The role of the teacher

The school as an institution and the teacher as a socializing agent face the challenge of opening the doors of the 21st century by introducing changes in their organization, in their work and ensure that these are not operated only in the discourse but in the daily actions of the teacher.

At PsicologíaOnline, we believe in the importance of the Teacher's Role and therefore, we have developed the following article.

Index

1. Current context
2. The role of the teacher
3. Problems in the context of learning
4. Teacher's social image
5. Teacher satisfaction or teacher malaise?
6. Psychological dimension
7. Sociological dimension
8. Intervention strategies

We attend a period of global change, in which for many the future is uncertain: the demands of society and individuals change, the situation international is another, new rules of the game appear and the roles of institutions and agents are modified and new social actors. Educational systems do not remain inert, processes of reforms and transformations have begun, derived from the awareness of the depletion of a traditional model that has not reconciled quantitative growth with satisfactory levels of quality and equity, or satisfaction of new demands social. The optimal functioning of educational systems becomes a priority for countries to ensure the preparation of citizens to survive in complex societies.

In this framework, the school emerges as an open institution to the demands of their context and with increasing degrees of autonomy, a manifestation of one of the most significant changes that took place in educational systems.

In response to these transformations, the reconceptualization of the teacher's role is a requirement of the teaching processes. decentralization, autonomy in the management of schools and the changes that are occurring in the teaching and learning processes. learning.

Thus, in the recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of Education of Latin America regarding the execution of the Major Project of Education, it considers that the professionalization of educational activity is the central concept and should characterize the activities of this new stage of development educational.

From the discourse, all agree in considering that the role of the teacher is his own creativity and innovation but, these characteristics do not become the performance of the professional work of the teacher by magic since, by encapsulating it in areas formal and bureaucratic schoolchildren the result is just the opposite, the activity becomes monotonous, stereotyped and the deployment of its potentialities.

In your daily life the teacher must make different decisions that go from stimulating "the learning of a curriculum that has not been designed for heterogeneity" (Avalos B. 1994), complement procedures to maintain discipline in the classroom and seek solutions to the lack of resources materials.

The solution strategies that the teacher used at the beginning of his professional career where he put manifest imagination, as time passes it can become routine in the face of the successive obstacles of the school context. In such a way, that the matter is not reduced to the creativity of the teacher but also to professional autonomy which is affected by factors such as:

• the social prestige that the profession has,
• own professional training and improvement,
• the limits imposed by the school context on professional practice.

In the conceptualizations of the professional role different positions are observed that go from defining it to the observable actions of the teacher in the achievement of the expected ends of the processes of teaching that refers to the "competences" of the teacher to achieve effective learning in students until another in which the accent is placed on professionalization of the role

Obviously, the tendency prevails for teachers to assume a direct role, "teachers spend a good part of class time talking to students, talking to them and supervising them as they work individually in their positions... these are forms of "recitation-work" (Dunkin and Bidalle, 1974, cited by Avalos B. 1994). Teachers also control their classes, make most of the decisions and organize the activities.

The position of power that the teacher occupies in the classroom, it generates security, by playing the role as possessor of all knowledge, ignoring that the Students also have individual knowledge and that the conjugation of all facilitates the "construction of the knowledge".

However, the organizational structures in schools tend to be similar, reducing the teacher's activity to a class administrator, as well as the activities leader, restricting interactions between teachers and students. Even when teachers state that the teaching objectives that are proposed include high levels of intellectual exercise, in the In practice, what is demanded of the students are rote responses, these being the basic content of the interrelation that does not transcends the position of the technician "executor of dexterous actions according to prescriptions or algorithms defined by others" (Clark and Peterson, 1986)

In the intention of transcending these behaviors, it is necessary to re-conceptualize the role of the teacher in the sense of being a subject with the possibility of putting at stake the information you have about your students individually and in groups from a diagnosis that promotes the personal growth of these; being able to incorporate into the professional work the amount of theoretical and empirical work achieved in educational research; which would imply making decisions, elaborating proposals and reflecting on what happens in the classroom.

In research carried out, the problem is restricted to the experience of the teachers, which translates into different orientations to face critical incidents of common attendance in the classroom.

Calderhead presents the critical incident orally to the teacher:

“The class works quietly and suddenly a group of children starts talking to each other. She then asks the teacher "what else she needs to know before deciding to intervene and what she would do in that case. It found that novice teachers either seemed to lack conceptual structures that would allow them to make sense of classroom events or they had simple undifferentiated forms of conceptual structures. These teachers did not show the same type or level of understanding of the description of the critical incident that experienced teachers achieved (Avalos B, 1994). In our view, the problem is mediated by experience, but not only by it, but in these positions is also manifested, the conceptualization of the role of the teacher, as what is socially prescribed is lived as personal.

Consequently, if the teacher's role is drawn as an authoritarian person, does not create the space for exchange between students or what is the same prevents links horizontal lines and only through it, as the center of the teaching process, will contacts occur in the classroom. The interpretation and understanding of events that are not included in this scheme will be evaluated as a violation of what is established, of the norm and could generate anguish when from his professional history he does not have the necessary records to assume the attitude that the situation demands and there is a fear of losing authority if he is too tolerant; or to be classified as tyrannical if he imposes excessive punishment in relation to the act in question

However, these same anxieties are also experienced by an experienced teacher only that he goes to his previous records, but, always in comparison with what has ideally been designed as the discipline and order that should characterize an ideal classroom, where it seems to be conceived as a classroom in which there is only the teacher and the school furniture forgetting that what really gives life to this installation are the students, children or adolescents who think, laugh, they speak.., they live; How sad that school in which only the monotonous voice of the teacher is heard, transmitting information and the objects-students reservoir of those messages!

And it is not that we advocate chaos, indiscipline, disorder. We understand that as in all human relationships Limits must be established that clarify what is allowed or what is prohibited; space in which each one grows and has the opportunity to reaffirm their identity and are in a better position to learn to be active subjects of the process, that they participate in the construction of knowledge together with their teacher and the rest of the group, which implies the exchange of ideas and opinions in the classroom.

If in the role of the teacher, learning is seen in this way, the conversation in the classroom is not necessarily interpreted as indiscipline and He will not feel that he loses authority if he facilitates the exchange, but he will understand it as a necessary moment of joint work and that teacher as a reflective agent will be able to imagine solutions and decide in a practical way what is appropriate in one or the other situation.

Teachers who call their students to the construction of knowledge are more likely to establish relationships based on a network of conversations "productive noise" that is generated in the classroom. The classroom is a space for social interaction where conversations are generated between teachers and students and among the students themselves.

Peer teaching is significant, although it is rarely used as a pedagogical procedure. It reinforces interpersonal links, fosters a more flexible and dynamic relationship between students and with the teacher. It also encourages the student to search for new styles of communication with students.

In times of change, the figure of the teacher reaches greater prominence than in other times. He is recognized as the architect and protagonist in the introduction of transformations in education. Consequently, more importance is given to their creative ability and to face unexpected situations with effective solutions for the process. However, it would be utopian to think of the teacher outside of the social and school context in which he is immersed, since the latter will facilitate or hinder the movements of the professional education.

The desire to perfect the process could once again lead us to a proposal on the "should be" of the masters. These critical reflections cannot obscure or disqualify the immense population that makes up this community of education professionals who stand out for his almost anonymous work, training generation after generation of the men who are incorporated into production, services, science and technology in society. However, there are still teachers who do not respond to social demands and obscure the professional image.

The school has a diffuse image as an institution that achieves effective results. An expression of this are the levels of learning achieved by students and the difficulties in acquiring the necessary skills to insert themselves into an increasingly changing world.

More resizing the role of the teacher supposes understand the school environment and demands derived from their professional practice.

In research we have observed that using different open, closed, individual and group techniques, the results show that disinterest and boredom in students is a problem of daily practice in classrooms. In a group session with adolescents, by asking each of them to imagine being the window of a school to which a visitor wishing to know the "School of today" would appear. such:

• "children talking softly about any topic"
• "children hiding books from others"
• "sleeping children"
• "children looking out the window"
• "children looking at the clock"
• "children reading a magazine"
• "children with lowered heads"

The common denominator of these expressions is lack of motivation to learn. Students do not feel invited to participate in the adventure of learning to live better. "Boredom at school is preparation for boredom at work." (Pallarés, 1989).

All this can be the consequence of learning outside of life, of passivity in the way to learn and for not finding ways to instill the moral values ​​that society demands current. This impression of school failure could be explained because the criterion of school success does not always correspond to success. professional, nor with the personal fulfillment of the students, not even all the students are the ones who achieve success academics.

Research on pedagogical practice in Latin American schools (Schiefelbein, 1992) highlights the following features:

• "Most teachers have never seen the processes that occur in a loosely organized classroom. A good number of teachers can cite the active use of thought from the vision of different pioneers in education (Aristotle, Pestalozzi, Herbart, Dewey, Freinet, Makarenko, Montesori and others) but very few have observed a school that has operated with anything close to those approaches creative.
• There is a group of teachers who can generate learning experience extraordinary with very simple materials. Others lack the creativity, persistence, and experience of the first group and make up about 40 percent of all teachers.
• Few classes really motivate students to learn... and the fact that they do not have the opportunity to make decisions to learn reduces the interest and also the time that is dedicated to learning.
• There are not enough mechanisms to assess whether the knowledge acquired by students is really useful in daily life, or if they prepare students to be more selective in relation to what they want learn.
• Research based on classroom observation suggests that students have few opportunities to develop autonomous thinking. " (Vaccaro, L. 1994).

These reflections raise questions Is it the school that generates failure? Is it the students? or the teachers? or the family?

The approach to the subject calls for successive approximations. At the moment we focus our attention on the work of the teachers.

The prominent educator J. Dewey (1933) compares teaching to selling merchandise. No one can sell if there is no one to buy. We would scoff at a merchant who claimed to have sold a large quantity of goods even though no one had bought any.

In his opinion there may be teachers who think they have done their job well, regardless of whether their students have learned or not.
Although the analogy does not seem valid to us, it suggests the need to attract students' attention and to summon them to be protagonists of their training, through agreements established with them about what is really significant for their learning in the school context.

Will the teacher be prepared for this, will he be able to run from the place of power? Take on a different professional space?
Different authors (Serrano G and Olivas B, 1989) relate the expected characteristics of the teacher.

• “Authenticity, emotional maturity, good character and a healthy sense of life; self-understanding, empathic capacity, intelligence and mental, cultural and social speed; emotional stability, intelligent trust in others, cultural concern and broad interests; leadership, experience in the living conditions in the classroom, knowledge of the economic, social and labor conditions and circumstances of the moment and of the downtown area ”.
• "Necessity and deontological commitment to respect the freedom of the student and his privacy".
• "Have adequate expectations about the group, and about individual students (Pygmalion Effect)"
• "Have adequate attitude towards students"

Various studies show that teachers' attitude towards students is:

• From attachment towards the students of good performance and good conduct.
• From indifference towards the passive students that do not stand out
• From worry towards the students who they yield little.

In addition, “it must have the following characteristics towards the students in their interactions:
- clarity
- enthusiasm
- conduct aimed at getting the most out of their students ”.

"Besides having a individual knowledge of your students to be able to help them in case of need "
This list of characteristics evidences the overstretched role of the teacher and how unattainable it is for a teacher in the professional task.
The socially assigned roles reinforce bonds of individual dependency by assuming it as personal and incorporating it into their project of Life can generate anguish in the teacher, or experiences of professional service that manifest stages of rebellion that could be alternate with others of submission and it would be possible that it manifests itself in a crisis of authority by having to agree to the demands social.

In an interview with a 7th grade teacher, she said: “When I read or hear what is expected of the teacher, I get scared. This has been discussed by my colleagues and I; It seems to us that the accumulation of things that he asks us is such that I believe they are beyond our capacity and preparation to solve or diagnose and treat students. We cannot be the parents of 30 or 40 boys, although we can help them as far as they and their parents allow ”. Fortunately, the transformations of the Cuban School include the decrease in the number of students per classroom, less than twenty in primary education and In Secondary, the teachers serve fifteen students, which allows individualized attention from the teacher and a better student-student relationship.

Others are concerned, they propose changes and in the search for alternatives they choose the path of Technical improvement. However, the desire for improvement can also lead to the formulation of a utopia, like so many that have been proposed about the "ought to be" of teachers. Despite attempts at new training schemes, teachers continue to be generated who do not meet social expectations.

Actually, you cannot disqualify the levels of trainers that, in a great majority, stand out for their dedication, effort and for their contribution to the preparation of the new generations for life, transforming their knowledge of science into knowledge that can be taught and learned by the students.

The redefinition of the role is a complex process, subject to changes that implies the breaking of ties, schemes, stereotypes and beliefs typical of a school culture that fortunately is at the same time. behind and at the same time a new school culture emerges, which implies a greater democratization of interpersonal relationships in the School, an increase in the role of the student in the construction of knowledge, an openness to diversity, develop awareness and tolerance that does not mean the absence of conflict but the occurrence of others and different ways of face them.

The new social demands are raised. Daily practices will respond to them gradually, without haste but taking safe, firm and stable steps.

Sciences with a multidisciplinary approach to education will pay tribute to their results. Teachers bring their experience and newcomers their enthusiasm, desire to improve and their ability to incorporate new ones. All will take on the challenge that the new century imposes on the formation of men and women who are more cultured, better prepared and more tolerant of others.

The school as a social institution and the classroom as a group are characterized by being labor organizations structured in a system of norms, values ​​and roles. The performance of the teaching role occurs in social settings and is subjected to social evaluation and review.

Studies on the exercise of roles in labor organizations (Katsz and Kahn, 1978) reveal the influence of expectations on the definition of roles. at the same time that they influence the way in which those roles are seen and judged.

Where do the expectations generated by the professional role of teachers:

• of the demands to meet certain needs of the population and the social body
• of the integration in the communication of the subject of the guidelines received in their professional training
• of introjected messages at two levels:
  • during childhood and adolescence as absolute human value to construct their individual identity
  • during labor socialization due to the pressures of the professional group with which the subject has to identify in order to build their professional identity (Loscertales, F, 1995)

Identification with all these expectations when they are accepted by the professional group are already its defining characteristics that shape the notion of professional identity.

From what has been seen so far, it is possible to reflect on research on the social image of the teacher in which it deals with the demands and expectations made to the teacher by the society.

One element that stands out when addressing this issue are contrasts or contradictions on social images manifested by parents, students and the teachers themselves. On the one hand, there is a very high idealization, poetic even, and on the other hand, the most critical vision of reality, sometimes with touches of aggressiveness.

Thus, the social image of the teacher goes from being conceived as "a great social mission", exalting and embellishing this sublime profession, to perceiving the teaching role as one more profession, with all the difficulties that occur in daily reality when establishing interpersonal relationships in the context school.

Another element that makes up the image of the teacher are the stereotypes, that represent the spontaneous and unverified cognitive contents that are based on some real data that give consistency to the beliefs and attitudes that they trigger.

In this sense, the diversity of images that are reported is conditioned because there is no type of teacher, nor is the social public homogeneous, therefore, there will be no type of stereotypes. In a similar way to what was found in terms of the image, we can delimit positive and negative stereotypes

This scheme of research results (Loscertales, 1993) coincide with our professional experience, Although they require further elaboration, they can be useful for debate and promote study in this direction.

The interest in exploring the social image of the teacher's role is also justified, due to its influence on the notion of professional identity and in the performance of the role of the teachers themselves .According to Lersch's theory (1967) on the if same

• Yes same of the role, depending on the position from which each subject is integrated into the groups he belongs to;
• Yes same of the group: categorization with the other members of the group and their ideals, objectives and norms,
• Yes same of the mirror, depending on the image that each one is given by the social group in which they carry out their activities,

What we have been analyzing is the image of the “mirror”, which may be distorted but which is useful to contemplate in order to understand in greater depth the exercise of the role of the teacher and decide the most effective intervention strategy by proposing an orientation program that necessarily requires participation of the teacher.

At present some facts are observed that show the frustration or dissatisfaction of the teacher such as:

• Decrease in the number of students to teacher training schools
• Increase in labor mobility of the teachers
• Loss of prestige social profession

The reflections on the overstressing of the role of the teacher contribute to an explanation that is multicausal of a complex phenomenon.

Other reasons for growing teacher malaise:

Social, cultural and technological changes

• The introduction of new knowledge, new subjects, others remain or are transferred to grade and these changes occur quickly and sometimes there is not enough consensus or clarity, which causes some anxiety in teachers.
• The scientific-technical development itself The dizzying world in which we live demands the formation of certain skills in future men and women to insert themselves labor, this forces the teacher in an accelerated manner to be in tune with the social demand and prepare to be able to perform properly its role.
• Educational paradigms are changing. From an institutional paradigm in which decision-making was eminently centralized from the highest levels of power, distant from the true protagonists of the process, to a less centralized administrative paradigm and later an instructional paradigm, focused on teaching and the teacher, the latter becoming the unit of analysis of the educational system and the center for making decisions. decisions.

In recent years, according to experts, a new paradigm appears, that of learning, which like everything new causes resistance to change, uncertainty. This new paradigm focuses neither on teaching nor on the teacher, but on learning and the student who learns (Beltran and Genovard, 1996).

These changes affect the pillars of the school itself, norms and guidelines of conduct are modified, the principles of learning For which the teacher is not prepared and in the face of insecurity, he moves from a paradigm that he knows and gives him security towards the new one. It is experienced as threatening and distressing, although he makes attempts to incorporate it into his professional practice with the intention of not remaining at the back.

The conflicts in interpersonal relationships in the school environment:

• The increased aggressiveness until the appearance of manifestations of violent incidents that in some countries are certainly alarming, constitute sources of tension and insecurity. Added to this picture, the little motivation towards the study of the students, failure and school rejection is a source of tension among teachers.
• This situation is exacerbated in the most marginalized sectors of the population.
• Working conditions from teacher

The teacher is a professionalHowever, he experiences the experience of being a second-rate professional. This undervaluation and low self-esteem contribute to the teacher's feeling of discomfort.

Given the characteristics of the tasks undertaken by the teacher, he spends long hours working with a remuneration that does not always correspond to the effort, dedication and qualification professional. In this last aspect, you must keep updated in terms of your knowledge for what the systematic improvement and invest time from other spheres of your personal life to respond to the demands.

The buildings in which the schools are located show deterioration, school supplies are scarce and the economic cuts in many countries mainly affect sectors such as education and health, as they are not productive. The transformations in the Cuban School also included the remodeling of the schools.

Many are the efforts being made in our country to mitigate the impact of the global economic crisis and the effects of the blockade, in such a way that we can continue to prioritize education and expand insurance school.

In recent decades, a large number of studies have appeared on teacher satisfaction in schools. that the theoretical and methodological plurality that exists in the approach to the subject is manifested.

Studies on "Teacher malaise" They point to the plurality of the phenomenon, however these bifurcate, some attend to individual manifestations and others emphasize the incidence of the social context of the same.

The works that are grouped in this line focus on explore the causes and psychopathological manifestations presented by teachers who are exposed to processes of anxiety, stress.

It is emphasized the influence of intrapsychic factors in the triggering of stress processes. The causes of teacher discomfort are deposited in the individual characteristics, which determine the coping strategies towards anxiety or stress to which the teacher is subjected.

When justifying this perspective, it is argued that under the same stressful conditions some teachers "get sick" and others do not.

"Certain personality characteristics constitute dispositional factors of vulnerability to pathogenic events" (Fierro, 1991, p.235, cited by Estéve J. M., 1987)

The concept "burnout" coined in 1929 by Bardo has been used by different authors. The state of "burnout" or Burnout syndrome it does not affect in the same way. Some begin to manifest their own cycle behaviors, such as frequent absenteeism, sick leave, apathy, etc.

The observable overt behaviors that were indicated previously constitute expression of intrapsychic processes such as low self-esteem, low motivation, stress, among others.

When the results obtained do not correspond to the personal effort of the teacher and is attributed by the locus internal control (internal causes) and this causes a depressive state, feeling of worthlessness and handicap. This in turn raises the chances of later ineffective activity.

According to Polaino - Lorente (1982) cited by Susinos T. (1994) attributes the anxiety that some teachers manifest to strictly personal characteristics such as:

The tenacious "ego implication" in the task. These teachers self-involved in their work identify with the teaching activity and with its consequences and results to the point that if the results (student performance) are not as expected, their own behavior suffers and the anxiety that occurs is attributed to the inadequacy of the homework. All this will revert, according to the author, in a lower self-esteem that could take a "depressive and pathological" bias.

Also, the teacher could attribute the anxiety he feels in his professional task to himself, to his peculiar way of being. In that case, he himself is the main source of discomfort.

Finally, the so-called expectation anxiety It is a “generalized, indiscriminate and non-selective” anxiety that is originated by the expectation that it produces in the teachers the evolution (not always explicit) to which they are subjected by students, parents, classmates, directors ...

These are some authors who are included in the current of teacher discomfort from a psychological perspective. As previously stated, other scholars consider that this phenomenon of teacher dissatisfaction affects teachers as a differentiated social group.

The authors who are inscribed in this perspective cover in their research topics such as the teaching role, the modification in the social image of this profession and the functions of the teacher and the school and in some works there is a questioning of the system itself educational.
Elejabeitia et al. (1983), who treat it in terms of "The collective anguish among teachers" attributable to the following changes in the teacher's social function:

The emptying of its functions that are assumed by other instances

• The questioning of his authority as the depositary of knowledge
• The loss and deterioration of your previous social prestige
• The understanding of the repressive and “domestication” function that their activity has
• Know that the study certificates that he issues have no real use in the job market

In this sense, Ortega (1990) highlights that loss of prestige of the teaching function is one of the factors that cause teacher discomfort. This author refers to the fact that the social climate of distrust regarding the influence of the school in the configuration of individual trajectories and in the organization of society has had repercussions in the loss of social consideration of the teachers.

Another line within this sociological current is represented by the so-called withdrawal strategy identified in the cases of teachers who do not agree with the operation of the school organization, do not abandon it, remain in it without share their objectives, with an attitude of distancing themselves from the purposes of the same, little involved, showing a climate of indifference between teachers (Viera 1983).

What we have seen so far shows that in each study of teacher discomfort, different variables have been considered. Some authors (Abraham 1987, Estere 1981) conclude that there are two types of sources of tension in the teacher:

• social ones; students, class group, colleagues, families of students, educational authorities, school institution and society
• individual: professional training, professional self-demands, expectations, self-image, potential, personal goals and values

The works of Esteve (1987-1988) reveal that there are two groups of factors that include teacher discomfort:

1. Factors that directly affect teaching action (First-order factors)

The material resources and working conditions, not necessarily the didactic material, but problems of space, conservation of buildings, etc.

The increase in violence in school institutions

Teacher burnout and the accumulation of demands on the teacher

2. Contextual factors (Second order factors)

It refers to the environmental conditions in which the teaching activity takes place and its influence on “the teaching effectiveness by promoting a decrease in teacher motivation at work, their involvement and their effort"

• Modification in the role of the teacher and the traditional agents of socialization
• The increase in contradictions in the teaching function
• Modifying the support of the social context, criticism, resignation from society
• Uncertainty about the objectives of the education system and the advancement of knowledge
• The rupture of the image of the teacher elaborated from the idyllic stereotypes of the teacher
• Initial pedagogical training does not correspond to the real demands of the profession
• The understanding of such a complex phenomenon supposes a more holistic vision that is not reduced to considering one or another dimension, not even a single approach that includes them.

Understanding it from an integrative dimension takes into account the factors included in the psychological and sociological dimensions.

Attend the teacher as the subject of his personal history and socio-historically conditioned.

In this sense, appreciating teacher discomfort from the historical-cultural conception allows us to explain this experience of dissatisfaction, a state of depression of the teacher attending to the zone of proximal development of the teacher that expresses the potentialities of the subject, understood by the distance that exists between the possibilities of the subject to execute actions independently (current development) and the possibilities of executing them in collaboration with the "other" (potential development).

This approach imposes a challenge on pedagogical training understood as a continuous process and on intervention strategies to face teacher discomfort.

The proposals suggested interventional by some studies they differ depending on the perspective. If teaching stress is understood as an individual manifestation of the teacher's inability to cope with the conditions of the teaching, or if it is considered that the proposed measures should affect teachers in their working conditions and in the modification of their social image.

Taking into account the psychological dimension, the strategies will be of individual help and counseling, systematic desensitization, relaxation training, emotional control, assertiveness, stress inoculation programs, training in teacher behavior techniques in the classroom, training in competencies.

They proposed changes in initial training programs of teachers and in the selection criteria for access to teaching, giving greater value to personality factors to attenuate the “shock of reality”.

Followers of the sociological current promote the conducting advertising campaigns aimed at socially revaluing the role of teacher, as well as the salary increase for teachers.

The different measures are palliative to face teacher dissatisfaction that offer benefits, however, they are insufficient because they have a remedial, reactive nature.

It would try to conceive an intervention strategy to solve and more important to prevent teacher discomfort from attending to the individuality of the teacher. From the historical-cultural approach, the intervention work has to be carried out considering the particular way in which the subject experiences the teaching situation that causes the state of discomfort; This tells us that we do not start from single or uniform solutions.

A decisive factor is the diagnosis of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) to know the real development and potential development of the teacher and determine the levels of help required by the teacher to promote growth personal.

In this sense, tasks are designed at the beginning of the moment of change in which the helping relationship is achieved in state of empowerment of development to try to modify the need for change generated by this intervention.

"The researcher must direct his efforts to understand the intrinsic links in external tasks and the dynamics of development" (Vigotsky, LS, 1981).

Another element to consider is the moment of the professional cycle through which the teacher passes. One of the authors who have studied the evolution of professional life is Huberman (1986, cited by Abrile de Vollmer, (1994) has identified the following phases:

1st. Phase, beginning in fully responsible professional work: constitutes a hard clash with reality in his adaptation process, he must face multiple problems, with the enthusiasm initial, insufficient knowledge at the beginning, receives the conservative influence of the institutions and the work environment where works. The success or failure of this phase will largely depend on future professional development.

2nd. Stabilization phase: increased confidence in their own possibilities, administrative consolidation of their status, mastery of technical-pedagogical issues, consolidated relationships with students and peers and balance professional.

3rd. Phase, experimentation or diversification: initiates new improvements and innovations, greater administrative and institutional responsibility with attempts to be promoted by accessing new positions.

4th. Phase, of critical questioning of the profession itself: that goes from the simple questioning of the routine to the abandonment of the activity.

5th. Phase, of serenity and emotional distancing after the criticism: their behavior is less dynamic, more relaxed, with less affective involvement with their students and their responsibility and protagonism decrease.

6th. Phase, conservative and critical: skeptical of educational reforms and critical of others (civil servants, younger teachers, his own students).

7th. Phase, of disengagement: When he was about to retire, he progressively withdraws into himself and his family, avoiding giving more time and effort than is strictly necessary.

These phases do not become linear, or what is the same, they do not necessarily go through all phases.

Nor is it uniform in the professional life of each teacher, so in the phase close to retirement, fortunately in many teachers it is not characterized by "Cloistering" but in sharing their professional experience, but it should be noted that in this case we would not be referring to a teacher who experiences the teacher discomfort

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to The role of the teacher, we recommend that you enter our category of Social psychology.

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