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A person could certainly launch into a frenzied regurgitation of the exact information briefly provided in this course and the general TEFL course about the roles of a teacher. Someone could spend paragraphs covering each definition of a manager/controller, organizer, assessor, model, observer/monitor, instructor, mentor, psychologist, counselor, and policeman. However; for me, a teacher is more than these few words. A teacher is a key which unlocks so many doors for their students. They provide access to passageways for their students to do more than simply learn a specific subject. Teachers expand the mind, self, and possibilities of their students. A teacher is a reservoir of knowledge. Teachers should be able to willingly and gleefully share from their well. In fact, good teachers feel more fulfilled every time they can give a piece of knowledge to others.
More than anything, the role of the teacher is to be present. To hear, see, inspire, and expand their students to become more through tapping into their full potential. If a teacher is not present, completely, they cannot step into any other role. Being present, a teacher will understand the students’ individual levels and be able to craft a better lesson plan. Being present the teacher can read their classroom to know who needs guidance, who wants to speak up, and who is lost. Being present as a teacher means an individual can morph from one role into the next without skipping a beat and staying true to themselves.
Yes, on an extremely technical and simplified level, a teacher’s role is crafted from the above list of nouns. But that list is a rather basic view. I do not want to be a basic teacher. I want my role to expand beyond the simple interactions of demonstrating lessons and activities, providing materials and examples for a class… I want to be the kind of teacher that helps change the lives of students for the better. Sometimes it may be through noticing something others have missed. Sometimes it may be from truly listening to a student’s struggles. It can all be done in a thousand different ways all in a single moment.
Being a teacher should never be an act. Sincerity is a must and being present with oneself and students creates a genuine environment in which students will feel safe. A person cannot be trusted as a counselor, mentor, or psychologist if those around them feel they are merely pretending. There should not be a “teacher’s mask” someone puts on in the morning to go to work. Their presentation of self should be solid and sincere (with added moderation for culture and ages of students.) A teacher, through being present, becomes open and approachable to their students. If someone is forcing themselves to teach, wearing the “teacher’s mask,” means they become obvious when switching roles in the classroom. They are clunky and unapproachable. The students will lack connection and may eventually become disengaged with the class’s subject matter all together.
A person who is present will create a grounded teacher. A grounded teacher will naturally flow through the roles of instructor, mentor, psychologist, counselor, etc. Through this natural state, they will in turn inspire and expand their student’s lives.
