Reasons Why Being a Teacher Is Cool

Teaching is a noble profession, the "unsung hero". We often hear this phrase when a teacher is described. Even so, not everyone has a strong desire to become a teacher. Today, teaching is still seen as an old-fashioned profession that is not very promising, especially when it comes to salary. In addition, the heavy workload and the pressure for students to get good grades in exams are also factors that make people afraid of becoming teachers.

The position of teachers as professionals aims to carry out the national education system and to realise the goals of national education, namely developing the potential of students so that they become human beings who are faithful and devoted to God Almighty, of noble character, healthy, knowledgeable, capable, creative and independent, and who become democratic and responsible citizens. So, what are the reasons why the teaching profession is cool?

Teachers play an important role in the future

A teacher is a figure who is listened to and imitated, and is also a role model. Besides gaining knowledge, students will also copy the teacher's behaviour. Therefore, teachers play an important role in shaping students' future behaviour, and without realising it, however small the thing we give, it can mean a great deal for students' success. The role of teachers will also increase in Indonesian education in the future, which means that the presence of teachers in education in Indonesia is increasingly needed. Even technological development and progress will certainly not be able to completely replace the presence of teachers in the world of education.

The element of intelligence needed in education may be replaceable by the intelligence of an artificial robot. However, the teaching profession has other important elements that robots do not have at all. A teacher is a human being, and so are the students; in the educational process there is interaction that requires human elements such as feelings, love and affection, which cannot be replaced by any technology, however sophisticated. These human elements will colour the educational process in creating a great, active, innovative, creative generation of Indonesians with noble character, in line with the goals of Indonesian national education.

Teaching is not a monotonous job

Teachers have a varied and dynamic job, among other things: every day they meet students with unique characters, different learning topics, and certainly new challenges. Teaching is interesting, because before delivering the material every teacher has to look for different teaching methods so as to create a different learning atmosphere every day. Another interesting thing is that a teacher can hold other professions at the same time, such as manager, designer, and can become a leader of course when in the classroom.

Teachers' working hours are flexible

Teachers today are indeed required to be different and flexible. Teachers have shorter working hours each day; the compulsory teaching load is 24 hours a week, and the rest can be used for administrative activities, which are also not monotonous. Moreover, private tutors can arrange and adjust their working hours with their private students. There is no fixed time for private tutors because the teaching schedule changes depending on the student or the teacher themselves.

In addition, a teacher's work is flexible when teaching: they can sit, stand, and even walk around the students rather than spending time just sitting in a chair, which causes boredom. As for taking care of a family for those who already have one, teaching is also a flexible profession because a worker's life should be balanced with their family life.

Teachers have longer holidays

Holiday or leave time for teachers differs from that of office employees or other workers. Besides getting leave, teachers also have holidays that match students' holidays, namely semester breaks and end-of-year breaks. This holiday time can be used by teachers to prepare the curriculum material for the new semester or school year. In addition, with this holiday time teachers can arrange time for a vacation with their family and relax their minds.

Seeing the benefits or reasons above, be happy to be someone who is currently carrying out the duty of a teacher, and for friends who are studying at university in the field of teacher education, there is no need to be afraid or worried, because there are very many benefits to be gained, and many more besides those mentioned above. Being a teacher is a dedication, or a sacrifice of energy, thought and time for the success of an endeavour that has a noble purpose. If we all want education in Indonesia to be more advanced and successful, teachers as the spearhead must be more professional, whether in their field of expertise, in mentoring, or in how they live their lives.

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