TEFL Kishinev

The role of the teacher has been somewhat distorted through the years in modern culture. In today’s world, success is commonly associated with status, money and fame. Teaching is seen as more of a humbled career choice and not classically associated with success. All too often as we grow older, we forget what shaped us and made us who we are. When I look back at what I have become, all I see are the teachers that guided me along the way. Academically and not, teachers play a profound role in the lives of students and what they believe they are capable of. In sixth grade, I will never forget the first day of geometry class. We all lined up to enter the classroom, and the teacher greeted us at the door. I noticed that she had her eyes glued to our feet. As I got closer to entering, I heard another teacher ask her why she was looking down. My teacher replied that she was checking the students’ shoelaces to assess whether they were tied or not. She went on to explain that she had read if they were tied, it was an indication of a “good” student and vice versa. As I heard this, I glanced down to see my laces completely untied. I remember accepting the thought that I really wasn’t a good student and was not as smart or bright as the other kids. I didn’t try very hard in this geometry class, buying into the idea that I was just bad at math. I squeaked by the class with an average grade and belittled self-esteem. The next year I had a different math teacher who seemed to love math and love teaching it to us. I remember absorbing that enthusiasm and having a desire to work hard, and I did. I ended up with the best grade in the class, but more importantly a belief that I was capable of more than I believed I was. I kept that faith with me in high school and became very good at math. I went on to college to graduate with a biology degree, something that as a kid I would have never thought I would be able to do. Because of teachers like the one I had in seventh grade, I believe I was able to fight the negativity and the common thought of “I can’t”. teachers can make a difference in the lives of students and change preconceived notions students have about the subject. teachers must be aware of this role they play as a dominant figure in the classroom. If they become unaware of the power they hold, and see their position as a menial job, they can impact students self esteem as well as their feelings toward the subject at hand. Besides teachers having an effect on the confidence of students, there are less dramatic and more concrete roles the teacher plays in the classroom. As I learned from this course, the teacher is a sort of chameleon and can take many different roles on the classroom including manager, organizer, assessor, prompter, facilitator, observer, etc. All of these roles may be taken at different times and come into play for different activities and exercises. Overall, I think the role of the teacher is to facilitate learning by believing in the potential of each and every student. Whether engaging in teacher-centered or student-centered classes, the teacher will always be the source of confidence in the classroom.