The Roles of the Reflective Classroom Teacher

Ahmad Zainuri Bin Loap Ahmad

Abstract: This article first answers the question, "Why do teachers

need to reflect on their teaching?" This article also focuses on five a reflective teacher performs in the classroom: the communicator role, counselor role, ethicist role, political role and researcher role. In order to be effective teachers and role models, teachers are advised to choose roles,juggle roles and shift roles.

roles

Keywords: Role, reflective teachers.

INTRODUCTION
schools today, many stories abound of unforfun ate students being sidelined by teachers through no fault oftheirs, but because

In

of

teachers who lack professionalism

for

various

reasons.

Frustrated students often vent their frustrations on society. Teachers could be the partial cause of the astronomical, unexplained number of social ills that we encounter today. Teachers need to sit back and reflect deeply each day as well as allow The Almighty to guide

them at all times in discharging their duties. Reflection breathes new life into the soul of every homo sapiens on this earth, and guides them at all times to be better human beings. Well, if the six students from the religious school Sekolah Menengah Agama A1Maidah Addiniah, Padang Tengku, Lipis, had done reflective thinking, they would not be bullying their junior Muhammad Afiq Abu Qusyairi, as reported in the local newspapers in May 2005. If all educators have been reflecting appropriately as they should have, there would not be the public outcry for an overhaul of the national education system, thus reported in the New Straits Times on December 31,2002.

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Thc Rc{lectivc Tcachcr

Reflection could be the answer for the many who are ernbroiled

in emotional unrest. It is crystal clear that humans devoid of

reflective thinking can unleash the untamed dark side within each and every one of them! And who else better to instil this awareness of the importance of reflective thinking in our lives, if not teachers
themselves.

stage". Some think teachers are like orchestral conductors because "they direct conversation and set the pace and tone". Yet others feel teachers are like gardeners because "they plant the seeds and water them to help them grow".

But one question worth considering here is "Why do teachers

need to reflect on their teaching?" There are at least three good reasons. First of all, although all teaching situations share some

similarities, each situation has unique characteristics. Students, school settings, curricula - as well as teachers' own background and interests are different for each individual, and knowing about many possible instructional strategies helps teachers make intelligent choices about what will be best in their own classrooms. In addition, reflecting the process of evaluating and choosing among strategies help teachers become better teachers by encouraging them to recognize and exercise their power to be decision-makers. Teachers do not become stronger professionals by having someone else, for instance a textbook author, choose teaching methods for them. Perhaps the most important reason for reflecting on teaching and learning is that education is a field bubbling with good ideas. No textbook can present them all for both students and teachers, because more new strategies and methods are being devised all the time. Studying, observing, reading professional j ournals, attending conferences and reflecting on teachers own practices will make teaching more effective and teachers more competent. In a nutshell, reflecting is a good thing for teachers. It does not only involve reflecting on the past, but also reflecting on the present and the future. Serious reflection helps teachers gain competence, mastery and understanding. Besides that, reflective teachers also engage themselves in solitary dialogues (mental activity that is a conversation between two sides of the inner self). Teachers can play many roles in the course of teaching. Teacher roles are often described in the form of metaphors. Sometimes people say that teachers are like actors because "they are always on
2

In this 2lst century teachers should change their perception of themselves that teachers are those who dispenses knowl8dge: people who impart knowledge, lectures, tell, feed and disseminate the subject matter to students. The students only sit passively listening to the teacher and carry out the instructions, tasks and
activities given by the teachers concemed. Teachers should realized that they are no longer the source of all knowledge, but instead the facilitator of learning. In other words, a teacher is not the "sage on stage" but the "guide on the side". Obviously, teachers wear many hats and play many roles: not only the roles mentioned above but also the roles as friend, counselor, judge, researcher, mentor, baby-sitter, mother, father hundreds ofroles and different roles for different classes, students and extra-curricular duties. Richards & Lockhart (1999) believe that teachers create their own roles within the classroom. Teachers

may select roles for themselves: planner, manager, quality

controller, group organizer, facilitator, motivator, empowerer and team member. Mclntyre and O'Hair (1996) contend that there are ten reflective roles of the classroom teacher. They have listed the ten roles as otganizer, manager, counselor, communicator, professional, innovator, motivator, ethicist, political and legal. For the purpose of this paper, I will only focus on the communicator role, counselor role, ethicist role, political role and
researcher role.

THE COMMUNICATOR ROLE

Just as

good communication network system

is

crucially

important for a good organization, so a teacher who acts as a good communicator in his or her own school setting, thus becoming a

lubricant. The reason is that he or she generates a good flow of work order and prevents many problematic incidents from arising.

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The Rellcctive Teacher

Lacking such a person will make the school become a total lhilure due to a missing part in the communication network.

Ideally, a good communicator is a person who exercises an "open communication st5rle". He or she exercises openness in his or her communication approach. Such a person exhibits flexibility in giviffg and receiving advice, is well liked, promotes productivity,
accepts criticism, listens well and acts wisely. This style of communication is explained by Tan Tuan Hock in his book, Human Relations and Interpersonal communication (1997) a term which he has associated with "Open Area',, the first type of communication highlighted in "Johari window", a communication and human relations model developed by Joseph Luft and Haoy
Ingham.

communicator in an organization like a school. Besides the principal, a teacher with good communication skill can also widen his or her circle of influence for the betterment of the school. In short, the entire school rests on good communicators for
effectiveness and success. In the role of a communicatoE a teacher is expected to interact effectively with different people in many different formats and

In the above model, "Open Area" communication is based on "I know that you know',. It is an area which we share certain aspects of ourselves with others, a sharing which could develop trust. So, to develop this area of communication, we have been strongly advised to reduce the .,Hidden Area" through appropriate self-disclosure and reduce the ..Blind Area" through feedback from others by inviting them to honestly share their
the maxim,
perceptions about us.

environments that characterize and define the school climate and culture. A teacher has to communicate with students, teachers, principals, officers and parents. The communication process is the process ofindividuals sharing ideas, beliefs, thoughts, and feelings with each other in common, understandable ways. In the process, misunderstandings are bound to take place. Thus, it becomes increasingly important to know the elements of the communication and the role each element plays. Teachers need to select the appropriate approach in the role of a communicator in order to avoid any misunderstanding. One question that teachers should consider at this point is "How are we communicating with our students?" This question requires a teacher to ascertain what triggers the entire communication in the

This state of communication is what all schools wish. If it is not established, communication barriers will occur as a result of the

closed (unknown), blind and hidden style

or atea of
.,grape-vine

the informal

communication. consequently, the school should embrace both the formal communication, (practiced among the administrators) and

communication

also called as

classroom context. Barnes (1975) perceived that the entire classroom communication is triggered by the perception a teacher holds towards knowledge. From the teacher's perception about knowledge emanates other elements of discussion like teacherstudent level of interaction in the classroom, kinds of communication and the type of group work practised within the
classroom context.

communication" (trrracticed among the closed, blind and hidden style communicators). If the grape-vine communication overrides the formal communication network, the smooth operation of the school will come to a standstill and consequently fails. However, if the school has a good trouble shooter, normally the principal who exercises the open sfyle communication, the school will be able to strip off the communication barrier and use the grape-vine communication to the advantage of the school's vision, mission and objectives. Such is the importance of a good
4

Barnes affrrmed that if a teacher perceives knowledge as content, then he or she would generate a transmission type of communication in his classroom. As a result, he or she over emphasizes the need to assess students' oral or written presentations to ascertain whether the intended knowledge had been successfully transmitted. Such an attempt only enables students to acquire "school knowledge", thus creating an examination-oriented approach to the entire teaching and learning
process in the classroom.

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The Reflective Teacher

on the other hand, should the teacher perceive knowredge as students' ability to interpret, then he or she naturally executes interactive communication. [n so doing, he or she evokes elements like negotiation, collaborative types of group work for students to explore the newly received knowledge so that what is learnt is applied in a new problem-solving context. Ideally, such an attempt helps students to be equipped with "action knowledge". with this knowledge, they become more prepared to face the real world.

Negara" instead

THE COUNSELOR ROLE

J.S. Farrant (1988) defines counseling as an act of assisting an individual with advice, comfort or guidance in order to relieve or overcome problems that trouble him or her. Jack c. Richards and charles Lockhart (1996) add that as a counselor, the teacher is encouraged to identify students who are having problems and learning difficulties, and to offer individual counseling to students who need it. It is a well known fact that teachers not only teach the subject content but also ensure that their students are mentally and emotionally prepared to receive knowledge learned on their own or imparted to them by teachers or peers. In this respect, a teacher who

"Perpustakaan Negara" to get enough resources to write an essay on, "The History of Tin Mining Activity in Kuala Lumpur". Other examples would include a teacher who gives moral advice to his or her students to respect the elders and care for their neighbours and who incorporates these values in the daily lessons. On the other hand, counseling takes a different approach. Munter pointed out that in counseling, both the teacher and the student solve a problem. For example, when a teacher notices a student who falls asleep in the classroom and neglects his or her homework, the teacher can talk to him or her about ways to avoid the problem. It could be done by the teacher finding out the student's personal problems he or she faces at home or in school and then suggesting ways to overcome them. In doing so, the teacher could give initial guidance until the student makes progrqss in his or her studies. In this regard, the teacher and students work together to overcome the two problems mentioned

of visiting the

above.

assumes the role of a counselor executes three types of competencies- They involve advising and counseling students, promoting students' self concept, and promoting cooperative learning among fellow students. It should be remembered that teacher means everything for students. In fact, what teachers say or do in and outside the classroom greatly influence their students who observe these activities. Very often, students confide their problems to teachers more than to their parents and friends. As a result, teachers naturally become their advisorr and counselors. so, it is crucial that teachers know the difference between advisors and counselors. To understand this difference, Munter (1996) in Tan Tuan Hock (1997) opined that teachers become advisors when they assume the responsibility for students' decision making. A classic example would be a teacher's advice to students to visit the ..Muzium
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Howeveq how the teacher goes about getting the student's cooperation depends on how well the teacher establishes a good relationship with the student concerned. By and large, a good counselor ought to elicit six roles as outlined by Gibson and Mitchell (1990) in Mclntyre & O'Hair (1996). They include the listener-advisor role, referral and receiving agent, human potential discoverer, career educator, human relations facilitator and counseling programme supporter. In short, when the world moves towards modernization at such a dizzying speed, decline and change in social values is inevitable and bound to occur. Thus, the teacher as counselor is increasingly recognized as an important component of the teacher's work since children learn best when they are free from worries or matters that interfere with the development of their personality. In the teacher's capacity as a counselor, he or she should display genuine concem for the welfare and well-being (physical, emotional, moral and spiritual) of the students, provide guidance as well as supervise their behaviours and activities.

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The Reflective Teacher

THE ETHICIST ROLE

It is said by Mclntyre & o'Hair (1996) that among the many roles of a classroom teacher the ethicist role is the most controversial role. The reason is that a teacher is always portrayed by most

An ethical teacher should treat all the students equally and not
be biased about them in any circumstances. Teachers should be fair and square when dealing with students from different backgrounds,

people as one who possess a system of moral values that exerts a positive influence on students. Thus the duty of a teacher is not only to impart knowledge to the students but also to bring moral values
students' attitudes and behaviours in their daily life. Inculcating moral values to the students can be done in many ways. First of all, the teacher becomes a role model for the students. For example, the way a teacher dresses, speaks, behaves and shows physical appearance is observed by students. so in this case the

into the classroom. Moral values will influence the

teacher must portray good and positive mannerisms towards the students as students always believe that whatever their teacher does is right and must be imitated. Students look up to teachers and
expect them to be good or even sometimes perfect examples. It is as if they (the teachers) are not entitled to any wrongdoings. lmagine

living up to that standard! The students will closely n'onito,

everything the teacher does. Therefore, teachers should always bear in mind that they are the most important persons for cultivating moral values and molding the students to be ethical people as it is mentioned in our National philosophy of Education. Another way to inculcate moral values to the students is by

races, gender, religions and academic levels. When delegating work, teachers must make sure that it is divided equally among the students. Teachers should state the instruction clearly, be punctual to class, show self-discipline and be firm in making decisions. Changing a decision may give a bad impression about a teacher, and then students might not respect and trust the teacher. Teachers must also be good observers of what is happening around them. They need to observe their students' actions and nonactions so that they can vary their approach in analyzing their teaching development. Good teachers will not hesitate to give positive feedback, and it is necessary for teachers to be blunt at times and sincere with their feedback. Teachers should give students opportunity to learn through their mistakes, as doing this will promote a healthy teacher-students relationship. Teachers should believe that their students can draw valid and meaningful conclusions from their own experiences too.

THE POLITICAL ROLB

Many teachers are unaware of their political roles in school. According to Mclntyre and O'Hair (1996), there are three
competencies involved in the political role. The three competencies are defining and recognizing the political behaviour that exists in school, understanding the classroom political strategies and lastly understanding other important variables that exist in the school structure which influence the internal political classroom situation. In the first competency, teachers need to define as well as to recognize the political behaviour that exists in school especially in their own classroom. According to Spaulding (1994) in Mclntyre & O'Hair (1996), political strategy refers to the attempts of certain individuals to influence other people around them through cooperative and conflictive ways in order to achieve their desired goals. Of course, this is a common phenomenon which happens in

teaching moral values in context when delivering the content knowledge in the classroom. In the national curriculum and syllabus there are 16 moral values to be taught to the student, and doing so is compulsory. To do this, teachers can bring in stories or texts that stress certain moral values. Besides that, teachers can also require group activities that can help students develop moral values such as cooperation, tolerance, respect and responsibility. These activities will not only fulfil the requirements of the National Philosophy of Education in producing skillful and knowledgeable students but also help produce students who are emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually balanced and stable besides
being ethical people.
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The Reflective Teacher

who tend to influence people around them in order to attain their own goals. Thus, teachers need to be aware of this situation in order to be able to carry out their duties in schoor without facing many problems' In order to know ail these poritical strategies, tlachers
must be able to recognise them beforehand.

every school throughout the country. In the schoor c,ntcxt, trrere arc always people such as principals, parents, teachers and stuclents

Likewise, students also have two types of political strategies that can be used for the teachers. These are the political strategy of cooperation and the political strategy of resistance. As for the political strategy of cooperation, students "play by the rules". They follow all the instructions and give their full cooperation to the teachers. The reason for this behaviour is that they want something

groups

order to understand and learn about sfudents, expectation. Next, teachers must be aware of the political strategies in the classroom. This is where the second competency fits in. It can be divided into two types of strategies. In addition, it involves two

Recognising political strategies can be done through several ways such as doing some observations of students' behaviour. Apart from that, teachers must be abre to learn about themselves by doing interviews with the students. They may arso carry out activities such as role-playing and simulation in the crassroom in

in return from the teacher

such as rewards, good marks or

recognition. At the end of the lesson, the teachers with theirjob which makes them happy.

will

be satisfied

Unlike the political strategy of cooperation, the political strategy

of resistance is a nightmare to every teacher. This is used by the

students for teachers whose behaviour they dislike. Therefore, they use all sorts of unpleasant strategies such as ignoring, repeating, constantly changing the topic in order to achieve their goal. These strategies may demotivate the teachers, and they feel disappointed and fatigued. However, the positive consequence of this strategy is that, the reflective teacher may be aware of his or her own performance and try to do adjustments in order to suit the students'
needs.

strategies, there

of people -

control the students effectively. As for this strategy, teachers use threats, ignoring students or promoting peer pressure on them. Unfortunately, the consequences ofthese strategies are negative as the students will not give their cooperation to the teachers in the leaming process.

role as someone who regulate the students' behaviour ana sets forttr the principles to be followed by the students so that teachers

political strategy of support and the political strategy of control. Teachers use the political strategy of support to promote and enhance students' achievement in the learning p.o""r.. Thus they use strategies such as praising the students and awarding them with certain things. As a result, students will be more motivated in the learning process and therefore the teacher's goal is achieved. This is a positive consequence regarding the political strategy used. However, in the political strategy of control, teachers play their
can

negative, that impact teachers and students. As for the teachers' strategies, there are two types namely the

teachers and students. As a result of the are several consequences, both positive and

The last competency is the understanding of other variables that

exist in the school structure which influence the classroom internal

political situation. There are three common variables: parents, principals and peer teachers. As for the parents, they may have a very high expectation for their children's academic achievement
that somehow contradicts the teacher's own judgment. Therefore, teachers must be wise enough to confront this type of parents and be aware of parental actions. Principals and peer teachers are also among the variables which influence the classroom internal political situation. They have the most authority and power in the school. Usually the students will see the principal as someone who has the dominant power in school, especially for student punishment. Hence the students are afraid of them due to what principals are able to do to them. While for the teachers, they are aware that the principals are the ones who evaluate and observe their performance. Thus, teachers will try to please and get recognition from their principal by teaching

l0

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The Rellective Teacher

performance regarding creativity ancl also professional practices. Peer teachers transmit influence through
comments, advices and actions.

in term of job

effectively. As for peer teachers, they may influencc otlrcr tcachcrs

Consequently, teachers have to rise to the occasion to meet the changes and challenges brought about by globalization. Teachers

THE RESEARCHER ROLE

There is no denying that only a handful of teachers place themselves in the shoes of a researcher. probably there has been no urgency for teachers in the field ofeducation, to do so. In fact it is only now with the advent of the new world order and the dawn of

globalization that prompted our former prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammad, to challenge Malaysians to produce Malaysia's first Nobel Laureate by 2020 that we see many teachers and others scrambling to come to terms with the vision. That vision had dictated unspoken importance in the area of research to expedite development and to improve the nation,s ability to compete globally! The urgency to achieve excellence in research

in the New Sunday Times on 2g December 2003, to urge public universities and the private sectors to embark on intensive research and development that could create a strong
as reported economy based on knowledge. A scientist and academic turned administrator at the Ministry

has spurred our former Education Minister, Tan Sri Musa Mohamad

cannot allow themselves to slip into a comfort zone and be complacent with their perceived success in education. Teachers have to brush away the village champion mentality in them and benchmark themselves against the best if they want to succeed and achieve world-class standards in education! Most importantly, teachers themselves have to be familiar with research before our young leaders are comfortable with it. The time is ripe for teachers to accommodate this new role as a researcher in classrooms to ensure the success of Malaysia globally. Teachers as researchers should conduct studies to address problem encountered in their areas of concern and not just sweep problems under the carpet or wait for another unfortunate teacher to take over the followingyear.In fact, the problems we face today, such as that of students who are incompetent in written and spoken English after 12 years of education need to be researched to.avoid further deterioration which could be the result of years of blissful ignorance about the importance of research in classrooms! Teachers have to change with the times, and it is not too late to work towards our quest of producing a Nobel Laureate as envisioned. After all, a journey of a thousand miles always starts with a first step!

Science, Technology and Environment, professor Mohd Ali Hashim in an article on 28 December 2003 in The sunday Times, similarly echoed Tan sri Musa's sentiments. He asserted that a special environment is required to spawn scholars and creative milieus. He added that this special environment begins during a researcher's formative years with schools and dedicated teachers playing a major role. we can infer therefore that the success or failure in bringing Malaysia to compete in the global front lies in the hands of teachers! And above all, as opined by professor Mohd Ali Hashim, teachers need to expose students as early as possible to the wonders that research can bring.

of

CONCLUSION
Every one of us has a role to play in society and teachers, the educators, hold the magic wand in ensuring only just, fair and
capable individuals lead our country so that Malaysia can stand up tall among other nations, just by being role models. Considering the moral, ethical, and social complexities of teaching, reflection allows teacher to think rigorously, critically and systematically about educational practices and problems of importance in order to foster growth in self, students and the system. It is clear that teachers must quickly decide which reflective roles to choose, sometimes juggling several. In addition to that, teachers must not remain in one role for too long. If they

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roles,leachers can at times also be dentists (helping fill "cavities,' of ignorance, sometimes causing pain), friends (when sfudents are mature enough to handle an equal relationship), and physicians (taking histories, giving exam, diagnosing, prescribing, following up).
students in the short term. But there may arso be long-term benefits. Teachers surely can serve as models for sfudents who later become teachers and may be, more subtly, models for those students who someday become psychologists, parents, cops and world leaders.

background again. Hence, to work as an effective teacher requires shifting among many roles above and beyond "teacher". By shifting

larger identity, each role coming to the foreground for not a moment longer than needed, then drifting into the

acting like patients or criminals. Thus, the rores shourd be part of a

spend too much time being psychologists or cops, students

wiil start

The teacher's shifting roles can help students succeed

as

REFERENCES
Hill. Mclntyre, D'J'
Farrant, J.s. (1988). principles and practice of Education. New york: McGraw_

& o'Hair,

& Nunan, D. (1990). Second Language Teacher Mucation. Cambridge: Cambridge University press. Tan-Tuan Hock (1997). Htlman Rerations & Interpersonar Communication Kuara Lumpur: Malaysian Inititute of Management.
Richards, J.C.

publishinj Company. Richards, J.C. & Lockhart, C. (1996). Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University press.
Teacher. Washington: Wadsworth

IvI.J. (1996)- The Re/rective Rores of the crassroom

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