The Ways Teachers are Accepted in Different Countries
"Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges." are the words of Joyce Meyer.
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Some of the roles that a teacher plays in a classroom are:
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Snehal A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
How do we see teachers?
A teacher is often seen as a role model, who inspires and encourages students to strive for greatness, live to the fullest potential and see the best in them.
A teacher also called an educator helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue. Teaching is a process in which the learner, the teacher, the curriculum and other variables are organized systematically and psychologically to attain some pre-determined goals.
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Teachers' Actions
A teacher's roles, duties, and functions may vary among cultures, they may provide instruction in literacy and numeracy, craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, community roles, or life skills. Formal teaching tasks include preparing lessons according to the agreed core curriculum, giving lessons, and assessing pupil progress.The teacher should know the subject matter and know how to teach it. Also know about the curriculum, educational sciences, psychology, assessment, etc.
An imaginative teacher can do wonders; can develop students' creative self-expression, can explore and create new things. And an innovative teacher introduces changes and new ideas, daring to be different and being unique.
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A teacher's professional duties may extend beyond formal teaching; they may accompany students on field trips, supervise study halls, help with the organization of school functions, and serve as supervisors for extracurricular activities.
Lectures need not be on a single subject at a time. Collaboration is a thread for all students learning. The collaborative project-based approach ensures that the curriculum used in this classroom develops and creates higher-order thinking skills and effective communication skills in learners.
Teachers' Personal Qualities
Teachers may also possess several other wonderful qualities like a sense of humor, personality, flexibility, kindness, leadership, classroom management, a calm demeanor, experience, and the ability to multitask. The teacher sets high expectations for all students, realizing that the expectations she has for her students greatly affect their achievement.
As Henry Brooks Adams thinks "Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops".
A good teacher respects students. In the classroom, each student's ideas and opinions are valued. Students feel safe to express their feelings and learn to respect and listen to others. This teacher creates a welcoming learning environment for all students.
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The teacher creates a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. The mutual respect in this teacher's classroom provides a supportive, collaborative environment. Students know that there are rules to follow and jobs to be done and each student is aware that he or she is an important, integral part of the group. A great teacher lets students know that they can depend not only on her but also on the entire class.
Teachers should be warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. This is the teacher to whom students know they can go with any problems or concerns. Great teachers possess good listening skills and take time out of their schedules for anyone who needs them. If this teacher is having a bad day, no one ever knows—the teacher leaves personal baggage outside the school doors.
"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." thinks Mark Van Doren.
Also Read: "Methods of Teaching Vocabulary in the Classroom"
Some of the roles that a teacher plays in a classroom are:
- The Controller: As the teacher is mostly the center of focus, it should allow for enough student talk time and it should be enjoyable for the learners.
- The Prompter: The teacher should be helping students only when necessary, when the learners are literally 'lost for words', in a supportive way.
- The Resource: The teacher is a kind of walking resource center ready to offer help if needed.
- The Assessor: The teacher sees how well students are performing and gives feedback and correction with sensitivity and support
- The Organizer: Giving instructions is vital in this role as well as setting up activities in an organized way.
- The Participant: This role improves the atmosphere in the class when the teacher takes part in activity by standing back and not become the center of attention.
- The Tutor: The teacher acts as a coach when students are involved in project work or self-study. The teacher provides advice and guidance and helps students clarify ideas and given tasks.
Among the many great teachers India has produced, the following eminent personalities are worth mentioning.
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was the President of India in 2002, said: "If the people remember me as a good teacher that will be the biggest honor for me." He grabbed every opportunity to teach students, especially children, wherever he went. Minutes before his end came, Dr. Kalam was teaching students at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong.
Dr. Manmohan Singh who is an Indian economist, who was the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and served as Union Finance Minister, the Prime Minister of India for two consecutive terms, was a teacher. He was a Senior Lecturer of Economics at the University of Cambridge and a professor in India too.
Dr. Raghuram Govind Rajan who was Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and an Indian economist is also an international academician. He is a Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business.
In India Teachers' Day is celebrated on 5th September every year on the birth anniversary of India's second President, Dr. S Radhakrishnan. He thought that "teachers should be the best minds in the country".
In India, a teacher is also addressed as a GURU. This means Dispeller of Darkness. GU means Darkness and RU means Remover.
Maimonides has rightly said, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime".
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