As we begin our journey towards becoming teachers, we must understand that teaching goes beyond delivering academic content.
Every learner who enters a classroom carries with them experiences from home, personal challenges, fears, hopes, and dreams.
As teachers, we will therefore have a responsibility not only to educate their minds but also to contribute to their emotional and social development.
Mental health challenges have become an important concern in our homes, schools and communities. The teaching profession cannot afford to ignore these realities.
Teachers are often among the first people to notice changes in a learner’s behaviour, mood, participation or academic performance. Recognizing these signs and responding appropriately can make a significant difference in a learner’s life.
For this reason, guidance and counselling should not be viewed merely as another subject on the college timetable. It should form an integral part of teacher education, professional growth and personal development.
A well-prepared teacher must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand learners, manage classroom challenges and promote a supportive learning environment.
A mentally formed teacher remains calm when confronted by an angry learner. Such a teacher is attentive enough to notice when a previously active child becomes withdrawn and mature enough to understand that sometimes a learner needs to be listened to before being corrected. This requires patience, empathy, self-awareness, and emotional maturity.
As trainees at St. Augustine Teachers Training College, we have an opportunity to lay a strong foundation for the teachers we aspire to become. We must therefore train not only our minds but also our hearts.
We should learn to practise self-care, seek professional or personal support when necessary, and develop the capacity to walk alongside our learners through both their successes and challenges.
The teacher we become will have a lasting influence on the generation we serve. If we embrace mental and emotional formation alongside academic and professional training, we will not merely produce competent teachers.
We will produce responsible educators who can nurture resilient learners, promote peaceful coexistence, and contribute to building a healthier and more peaceful generation.
By Rev. Fr. Isaiah Njiru, Principal, St. Augustine Teachers Training College – Ishiara