Teach English in Yuezhuang Zhen - Zibo Shi

In the classroom, a teacher should be able to fit into, and bounce between roles depending on the lesson, student, and circumstance. Additionally, it is essential for the teacher to know when the switch between any given role is necessary. In this paper, I will elaborate on why this knowledge and ability of switching between roles is vital to both teacher and student in order to ensure an effective learning experience and outcome. There are many reasons why it is necessary that a teacher will have to switch between different roles. For example, although a teacher may need to take on the role of organizer by explaining lessons and giving instructions, the teacher may also need to switch between this role of organizer to observer during such lessons, since it is important to observe whether the students are keeping up with the lesson and retaining the information or not. Furthermore, a teacher may even need to become an assessor in combination with their role as an observer, so that they can be able to assess what progress is taking place in the classroom, and to know in what ways to move forward with the lesson. If a teacher did not apply the practice of switching roles to check the progress and understanding of the students in such lesson, then a teacher could quite possibly leave some students behind, without much understanding of what was just taught and/or practiced. These roles encompass a more student-focused teaching style and when combined with the roles that represent a teacher-focused style, lessons may prove to be more effective. Teacher-centered lessons are important, but need to be managed appropriately. This management is a key to its success, especially since teacher-focused lessons usually focus on the teacher’s talking, which can take talk time away from students, preventing the students from interacting and practicing the English language. Even though teacher-centered lessons will not be the go-to teaching style of the educator, - due to the lack of practice that students would get with the language - they are crucial for the fact that the teacher is often the only source of real, live English grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. During a teacher-centered lesson, the role of a model might be applied where the teacher will be serving as a model of the language. This role is crucial because the teacher will be the student’s main source of knowledge on the English language and will provide the learner with the proper model of speech and/or correct pronunciation of the language. In addition to taking on the role of a model to students, the teacher will need to take on the role of manager/controller, to create and maintain a fair level of structure to the lessons and manage the direction of the course. Of course, the ability to take on such teacher-focused roles and student-focused roles in moderation and at appropriate times is essential. Continuously switching between such teacher-focused roles and student-focused roles can help to ensure the students are receiving the instruction, guidance and structure they need, as well as work to ensure that students are engaging with, and learning, the lessons and material. As stated above, at some points in the lesson, the teacher will be required to play a more withdrawn role, acting as a prompter by gently encouraging the student along, listening intently, and making sure the initiative is not being taken away from the student. At other times, the teacher will call for a more leading role, inspiring the students to engage with the material, and guiding them through the lessons in a way that they can understand and effectively learn from. Having knowledge of the many different roles that are required as well as having the attributes of a good teacher are essential for a successful and controlled classroom environment where the educator can involve and engage the students.