Teacher’s Oath – Wikipedia
Oath taken by teachers
A Teacher’s Oath is an oath taken in some countries by teachers.
In 1993, the German educator Hartmut von Hentig
designed the Socratic Oath, which is supposed to be a set of professional guidelines for educators, teachers and paedagogues. In 2022, after the COVI19 pandemic effects some dramatic changes in the world as a whole and in the education system in partial the German educator Klaus Zierer published a renewal of the Socratic oath, which is based on the research of the educator John Hattie and has not only a theoretical approach but also an empirical base.[1]Today there are many different versions of the Teacher’s Oath, for example the Comenius Oath in Finland,[2][3][4] Teachers’ Oath Taking in Philippines,[5] Abdul Kalam Teachers Oath in India,[6] Teachers Pledge in Singapore[7] and Betimi i Mësuesit in Kosovo.[8]
Since 1863, nearly two-thirds of US states have adopted loyalty oaths for teachers.[9] The Massachusetts Teachers’ Oath was a loyalty oath required to teach in Massachusetts from 1935 to 1967.
Socratic Oath[edit]
As teacher and educator I undertake,
So that I undertake,
~ Hartmut von Hentig – 1993[10][11] |
Other versions[edit]
As a teacher, I commit myself to directing all my feelings, thoughts and actions in my profession towards the well-being of the children entrusted to me.
I commit myself to the children,
– to challenge and support each child according to his or her potential and level of development,
– not to leave any child behind or to write them off, no matter what the reasons are,
– to take the failure of the children entrusted to me again and again as an opportunity for new ways of teaching,
– to see mistakes as an opportunity, not as a flaw,
– to set challenges in the educational process so that underachallenge and overchallenge do not occur,
– to look for, pick up and awaken motivations,
– to enter into dialogue again and again, to give and receive feedback, to ask questions and to listen,
– to attribute a serving function to subjects in the educational process,
– to address and stimulate all areas of the personality,
– to give confidence in the world and in oneself and to make it visible on a daily basis,
– to understand and shape the class and the school as a welcoming place,
– to provide for an appreciative, fear-free and educationally effective atmosphere and relationship, and
– to stand up for the physical, mental and spiritual integrity of the children entrusted to me.
I commit myself to the parents
– to communicate at eye level and to build up an educational partnership,
– to understand the educational process of the children as a common task,
– not only to be prepared to talk to them regularly, but also to actively seek contact with them, and
– to take their assessments of the children’s educational success and progress seriously and to combine them with their own views.
I commit myself to my colleagues,
– to share my experiences in education and teaching and to use them as a basis for collegial professionalisation,
– to share and reflect together on the mistakes made every day,
– to reflect back on successful moments in school and to give mutual recognition, and
– to allow everyone their individual perspective on school and teaching while working towards a shared vision.
I commit myself to the educational public,
– to accept the educational mandate and to implement it at all times,
– not only to impart knowledge and skills, but to focus on and promote all areas of the personality,
– to subordinate all subjects to the well-being of the child and thus to the educational mission,
– to be loyal but not blind to official guidelines,
– to implement everything that serves the best interests of the children and to reject everything that is contrary to the best interests of the child,
– to critically question, and if necessary publicly denounce and reject, any interests and demands on school and teaching that are not primarily in the best interests of the child, and
– to give a voice to children and their right to education in public discourse.
I commit myself to society,
– to see respect for human dignity as the basis and goal of school and education,
– to teach the principles of our democracy and to defend them in school and in teaching,
– to see school as a place of reproduction and innovation of social values,
– to use my pedagogical freedom to place current issues at the centre of everyday school life, and
– to be not only reactive but also proactive towards the further development of our society.
To myself I commit myself,
– to justify my actions at all times, to discuss them critically and constructively and to reflect on them conscientiously,
– to regularly develop my professional, pedagogical and didactic competences,
– regularly reflect on my professional attitudes, and
– to always fulfil my role as a role model to the best of my knowledge and belief.
I confirm what has been said by my willingness to be measured at all times against the standards that emanate from this commitment.
~ Klaus Zierer – 2022 [12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- Oaths of loyalty for teachers American federation of teachers, 1935
- Anthony J. Diekema:Academic Freedom and Christian Scholarship Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000, ISBN 9780802847560
- Hentig, Hartmut von: Die Schule neu denken. München u. Wien (Hanser) 1993. S. 258–259) (in German)
- Reutter, E. Edmund, Jr., and Robert R. Hamilton. The Law of Public Education. 2d ed. Mineola, N.Y.: Foundation Press, 1976.
- Zierer, Klaus: Do We Need a Renewal of the Socratic Oath? Education Today. 04/29/2022 https://www.educationtoday.com.au/news-detail/Do-We-Need-a-Renewal-of-the-Socratic-Oath-5599
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