Introduction
Sustainability is most referred to as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Sustainability has three main pillars namely environmental, social and economic sustainability. Sustainability affects every level of organization, ranging from the local neighborhood, and the entire globe. Sustainability is the balance between a Reasonable Way of Supplying Human Needs economically while preserving the Eco-System for today and the future generations.
How the 3 spheres of sustainability can be integrated in the EMS classroom.
Environmental sustainability.
In this type of sustainability, both the teacher and the learners need to ensure that the classroom which is the environment where teaching and learning process takes place at is always clean and conducive at all times. To ensure that the environment is conducive learners with the help of a teacher can draw up a daily cleaning timetable where they will be taking turns in ensuring that the classroom is always clean.
For example, if the classroom is not clean and conducive for teaching and learning it can overwhelm learners and cause cognitive and emotional overload which can cause learners to feel disengaged, dis empowered, and even resentful, which can disrupt the learning process. Bornman, J. & Donohue, D.K. (2013).
Social sustainability
This is mainly about the communication and the support that both the teacher and the learners get from all other stakeholders involved in the teaching and learning process such as principal, parents, SGB members and community at large. The approach to ensuring and maintaining this support are various, but it comes down to treating learners fairly in the classroom and being a good community member at all times.Â
For example, engaging learners in group discussions and projects in which they have the opportunity to communicate and support one another. Furthermore, it also can allow for the moments of debates, teamwork, and reflections that are so utmost importance to developing the critical thinking and leadership skills. Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006)
Economic sustainability
Economic sustainability refers to the practices that support long-term economic growth without negatively impacting social and environmental aspects of community. In this regard the teacher needs to ensure that the water, energy, waste, food etc are taken into consideration and the learners are sustained with these factors. For example, the teachers can fill up a 20litre with water so that when learners are thirsty they can drink up without having to go outside. Teachers can teach learners to use all the wastage materials to be recycled maybe by collecting plastics and making something new out of it like making bags, dustbins etc. he teacher can also make sure that learners find food at school at all times during breaks at the schools feeding scheme.
The aspect that will be considered as relevant and practical.
Environmental sustainability
It is the one that is relevant and practical because it allows both the teacher and the learners to be involved in ensuring that the keep the sustainability of the environment where teaching and learning takes place. It is practical because it allows both parties to be hand on in ensuring the success of the conducive environment in the classroom. When they do not ensure the cleanliness of the classroom it will be difficult for them to teach and learn and the same time because that can cause the emotional feelings for both as they can come across spiders and smell that is not good for all of them. This can cause a disruption in learning of learners and that on its own can be an overload that cannot be managed.
The main objective aims of the MRQTE.
The specification of a set of minimum requirements for teacher education qualification is aimed at ensuring that the higher education system produces teachers of high quality in line with the needs of the country (DBE 2011).
The minimum requirements for teacher education qualification serves as a basis for the development and updating for the criteria for the recognition and evaluation of qualifications for employment in the education policy for teachers in the schooling sectors (DBE 2011).
The MRTEQ document further provides âspaceâ that can be used generatively to include environmental educational practices and a wide variety of approaches in the teacher education curriculum in South Africa. Department of Basic Education (DBE) (2011).
Minimum requirements qualification for teacher education are realistic in the South African school context.
The minimum requirements qualification for teacher education are realistic in the South African school context as they are governed by the DHET. These minimum requirements deal with the design and development of qualifications for teachers and other professionals working in education in schooling and other environments.
The minimum requirements for teacher education qualification pays a close attention to the various types of knowledge that underpins teachers practice, while encapsulating all of these in the notion of integrated and applied knowledge and the types of learning.
Fundamental learning
In the context of teacher education in South Africa, fundamental learning refers to learning to converse competently in a second official language, the ability to use Information and Communication Technologies, and the acquisition of academic literacies, which in alternately lay the foundation for effective learning in higher education contexts. The development of other important literacies is expected to be integrated into other types of learning – especially Disciplinary Learning – in addition to the utilization of ICTâs for innovative teaching. (WordIQ, 2011).
Pedagogical learning
It includes the knowledge of learners, learning, curriculum and general instructional and assessment strategies and specialized pedagogical content knowledge, which includes knowing how to present the concepts, methods and rules of a specific discipline to learners in order to create appropriate learning opportunities for diverse learners, as well as how to evaluate their progress in both formal and informal tasks. Inclusive education forms an important aspect of both general pedagogical knowledge and specialized pedagogical content knowledge. (WordIQ, 2011).
Practical learning
It is at often times referred to as learning from and in practice. Learning from practice includes the study of practice, using discursive resources to analyses different practices across a wide range of contexts, drawing from case studies, video records, and or lesson observations, in order to theorize practice and form a basis for learning in practice. Learning in practice involves teaching in the simulated classroom environments. (WordIQ, 2011).
The Minimum requirements for teacher education qualification underscore your ultimate expectation of a good EMS teacher.
No, the minimum requirements for teacher education qualification does not underscore the ultimate expectation of a good EMS teacher as it only emphasise what qualification the teacher should have when wanting to be the qualified teachers. It does not exactly emphasise what the EMS teacher should do in order to teach good and produce quality results. The EMS teachers themselves must just find out what they are supposed to teach in order to cover all the syllabus and ensure that the learners pass all and with good results. I think they should again update the MRTEQ and ensure that they include what the teacher must and must not do in class and in the curriculum that they teach the learners.
Conclusion
The teachers always ensure that they inspire, motivate, encourage and educate learners. Learners can be of any age and from any background. However for the purposes of this guide, teachers refer to those who educate young people of school age. Teachers serve many roles within a school environment. Latta and Field (2005) suggested that teacher education needs to expand from the current ideas related to representative certainty and singularity in ways of seeing and doing in classrooms.