Teach English in Baiguo Zhen - Chengdu Shi

A teacher is someone who shares information, knowledge and virtues to people. The TEFL definition of a good teacher is one that really cares about teaching, but cares even more about the learning of the students. A good teacher is kind, patient, has a good mastery of his subjects and has a good rapport and interaction with the class. There are a couple of roles teachers are expected to play. Teachers use classroom instructions and presentations to help students learn and apply concepts such as maths, English and science. Teachers prepare lessons, grade papers and work closely with school staff. Being a teacher is much more than just executing lesson plans. Teachers play the role of a third parent, role model, planner, class disciplinarian, mentor, book keeper and many other roles. Teaching is therefore a multifaceted profession in today's world. Teachers play a big role in the development of the students. Elementary school teachers play an important role in the development of students. What students learn in their formative years can shape the men and women they will become. Some of the roles played by teachers are: 1- A teacher acts as a third parent. Teachers can be a constant positive role model for their students, especially for children that lack a solid family foundation. The role of a teacher is more than just planning and executing lesson plans. In some cases, because the teacher spends more time with the students, he/she is considered a third parent. However, the teacher's role as a third parent would depend largely on the age and grade of the children they teach. A kindergarten teacher will develop basic skills in his/her children that are necessary to excel and progress to the next year while a teacher in the intermediate grade teaches specific information about a particular subject. 2- An educator: this is considered to be the most important role of the teacher by many students. This idea is quite superficial however and it goes without saying that professional knowledge of the subject is important. Therefore teachers are given curriculum they must follow that meets state guidelines. This curriculum is followed by the teacher through out the year so that all pertinent knowledge is dispensed to the students. Teachers teach in many ways including lectures, small group activities and hands-on learning activities. 3- Creating classroom environment: Another important role teachers play is setting the mood for the class. Students often mimic a teacher's actions. If the teacher prepares a happy and warm environment, the students are more likely to be happy. However, the classroom environment set by the teacher can either be positive or negative. A teacher who is an entertainer often faces problems with discipline and fulfilling other responsibilities, thus organizing the learning process in a less effective way. On the other hand, if students sense the teacher is angry, they may react negatively to that and therefore learning can be impaired. A teacher is expected to strike a balance between being an entertainer and instilling discipline in the classroom so as to bring out the best performance of the students. 4- Mentoring and supporting students: This role is taken by teachers whether intentional or not and can have a positive or negative effect on the students. Mentoring is a way a teacher encourages students to strive to be the best they can. A supporter is a teacher who is primarily focused on teaching the students not to be afraid of making mistakes and encouraging them on the way to successful task completion. Part of mentoring consists of listening to students. By taking time to listen to what students say, teachers impart to students a sense of ownership in the classroom. This helps build their confidence and helps them want to be successful. 5- Another role played by teachers is a protector role. Teachers are taught to protect their students and look for signs of trouble in the students. A change in students' behaviours or physical signs of abuse requires a teacher to look into the problem. However, teachers are expected to follow faculty procedures when it comes to following up on all signs of trouble. 6- Role modelling: Teachers are considered role models to students and their parents. They spend so much time with their students and therefore inadvertently become role models to them. Again, this can be either negative or positive depending on the teacher. Teachers are therefore not only to teach the students but also to love and care for them. A teacher as a role model not only equips the students with extensive knowledge and skills but also puts a major emphasis on ethical issues and tries to develop basic human values in students. 7- A teacher as an assessor: this role is one of the most difficult roles played by the teacher as they have to evaluate the knowledge of their students, being objective and fair and not influenced by the concerns of discipline, personal likes and feelings. Teacher's roles today are considerably different than they used to be. Before, teachers were issued a specific curriculum which they had to teach by and a set of instructions on how to teach it using the same methods for all students. That is not so in today's world were the teacher's role is multifaceted. A teacher's job today is to counsel students, help them learn how to use their knowledge and integrate it into their lives so they will become valuable members of the society. As teachers, we are encouraged to adapt learning methods to each individual student's learning to challenge and inspire them to learn. Today's teaching profession is also about taking on broader roles to promote education. Teachers often work with politicians, colleagues and community members to set clear and attainable standards for their students. They also participate in the decision making that helps to address the students' learning problems. Teachers mentor new teachers preparing them to teach the youths of today.