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The primary duty of any teacher is to provide instruction, knowledge, and understanding to their students. For successful learning however, motivation and guidance are key. Therefore, the teacher must fulfill multiple roles in order to more effectively help and guide the students. Including roles as the class manager, assessor, model, tutor, and friend or mentor. I’ll share briefly on the former roles and explain more on the latter. As a class manager, the role of the teacher is leading the class in lessons, activities, discussions, and decisions. Basically, being in control of and the center of attention in the class. Good leadership and management skills greatly enhance the role. For new teachers, these skills should improve with practice and experience. Ideally, teachers should be able to comfortably manage their classrooms and provide leadership when necessary to their students. As an assessor, the teacher evaluates the students’ work and skills, also giving them correction when necessary. It’s important for the teacher to always grade fairly when analyzing students’ English productions. Keeping the correct standard while also being sensitive to students’ needs and self-confidence are key. Good assessors will constantly help students by preparing them for actual English communication. As a role-model, the teacher serves as the ideal English-speaker to the students. This role carries the responsibility of being an excellent example for others. Not only is it extremely important for the teacher to have a thorough understanding of the subject, but also to have good character, personal qualities, self-standards, and morals. This will greatly improve respect, authority, and teaching for the teacher, as students will have someone to look up to. As a tutor, the teacher provides more private, and often individual, instruction and guidance. This role is a personal one and can be used to offer brief support and help when needed. This can be suitable if a student is struggling to learn the given material. Ideally, the teacher should be able to tutor without interfering too much while also considering everyone equally. Successful learning often involves a good relationship between the teacher and their students. Therefore, the teacher also has the role of being a friend and/or mentor. Many graduated students remember their teachers as being important “parental” figures to them in a very positive, needed way. Also, many students come from backgrounds where actual parental care wasn’t/isn’t available. Not only does building a healthy, caring relationship with students help them on a basic emotional (and mental) level, it also greatly engages them in their education. When the teacher assumes the role of a friend and mentor, they not only care about the learning of the students, but also the students themselves. I believe this is a powerful tool to inspire learning motivation and generate self-significance in the students. The only downside to this is when the teacher leaves and another comes to fill-in, only for the students to be upset, missing the old teacher. Even then, it’s my belief that the pros outweigh the cons for teachers being caring friends and mentors. The students develop motivation and self-worth, increasing their learning capabilities, with the only possible negatives being over-attachment and separation. Still, most students already know that they won’t be in the teacher’s classroom forever, making said risks small ones. There’s many testimonies and evidences of teachers fulfilling the role of friends/mentors and building good relationships. Every teacher’s duty and mission are similar, helping student learn and grow in knowledge and understanding. For more effective learning, proper motivation and guidance are crucial. Thus, teachers must fulfill many roles to adequately teach lessons. These roles include being the class manager, assessor, model, tutor, as well as friend and mentor. The latter because of the importance and results of a good, healthy relationship between the teacher and their students.
