Opportunities and Challenges of Being a History Teacher in Qatar - Essay Example

Introduction

History as a subject undergoes a lot of challenges and has shown a couple of opportunities as well in Qatar. The challenges are enormous while opportunities are very few. The paper discusses the challenges history as a subject faces to teachers as well. The last part considers the few opportunities available for history in Qatar. For all in a community to work in line with teaching, it is of great importance that system to provide adequate resources, with schools going through the process of reforms and proper training for all the stakeholders to enable them understand the philosophy of teaching history. History as a subject remains under legislation yet curriculum and policies indicate Qatari education sector still follows history teachings and guidelines. Analysis of several secondary schools in Qatar together with history teachers indicates a series of challenges as they try to meet their daily expectation.

Challenges

Majority of history teachers suffer from lack of competence. Competence is the dynamic acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding. Generally, teaching history is viewed as the ability; role and activities teachers carry out in classroom. History teacher competencies consider a wider view of the teacher’s professional background as well as all the facets of history teachers at all levels. Due to this high degree of professionalism of a history teacher, they have to undergo training that involves a lot of finances. Competence poses a challenge to history teachers since it is a requirement for one to be considered the teaching position. Another area of concern with regard to challenges experienced by history teachers in Qatar are engagement of students who are deemed to be unreachable, disrupt learning programs as well as resist learning activities. This challenge can be handled by teachers by developing the intrinsic motivation. For a history teacher to handle this kind of challenge the teacher has to develop various mindsets that will help him or her maintain the equilibrium of the behavior of students. Since the role of a history teacher is increasing, the TESOL helps to promote the content based structures into the Qatar Curriculum. Meanwhile, the content materials used by the students in history classes are adopted to ensure a compressive input in various subjects such as history. History teachers will, offer both in and out services to other teachers.

Physical structures such as tall buildings in secondary schools had limited access were restricting the accessibility of tall buildings for both the history teachers and students, it is believed in Qatar that the acquisition of the knowledge by students. A handful of history teachers who previously had worked for the middle class offered an appraisal for the structure as conducive to teaching since teachers were able to know their students and their particulars. It is established that the teachers are subjected to longer teaching hours, and this leads to exhaustion and boredom of teachers. Long lesson hours, closed plan classrooms and complicated areas of studies gave history teachers hard time in discharging their duties. In mid school level was more efficient and frequent which enhances their morale in teaching. Student to teacher ratio is also poor in the secondary schools leading to poor outcomes of results to students since teachers are not able to identify their weakness due to the large number. It is described as the driving force for teachers, and it poses a significant threat to teachers since it could lead to stroke or stress. Competence, some of the teachers, suffers from the lack of appropriate expertise before the students or fellow teachers. The lack of knowledge among teachers results in low performance leading to poor results for the schools or the individual students.

History as a subject attracts a variety of attention. As a beginning teacher of history, I take notice of the prejudice of how the subject is marginalized in Qatar. The enrollment in the subject has experienced a low turn in the ages of 11 and 12 in the entire country. History as a subject shares some problems with other subjects such as math’s in a way that it is entrusted to fellows or teachers with less training in their profession. The subject has no shortage of persons well equipped with the necessary expertise to handle the problem.

Opportunities

Based on observations, the rise of history as a curriculum, it illustrates nature as a discipline and a form of public knowledge. Like any other subjects, history is a discipline that is bounded by knowledge and epistemological principles that regulate it inquiry, interpretation and rules of evidence. Unlike many subjects, history expresses much more. It takes various ways and does not demand agreement on ways of testing and framing hypothesis, verifying and replicating discoveries. It does encompass popular impacts. Such category of uses of history indicates the usefulness of the history. It indicates a formative ways of human society, and it’s free for contestation. History also acts as a subject of sensitivities in various schools.

History teachers have the opportunity to continue learning as in the case of further studies when schools take vacations. The orientation of the latest curriculum, equipping students with technological changes, cultural diversity, globalization and the challenge of globalization, demonstrates a well-informed understanding of the historical event. Thus, it encourages history teachers with an extensive length of time to gain more skills in his area of expertise or to engage in other areas of his interest. A lot of these benefits are given o teachers as a result of their hard work in the community. History teachers have the upper hand in experiencing private and state school systems, and the use of the curriculum also denotes a unique advantage. Making a difference in the lives of the local communities is very crucial for history teachers. Social activities such as visiting orphanages and community works are carried out by a good number of schools.

The continuity of learning is endowed to the history teachers since they pass their experiences to generations. The inspiration for students, this depends on every teacher love for distinct subjects. Some fall in love with engineering and enjoys the massive technological advancement in the field of construction. Due to this, several students are inspired by their teachers work as they perform their classical experiments, in the end most student ends up in the carrier much influenced by their history teachers. These events enhance the knowledge of history teachers in Qatar and make them up to date with the events in the system. History teachers enjoy the moment and have fun and relax from the boredom of chalk and board. They are also able to take the trips with their family or as staff. From years of experience, such teachers have been able to demonstrate their abilities in teaching history to students about their unique experience in the field of education. In learning with one's life experiences, opinions and knowledge instill more understanding to the students and improves their level of understanding.

History as a subject is a way of inquiring into past that enhances student’s imaginations and curiosity. Because history is a fundamental feature of every society, the past knowledge is basic to understanding ourselves. History promotes understanding of events, movements, developments and societies that played a significant role in shaping humanity in years. History helps students to appreciate the changes that have been witnessed in the world and also pays much attention to the important continuities that are in place currently. As a history teacher, it is of great significance and an opportunity to nature the ability and understanding of students about your life experiences, opinions and knowledge while enhancing and cultivating their own opinions and understandings. Based on this, history teachers are able to develop skills necessary for handling the weak and vulnerable students in the society with ease.

History teachers are able to instill in students love and appreciation of history. Through this, history teachers are to discern the student’s capabilities, character and attitude. Once students appreciate and love the discipline, history will much popular and much easier to tackle the above mentioned challenges towards the discipline. With a large number of students taking history, the level of discrimination, bad attitude towards the subject and unnecessary prejudices will be eliminated. History as an art helps in understanding of the society and its identity. Some of the Qatari universities have produced finest historians and curators. Several of these intellects have pursued carriers in places such as museums and a variety. As history teacher this is an area with wide spaces that requires people to come up and fill them. It is much horrible and shameful to disband history which has contributed massively to the benefits of the society and made enormous contributions to both intellectual life and the Qatari arts. The history program is not marked with red; it has good student’s retention rates and healthy enrolments. The staff regularly produces articles and books necessary for the society as well as PhD students are participating in the program.

Art history programs are very important to the society and they offer the essential part of the expanding museum industry, they embark on training the next generation of staff members as well as offering necessary skills required to be an expert curator. This area poses to be a demanding area in terms of work force hence as a history teacher, it is important to gather the required knowledge and participate in conservation of historical artifacts. Due to the expanding nature of these programs, it shows how significant history is to the society. The centers also offer research and training which are necessary for the students. History as a subject has its procedures and methods that which brings a difference in understanding of human experience. History is evidenced based, which makes it practical to learners as well as history teachers. History is interpretative, promotes debate and enhances critical thinking about the values of a human being, both future and present challenges. Historical inquiry enhances transferable skills such as critical analysis, considering context, asking relevant questions, develop and substantiate interpretations, effective communication, respect as well as explaining different and divergent views.

As a beginning history teacher, it is important to acknowledge the fact that real life experience helps in teaching as it enables teachers to build self-confidence while teaching. History also assists in changing theory into practice as well as education into a unique competitive edge. Students gain skills in the art of leadership with their characters, strengths and abilities well developed which is important in their future lives either as leaders both in business or political as well as being ordinary people. Since history provides the students with tools necessary for self-awareness as well as opportunities to build their strengths on, the students end up building their carriers much early. Due to this enhanced student teacher commitments; they enter the work force much experienced with advanced abilities to help organizations in identification and proper problem solving skills.

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It is established that the teachers are subjected to longer teaching hours, and this leads to exhaustion and boredom of teachers. Long lesson hours, closed plan classrooms and complicated areas of studies gave history teachers hard time in discharging their duties. In mid school level was more efficient and frequent which enhances their morale in teaching. Student to teacher ratio is also poor in the secondary schools leading to poor outcomes of results to students since teachers are not able to identify their weakness due to the large number. It is described as the driving force for teachers, and it poses a significant threat to teachers since it could lead to stroke or stress. Competence, some of the teachers, suffers from the lack of appropriate expertise before the students or fellow teachers. The lack of knowledge among teachers results in low performance leading to poor results for the schools or the individual students.

History as a subject attracts a variety of attention. As a beginning teacher of history, I take notice of the prejudice of how the subject is marginalized in Qatar. The enrollment in the subject has experienced a low turn in the ages of 11 and 12 in the entire country. History as a subject shares some problems with other subjects such as math’s in a way that it is entrusted to fellows or teachers with less training in their profession. The subject has no shortage of persons well equipped with the necessary expertise to handle the problem.

Opportunities

Based on observations, the rise of history as a curriculum, it illustrates nature as a discipline and a form of public knowledge. Like any other subjects, history is a discipline that is bounded by knowledge and epistemological principles that regulate it inquiry, interpretation and rules of evidence. Unlike many subjects, history expresses much more. It takes various ways and does not demand agreement on ways of testing and framing hypothesis, verifying and replicating discoveries. It does encompass popular impacts. Such category of uses of history indicates the usefulness of the history. It indicates a formative ways of human society, and it’s free for contestation. History also acts as a subject of sensitivities in various schools.

History teachers have the opportunity to continue learning as in the case of further studies when schools take vacations. The orientation of the latest curriculum, equipping students with technological changes, cultural diversity, globalization and the challenge of globalization, demonstrates a well-informed understanding of the historical event. Thus, it encourages history teachers with an extensive length of time to gain more skills in his area of expertise or to engage in other areas of his interest. A lot of these benefits are given o teachers as a result of their hard work in the community. History teachers have the upper hand in experiencing private and state school systems, and the use of the curriculum also denotes a unique advantage. Making a difference in the lives of the local communities is very crucial for history teachers. Social activities such as visiting orphanages and community works are carried out by a good number of schools.

The continuity of learning is endowed to the history teachers since they pass their experiences to generations. The inspiration for students, this depends on every teacher love for distinct subjects. Some fall in love with engineering and enjoys the massive technological advancement in the field of construction. Due to this, several students are inspired by their teachers work as they perform their classical experiments, in the end most student ends up in the carrier much influenced by their history teachers. These events enhance the knowledge of history teachers in Qatar and make them up to date with the events in the system. History teachers enjoy the moment and have fun and relax from the boredom of chalk and board. They are also able to take the trips with their family or as staff. Read More