EDUCATIONAL RELIANCE

Judy Villanueva Páez 
jfvillanuevap@unal.edu.co
Publicado en Capital Letter No. 5
Mayo de 2004


As students of Philology in this university, we have to consider that it is a licenciatura. In spite of the fact that we can work in different fields, most of us are going to be teachers. For that, we have to be conscious about our job in this society. Not only in order to teach a second language but also to be creators of a new country. Many things have been said about education. The importance of a good relation between teacher and students and the responsibility in order to create a better world are important topics in our role as future teachers. But how important is trust in order to fulfill those objectives?


Trust in this scenario becomes one of our tools. It is almost impossible to think that somebody could listen and learn from somebody who does not trust or believe in. When there is no feeling and respect in the classroom, teaching any subject is complicated and frustrating. Students should have enough reliance on their teachers for learning in an appropriate atmosphere. Habits and values are also important. 


But this process cannot be unilateral. Teachers have to trust students in order to give them security and confidence. This mutual trust makes important changes in our life, in our points of view about other people, in our roles as individuals who have to live in a society. When there is no trust, there is no hope of accepting ourselves as good human beings. It is not possible therefore to be part of a community-in our case an academic community.


Reliance is a synonym of respect. Reliance also means to recognize the other as a human being, as a student, as somebody to count on, and as a person who offers you knowledge. Reliance gives us the opportunity to realize how much we are doing for others and for ourselves and also for knowing how much we listen and solve problems in a proper way. Reliance is another method for improving our society as teachers and people.