Question:
In the case of my specialty, as a Physical Education teacher, I have observed that through sports, we have certain domains over the students and have more closeness because the open classroom allows us to share experiences and talk, to have a dialogue. Do you think it is possible to train a loving teacher?
Answer:
I believe it is indispensable, although it is not just about training them but also contributing to creating favorable attitudes for the development of prosocial competencies. Because when we talk about a loving teacher, we are limiting ourselves to love as an emotion, as a teacher saying "I love a student," and stopping there, without any loving feelings. Well, that's fine. But I think we need to take one more step so that it moves from emotion to commitment, to behavior. One way to take this step to prosocial behavior means commitment to act, even if it is through small actions, small gestures that contribute to the well-being of others. Because love, there are many definitions of love. Love is the most complex emotion that exists because it is one word referring to different forms of love. In fact, a loving behavior – I suppose we do not understand a teacher who falls in love constantly, falling in love with the person they are talking to, with their students – but we are talking about a broader love. It is important to distinguish between erotic love, fraternal love, maternal love, and social love.
El docente amoroso en Educación Física: Formación a través del deporte y la conexión humana