Teach English in Fenghuang Zhen - Xinzhou Shi

Introduction Teaching is an important and demanding profession and an individual who wants to become a teacher is required to have the right skills, attitude and mind set to take on this responsibility. Thus a teacher is a person who has an important role and responsibility to play in the community as an educator. Regardless of the age group or nationalities of the students, a teacher represents a parent-figure who is there to assist the students in both their academic and personal development. This essay explores teaching, mentoring, protecting and role modelling as key roles of a teacher. Teaching The primary duty of a teacher is to build the students’ knowledge and understanding of academic or vocational subjects through teaching and learning. A teacher must be knowledgeable both in theory and practice about the curriculum they have been assigned to teach. Therefore, a teacher must have the ability to develop various learning methods to cater for the needs of the different learning abilities of the students. On the one hand, it can be argued that a teacher can measure the effectiveness of its teaching methods by analysing the performance of the students through assessments, examinations and by daily personal observations. On the other hand, there are students who do not take their studies seriously despite the teacher’s hard work and dedication. Knowing and accepting that teaching is a demanding profession, a teacher is required to have a positive attitude and develop a sense of pride and confidence. In addition to the teaching and learning responsibilities, a teacher also has an important role to play in the personal development of the students through mentoring. Mentoring The role of a teacher is to mentor students by encouraging them to study hard and achieve success in their studies. The main objective of why parents send their children to school is for them to learn, acquire a good education and in the future get a good career and live a comfortable life. As a mentor, a teacher also shares the same vision as the parents. A teacher needs to have the skills and characteristics to guide and advise the students. A teacher needs to be driven and passionate about the teaching profession in order to help the students learn and grow. To do this, a teacher must not only instruct students and tell them what to do but also be able to listen to them and allow them to develop good communication skills, build their confidence and freely express themselves. Through this form of interaction and communication, a teacher will get a better understanding of what the students’ needs and goals are and work with them in achieving those goals. A teacher needs to monitor the progress of the students and report any challenges or learning difficulties which might hinder the students’ learning. When monitoring the students, a teacher needs to also be aware of various challenges or problems which some students might be facing. Protecting Students need to feel safe in their learning environment and the role of a teacher is to protect them against various forms of abuses especially bullying by other students. Being a protector of the students, a teacher needs to develop an ability to identify signs, which indicate that a student is being bullied verbally, physically. Like a parent, a teacher needs to pay attention to the students and regularly talk to them, not only about the curriculum but also about any problems that they are having which may have a negative effect on their studies. A teacher’s responsibility is to report such matter to the head of the school and follow-up to ensure that the situation has been referred to the competent authorities for further investigation. Students trust and rely on a teacher as their protector to create a safe and caring learning environment. The role of a teacher as a protector of the well-being of students may also extend to abuses or problems within the family and community. In those cases, the teacher may also apply the same method as bullying from other students to ensure that appropriate actions are being taken. It is also essential for a teacher to demonstrate selfless acts of kindness towards the students because more often than not students regard their teachers as role models. Role Modelling In addition to being a trainer, mentor and protector, a teacher also needs to act as a role model for the students. While they are growing up, students spend the majority of their time in the presence and care of their teacher. Therefore, they will tend to imitate the actions and behaviours of the teacher in the same way that they will do with their parents. As the parent-figure, a teacher needs to be able to have a good conduct and behave appropriately. A teacher’s behaviour is not only being observed during school hours but also after school hours. As a result, a teacher needs to ensure that he or she abides by the school’s code of conduct. This will help promote and foster good attitude and behaviours amongst the students and the community as well. Such positive attributes will also have a positive impact on the development and learning outcomes of students. The students will then grow up to become good citizens with positive mind sets, clear life goals and as adults become role models for their own children. Conclusion This essay demonstrates that being a teacher is more than having the knowledge and skills to teach a class. Similar to a parent, the role of a teacher is to also become a mentor to the students and have a positive impact in their lives. Students need mentoring to help guide them in their studies and for them to make good choices in their life. However, there are some instances when students encounter problems that impacts negatively on their studies. In those situations, a teacher’s role becomes that of a protector who is there to support and care for the students. Students think highly of their teacher and most often they will confide in a teacher more rather than with their own parents. A teacher is a role model for the students and he or she needs to possess good and positive attributes which will inspire the students to also act and behave positively. Therefore, it can be argued that a teacher is a leading figure in the lives of students and a teacher plays a vital role in the development and learning outcomes of students.