taking into account that educational processes undergo different changes that must be taken into account, taking into account the new peculiarities and regularities of the new University. With this, it allows us a better understanding of the management of these in the current moments, making it a paradigm of all of us who in one way or another dedicate ourselves to teaching.
The leading teacher among other characteristics: Recognizes the need for change, develops, innovates. It focuses on the students, inspires confidence, motivates, and promotes the participation of its students by exercising the minimum necessary control. It looks to the horizon and fixes its attention on the long-term training objectives. Accept and face the challenges of the future with optimism. He is disciplined while being independent, analyzing the what and why. It is bold. Promotes knowledge, teaches learning. Teaches decision-making and shared decisions Listens, makes people speak Evaluates together with the group Encourages, guides, reassures Works with the group Does things that must be done. He is a role model for his disciples.
In contemporary times, the role of leader that teachers must play with the new changes that have taken place at a global level are of extraordinary significance that greatly influences the axiological and general culture training that the 21st century citizen needs, capable of transmitting the best of pedagogical, psychological and sociological thought in a general way. This is what the new university draws from in order to respond to the new challenges that arise in the current conditions of globalization.
All these reflections will guide us to be better every day and to apply with creative style the new transformations that are carried out in the process of universalization.
Conclusions
With this work we have concluded that the leading teacher, unlike the traditional teacher, adapts to the new transformations that are taking place in education at the present time and is a person who achieves a good level of communication with their students, being an example to take to fulfill the mission that the university has given us to train competent professionals and transforming agents in the face of the changes that occur.
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