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Have you ever wondered how great characters in history became great? How were they able to leave a legacy to the world? There may be many factors involved in helping those who once seemed to be ordinary people; nevertheless great characters have something in common. They all had mentors, teachers in one way or another who had such a powerful impact in their lives that changed the course of their lives to become what they became. The classroom can be the field in which teachers may plant the seeds that will produce good fruits in society. Teachers have that precious opportunity to influence people’s lives for the better. Just to name a couple of examples. Miss Helen Keller at 19 months old developed an illness that left her deaf and blind and to many people, unteachable. But there was one person who despite all odds believed in her, her teacher, Anne Sullivan. She brought her out of darkness by enlightening her life and helped her discover her talents. She wrote twelve books despite of her disabilities. Stevie Wonder, a 25 time Grammy Award Winner and Oscar winner blind from birth grew up in Detroit attending a normal school with sighted classmates. Once the class pet, a mouse, had escaped swiftly and nobody could find it. Mrs. Beneduci asked every student in the class to be quite because Stevie’s hearing was acute and could be useful to find the mouse. Through his gift He pointed right at the hiding place of the mouse and they found it. Stevie said that it was the first time that somebody had truly shown appreciation for his heightened sense of hearing. These people were teachers and changed the lives of their students. But how can a teacher influence students so much? First we need to establish that teaching is a vocation. It is a service – oriented profession. The influence of a teacher in students can be positive or negative. It always depends on the attitude and commitment the teacher has. Many people make the mistake of choosing a career because of money or because it was the last thing on the list. According to a Gallup report in 2013 in USA nearly 7 in 10 teachers are not emotionally engaged to their profession. That will definitely have a negative impact in society. Teaching is about connection with the students. That was the case of Helen Keller and Stevie Wonder. Their teachers loved what they did. So, all in all to have a positive impact in our students we must love what we do and show it through commitment. What are the roles that teachers can play in their students’ lives? There are several roles that a teacher may play in his/her student’s lives including the ones I have learned about in Unit 1 from this course. But I am going to mention a few man that were not mention in the material but I think they are important the ones that are associated with human connection such as: Mentor A teacher, above all is a Mentor. He/She is the role model for students and as such the teacher sometimes has to go beyond the classroom. A mentor educates for life and not only for exams. Teachers are mentors when they inspire students through advice, example and courage to do what it takes to be successful. In the EFL world teachers set the example to students through the commitment they have shown and that same commitment inspires them to give their all to the learning process. Coach In sports coaches are the managers of team and they have usually been players themselves. Now they have the experience and they pass it onto the new generation. A teacher is a coach when he/she transmits the knowledge he/she has received. In the EFL world all teachers have experienced the learning process, the learning curve in their own lives. So this might help EFL students through the process. Coaching also means following up with students and constantly checking up on them. Spectator At some point the teacher’s knowledge will not be enough and the students will experience the process. At that point the teacher becomes and active spectator. It is a privilege for a teacher to see his or her students growing up and using the skills you taught them and even improving them. In the EFL world we experience a similar situation when we see our students graduating from the program. Conclusion Teaching is a passion. My mother is a teacher, My brother is a teacher and here I am a teacher too. It is within our blood to be great teachers and have the vocation.
