Transforming Lives: Unveiling the Profound Impact of a Teacher's Role
The role of the teacher has experienced many shifts throughout the history of education. In a general sense, teachers in the past were more looked upon as glorified babysitters than educators. It was completely normal and acceptable for teachers in the past to follow a set lesson plan for all students. They would not try to accommodate specific individual student needs, and if students were to fall behind, it was just seen as that student was not smart enough to keep up with the class. Nowadays, the role of teachers has shifted towards adaptable teaching as well as nurturing healthy relationships with students in order to help them find success.
Table of Contents
Building Trust and Mutual Respect
Teacher as a Guide, Not a Dictator
Adapting to Students' Diverse Needs
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author, an alumni of ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training). They do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ITTT. The content provided in this post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as official endorsement or representation by ITTT.
Building Trust and Mutual Respect
A teacher's role in the classroom is very important due to the fact that they are the individuals looked upon for knowledge, advice, and guidance. Their job is to basically mold each student into an improved version of themselves, almost like how a ceramist molds clay into beautiful pieces of art. In order to successfully do this, the teacher-student relationship is very important. The teacher should build trust and mutual respect with their students. Not only does this help students feel more comfortable about learning and asking questions, but it also motivates them to strive to learn. Something to keep in mind in order to nurture this relationship is to avoid being a dictator in the classroom. Acting like a dictator while teaching and educating only fosters ill feelings from the students.
This will not only demotivate the students, but they will feel intimidated and refrain from asking questions and pass over material that they do not fully understand. Instead, teachers should strive towards being more of a guide or facilitator to the students. This will allow students to open up more about any struggles they are experiencing with the material being taught and will ultimately help form a healthy bond or relationship between the teacher and students. The problems or struggles that each student has will also vary between each individual. This is why teachers should also be able to adapt and cater to different student's needs. For example, this could mean that some students are more visual learners while others may be hands-on learners. As a teacher, you should be flexible and able to recognize the varying needs of the students and make sure to incorporate a teaching method that will ensure success for all students. This means that a teacher's lesson plan should not be one-dimensional and should account for many different styles of learning.
Teacher as a Guide, Not a Dictator
At the end of the day, teachers are whom the students look up to in the classroom for guidance and knowledge so teachers should act in a way that will motivate students and show them what to strive for. This is why teachers should refrain from certain things like losing their temper or getting irritated with students. They should welcome any and all questions and answer them to their best ability. I believe that in order to provide a good environment for students to learn, a teacher must also enjoy passing on knowledge to the students.
A teacher who dislikes what they do will lose enthusiasm in the classroom, which will translate to the students losing interest and motivation. This is why teachers should truly enjoy nurturing the future generation and setting them up for a bright future. Especially as an ESL teacher, you may typically be the only example of the language you are teaching that the students have access to. Because of this, the students tend to look to ESL teachers as an example of a native English speaker and may pick up on certain things. This is why ESL teachers should continue to portray a good example of how to use the language correctly and continue to teach students valuable material that they could utilize out in the real world.
Adapting to Students' Diverse Needs
The role of a teacher should be one of mutual trust and respect with the students. The teacher should focus on being a guide or a facilitator rather than a dictator in the classroom. The teacher should also account for each individual student's needs and be flexible enough to adapt to each need to best teach them material that could be used in their daily lives. Above all else, I believe a teacher should enjoy what they do and bring that positivity and enthusiasm to the classroom in order to gain interest from the students and motivate them to learn and ask questions. The role of a teacher is a very important one in shaping the next generation. Some may not realize the amount of influence a teacher may have on a student, and that should be seen as something special and should be nurtured the right way.
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