What is the Role of a Good Teacher?
As stated in Unit 1, a good teacher "cares about his/her teaching, but cares even more about the learning of the students". This statement emphasizes the fact that an effective teacher should not only maintain a good and positive attitude towards their teaching but should maintain a good relationship with the students while creating the most engaging and friendly environment as possible so that the students can acquire the skills they need to be successful.
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lucy E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Patience
Moreover, it is encouraged that a teacher is kind and patient with one's students and should emanate their love for teaching within the classroom. This portrayal of their enthusiasm will encourage the students to learn more. A good teacher cannot get away with positivity and excitement alone though they should also be somewhat experienced in the topic so that they can be more effective in their methodology.
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Student-Teacher Relationships
Likewise, between the teacher and the students, the teacher should encourage all the students to participate and be involved in class so they all feel included and all have an equal chance of learning the material. They should also know how to effectively correct students without making them feel bad or embarrassed for this may discourage them from participating in the future. Finally, the teacher should pay attention to the individual and group needs of the students so that they can effectively adjust their lessons so that everyone is provided with the tools they need to be successful.
Within the Lesson
More specifically, during a standard lesson, the teacher can play various roles within the classroom. They can play the role of the manager when they take charge of the class and are the leader of an activity. This can be an effective role but should not be overused for the students who need their opportunity to engage and participate actively. With this, the teacher can also be an organizer in which the teacher organizes the class to carry out various activities. During such activities, the teacher acts as an assessor where they give feedback and help evaluate the students so that they know where to improve. It is important to be encouraging and helpful in the technique of assessing. The teacher can also engage in activities with the students which is when they are referred to as the participant. One should still be cautious here not to insert into the student's activity too much. The teacher can also play the role of a tutor when individual students need assistance with an activity or assignment. There are a few more roles that a teacher can take on in the classroom but these provide some of the major examples.
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It is also important to note that a teacher should know how and when to engage in each role. It is not always appropriate to be a participant or an assessor. It depends on which stage of the lesson you are in and what the goal of that stage or activity is. With this, through a positive bond with the students and an enthusiasm for teaching itself, the teacher should be able to generate an effective and engaging lesson based on the age group, language level, and culture. These are the major building blocks of a good and effective teacher in the classroom.
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