Communicative-counselling skills and abilities of teachers in their work with students

The possibility of supporting students in their affective and social development presupposes that teachers have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in their basic education to perform this complex task. However, in current school practice, more emphasis is placed on academic education and affective and social development is somewhat neglected.The primary purpose of this article is to explain some of the essential skills and abilities that teachers should possess when finding themselves in a situation where they must act in the role of partner in an affective interaction. This role encompasses the domains of altruistic, prosocial, and helping behaviour aimed at the well-being of others, and in this respect is similar to the role of the counsellor. The teacher's actions, manifested in the area of affective interaction with students, depend on his specific skills and abilities. The article highlights some of the skills and abilities that can help teachers provide emotional and social support to students: Self-awareness (awareness of one's own personal characteristics, values, and emotions), empathy, the ability to recognize emotions, and the ability to listen actively. The main reason teachers feel inadequately prepared for this role is that their professional preparation neglects the development of the above skills and abilities and diverts attention from the school's broader function in students' overall development.We expect that the development of communication and counselling skills will be recognized as an important outcome of teachers' initial education and as part of their ongoing professional development.