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During the years in my teaching life, my understanding of the role of a teacher has varied. At first, I thought being a teacher is merely to provide the information that I have, but in a world dominated by the Internet where students can easily access knowledge through websites like Wikipedia or Google, I’ve realized that a teacher is more than a resource or a tutor. Beyond that, teachers serve many other roles in the classroom. While the students, environments, and challenges changed, I’ve always found that I play several key roles on the job. A teacher is, first and foremost, an educator, but instead of rigidly doing the the traditional reading and drilling, a teacher should carefully plan the syllabus and adapt the course book to meet the students’ needs. A teacher is the person in the room who has the skills, tools, as well as information necessary to educate students. When educating students, a teacher is obliged to teaching the school's curriculum while engaging lessons and activities. A teacher as educator must take into account student learning styles, abilities, and personalities. There will always be students who are slower or faster than the regular students. A teacher should adapt the course task such as adding more practice or cutting some exercise for certain students. To be an effective educator, a teacher must create lessons that are accessible to every student in his or her classroom. Moreover, mentoring is a natural role taken on by teachers, whether it is intentional or not. I always come across students who has trouble studying and has low self-esteem due to various reasons. They would usually be reluctant to speak in front of the class or be inactive in group chat, which leads to poor academic result. Mentoring is a way a teacher encourages students to strive to be the best they can. This also includes encouraging students to enjoy learning. In addition, 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. A teacher is also there to emotionally support students. Students, especially younger learners, are tend to have problems outside of the class, which will impede their learning process. I’ve had a student I suspected was being bullied. I stepped into my role as caregiver and cared for the child emotionally while also handling the situation professionally with other staff and administrators. There will always be students who have problem with their family, friends, colleagues, etc. A teacher cannot effectively educate his students, if he does not also care for them in various ways. Last but not least, a teacher is definitely role model to students. Teachers are typically highly respected by people in the community and therefore become a role model to students and parents. During the first few years of teaching, I do not think of myself as a role model. However, students spend a great deal of time with their teacher and therefore, the teacher becomes a role model to them. This can be a positive or negative effect depending on the teacher. Teachers are there not only to teach the children, but also to love and care for them. In conclusion, to fulfill a teacher’s role, we need not only enough knowledge to educate students, but also other skills such as being supportive, inspiring, patient. It’s not easy to be a good teacher, but as long as I try my best, I have the confident to be a good teacher.
