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A teacher is an educated person, in a unique position, to directly impact the lives of the students that they teach by attending to their educational needs, experiences and feelings. They play a significant role, not only in educating the students by helping them to acquire knowledge and competence, but also to inspire and encourage students to be the best version of themselves. Every teacher has their own special, unique style of teaching, but what makes one stand out from the rest is his/her passionate and enthusiasm for educating students and for the course material they are presenting. Good teachers are kind, patient, lively and entertaining. Their passion is infectious and their love for what they do will inspire their students to want to learn more, gain a deeper understanding and motivate them to think harder. Teachers may have other responsibilities in the classroom as well, depending on the different cultures of the students they are teaching. They often set the tone by building a warm environment. A teacher also serves other roles such as instructor/manager, facilitator, prompter, model, assessor, counsellor and may have to act as a policeman at times. The manner in which the roles are understood by students around the world, affects the capability required by the teacher. Some may see the teacher as the manager of instruction while others may see them as a role model. The most common role of a teacher is to impart knowledge to the students. With the help of a syllabus and lesson plans the teacher follows, all relevant knowledge is distributed to the students. Usually the teacher is in charge of the class activities and will stand in front of the students explaining the work or reading aloud. This role shouldn’t be overused, but definitely has its place in the classroom. There may be times where the teacher needs to shift their role from instructor/manager to facilitator. In this role they provide the resources, monitor the students progress and encourage the students to problem solve and only intervening when necessary. It gives students an opportunity to process the learning by themselves without any interruption or interference. The teacher musts still be available to give the students assistance or guidance. In situations where students might lose their train of thought they will require prompting from their teacher to continue. In this instance a teacher should gently encourage the student while being sensitive not to take the initiative away from them. Another role of the teacher, especially with adult learners, is to model the speech and pronunciation to the students. Often the teacher is the only source of actual, live English the student has come in contact with. Occasionally the teacher may need to assess the students to see how well they are performing, giving feedback and corrections as well as evaluating and grading the students. However, this needs to be communicated with great sensitivity and support. It can be counter-productive and affect the student’s self-esteem and confidence if the assessment is not communicated effectively. The above mentioned are just a few of the important roles that a teacher plays in a classroom environment. The type of teacher you are depends on the school environment, country and students you teach. It incorporates more than just standing in front of the class giving a lecture. Most teachers are eager to extend their role beyond the classroom because they know the impact it makes on the student’s educational experience.
