Teach English in Ciqiu Zhen - Jining Shi

Often people are asked what is more important for a student’s education: the home, the school or the society. It is crushing to see that society values home rather than school education according to some surveys. But who is really responsible for a child’s education? Teachers bear the burden of shouldering the responsibility for a child’s education. Home matter? Of course! Creating working partnerships with family does matter, but there is nothing more impactful for a student’s educational experience than what happens within the halls and classrooms of the school building. This is the place where they are going to spend most of their early life, and the people that surround them will make a huge impact on the social entity they will become, thus, growing up in this environment, the teacher will be one of the most important persons in the development of the kid’s personality. Being a teacher is not an easy task, and being a great teacher is even more challenging and demanding. It is thought that the most important factor determining the quality of the education a child receives is the quality of the teacher. Teaching is one of the most complicated jobs nowadays, it demands broad knowledge of the subject matter, curriculum, and standards; enthusiasm, and a caring attitude. A love for teaching is also another aspect to consider, as well as knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques; and very important, the desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. Great teachers set high expectations for all students, they expect that all students can and will achieve in their classrooms, not giving up and using different techniques with the ones that could confront some kind of problem. Also, they have clear, written out objectives. Effective teachers have lesson plans that give the students a clear idea of what they will be learning, what the assignments are and what the grading policy will be; it also gives the teacher a working document, though it does not have to be strictly followed; and a record of what a class has done. Great teachers are prepared and organized; they arrive in the class early, organize the classroom in a way as to avoid distractions and make the communication better, are always ready to teach, and present the class in an understandable, easy and structured way. They are able to engage students and get them to look at a variety of issues from different perspectives, asking “why” questions, encouraging them to predict what will happen next, asking questions to make sure the students are following along, giving participation to the whole class and not just a few students, and keeping them motivated with lively and varied approaches. This kind of teacher is very interested in forming strong relationships and bonds with their students, and in showing that they care about them as people; making sure they are always available for students and parents who need them, caring about the school activities and getting involved in them. Finally, they communicate frequently with parents, reaching them through different ways, and never hesitate to contact them if they are concerned about a student in some way. Being a great teacher is very difficult, not only because there are a lot of factors to be taken into account; but also because it does not happen overnight. It takes time, but most of all, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment. Some people are born with the gift of being great teachers, some others love the job so much that they put all their strengths to become one; whatever the case, we all should do our best to provide our students with the greatest teacher they might have and the greatest learning experience, for it is what will shape the human beings they will become. As William Arthur Ward said: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”