Chapter 1: The Nature of Teaching and Teachers Roles

Lesson 3: Challenges in Teaching

Learning Objective Identify the challenges of teaching

Facing challenges is part of teaching. It should be noted that challenges in the teaching
profession do not always equate to problems. Rather, these are opportunities to unveil your
potential and willpower as a teacher. The following challenges below will perhaps test a teacher's
abilities. Nonetheless, these are positive experiences that will reinforce your identity as a teacher.
A. Multicultural classrooms
A classroom is multicultural if there are two or more students who have come from other
countries or were raised in different customs and traditions. Issues in multicultural classrooms can
make the teaching and learning process challenging for both teachers and students. An article
published by Noplag in 2017 listed eight challenges that can be seen in multicultural classrooms.
1. Language barrier - Language barriers refer to obstacles in communication that arise when
individuals do not share a common language or have differing levels of proficiency in a
shared language. These barriers can lead to misunderstandings, frustration, and conflict,
and they significantly impact various aspects of life, including personal relationships,
business interactions, education, and healthcare.

2. Domination of different learning styles - As the students come from various cultures, they
may be accustomed to different approaches or methods of presenting material and anything
new may take some time to adjust to. With that, in order for the students to grasp information
more effectively, the teacher must provide a variety of learning styles. Learning styles refer
to the various approaches individuals use to process and retain information. While many
theories categorize these styles differently, the most common frameworks include visual,
auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic (often referred to as VARK). Understanding these
styles is crucial for educators and learners alike, as they can significantly impact teaching
methods and learning outcomes.

3. The cultural difference can also be noticed in the poorly formed speaker-listener
relationships and diverse patterns of cooperation and competition. As a result,
students may not know how to respond when a teacher speaks, may not understand group
or pair work, and may not understand the concept and rules of activities that are newly
introduced. To address this, accompanying the instruction with visual tools can increase
their success in learning new information.
Chapter 1: The Nature of Teaching and Teachers Roles
4. Non-verbal behavior - Non-verbal behaviors and body signs may have different meanings
in different countries. If a teacher is unaware of the nonverbal behaviors common in the
culture from which his students come, wrong interpretations and miscommunication may
arise.

5. Presenting one topic from different perspectives - A teacher must be meticulous in his
formulations and expressions so as not to offend some students. The teacher's job is to
avoid stereotypes and provide evidence from primary sources in order to sound objective
when it comes to certain sensitive topics that are defined differently by different populations.

6. Diversity of extracurricular activities - Because students from different cultures have

entered a different classroom, they must adjust to new traditions, a way of life, and
relationships in this new community. In most circumstances, it is the teacher's responsibility
to demonstrate and explain these to the students through a variety of extracurricular
activities. Immersing the students in these activities is helpful as they will get to have the
experience, which allows them to understand it better.

7. Teaching communication skills - Aside from the difficulty of communicating in a foreign

language, students may be hesitant to participate and express themselves because they
are afraid of not -being understood. As a result, it is-critical for the teacher to foster an
environment in which the student feels safe and comfortable speaking. This encourages
students to voice their opinions on a broad spectrum of topics.

8. Constant work with parents - It is critical to understand how a child was raised and what
traditions shaped his worldview. This knowledge, which is obtained through communication
with the child's parents, will help teachers plan classes more efficiently and help students
find their place in the classroom.

B. ICT integration
Information and communications technology, or ICT, is being used more frequently in the
classroom. Many teachers are still unsure whether or not to incorporate it into their classrooms as
they struggle with utilizing technology themselves.
The GoGuardian Team (2019) elucidated the common challenges and concerns teachers
experience when integrating ICT in the classroom. These include:
1. Students misusing technology - There is always the possibility that you might encounter
students who will attempt to misuse technology. The student might use it for entertainment
purposes instead of education, which causes them to derail their focus and attention away
from the subject matter.
Chapter 1: The Nature of Teaching and Teachers Roles

2. Teacher knowledge and professional development - One common difficulty is a lack of

knowledge and understanding of how to use technology, as well as discomfort with it. Hence,
it is important for teachers to have access to professional development resources to help
them understand how to use technology effectively.

3. Keeping students safe online - Increased access to technology also increases the
chances students being exposed to graphic content, online predators, scammers, hackers,
and cyberbullying. One way of addressing this issue is by teaching the students to be
responsible digital citizens. As teachers, it is our responsibility to teach our students how to
be critical and discerning in everything that they encounter on the web.

4. Cost of new technology - The cost of bringing new technology into the classroom is
financially challenging. Not all schools or classroom budgets are able to sustain this addition.

5. Keeping up with changes - The technologies' constant evolution for improvement can be
a major barrier when integrating ICT in the classroom. Keeping up with various changes and
trends can be quite a struggle, whether financially or through technological literacy-based
competency.
C. Multiple Intelligence
In an article by Eve Herndon (2018), Howard Gardner of Harvard University claims that all
human beings have multiple intelligences. In 1991, Gardner identified seven intelligences: in the
intervening time. he has come to believe there are a total of nine intelligences. These are the
following:
1. Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence - strong verbal skills and sensitivity to word sounds.
Meanings and rhythms

2. Mathematical-Logical Intelligence - the ability to think conceptually and abstractly, as well

as to recognize logical or numerical patterns.

3. Musical Intelligence - the ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timbre.

4. Visual-Spatial Intelligence - the ability to think in pictures and images. as well as to

visualize accurately and abstractly.

5. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence - the skillful control of one's body movements and handling
of objects.
Chapter 1: The Nature of Teaching and Teachers Roles
6. Interpersonal Intelligence - the capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods,
motivations and desires of others.

7. Intrapersonal Intelligence - the ability to be self-aware and in tune with one's own feelings,
values. beliefs. and thought processes.

8. Naturalist Intelligence - the ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other
objects in nature.

9. Existential Intelligence - the awareness and ability to address difficult issues relating to
human existence, such as the purpose of life. why we die, and how we arrived here.

Accommodating many different intelligences in the classroom is truly challenging and can
sometimes be overwhelming. Some intelligences may not be well suited to group activities or
learning situations. which makes it a challenge for the teacher to reach all the students in the
classroom. However, while it may seem difficult to teach all learning styles, it is not an impossible
task. As teachers begin to understand multiple intelligences more. we will be able to facilitate
effective learning by utilizing multimedia. We can use visual tools, sounds, motions, and a variety
of other media that can inherently speak to one's learning style.

D. Children with special needs

The term "special needs" refers to a broad range of diagnoses that vary in severity and
duration. It addresses developmental delays as well as medical, psychiatric. and congenital
conditions that necessitate accommodations in order for children to reach their potential (Mauro,
n.d.). When it comes to teaching, diagnoses such as ADHD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
(FASD), sensory integration dysfunction, and Tourette's syndrome necessitate highly specialized
strategies. Also. regardless of intelligence, children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and
auditory processing disorder (APD) struggle with schoolwork and require specialized learning
strategies.
Because each student is a unique case, teachers must tailor their lessons to each student
with disabilities by offering individualized education programs. Teachers must be adaptable.
creative, patient. and persevering. Furthermore, because children may not respond to traditional
discipline, teachers must make an effort to learn how to address such situations as well as how to
implement appropriate disciplinary measures.
Chapter 1: The Nature of Teaching and Teachers Roles
ACTIVITY:
Create your Oath of Commitment for the challenges of teaching.

Reference:
Lumibao, Gela M. (2023) The Teaching Profession. Edric Publishing House. Sta Cruz
Manila