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For my summative task, I will touch on the ‘role of the teacher’. The role of the teacher can have a variety of different meanings to different individuals, and throughout this essay I’d like to try and decipher what the role of the teacher truly is. In the current day and age of learning, we see more and more opportunities to learn new skills and concepts from websites, apps, books, videos, and many other sources. The ways a learner can learn is increasingly becoming digital, and it’s becoming harder for some people to justify being taught in either a classroom environment or one-on-one. Even with all of these less expensive mediums available to learn from, learners continue to choose learning new skill-sets directly from a teacher in a class. This is because the teacher helps create a unique experience that is unparalleled for the learner. The teacher has more than one role for the learner. There are three that stand out to me: - Personality - Leader - Motivator Personality Is the first role that comes to mind when I think of a teacher. Without a teacher, the content being taught isn’t nearly as personal and does not ‘hit home’ as much as it might with somebody who is relatable, funny, and understanding. The problem with programs with a teacher is the lack of personality. An example of a teacher using personality in the classroom might be the use of jokes, stories, and friendly comments towards students. One of my teachers in high school used humor as a sort of ‘relief’ from his classroom learning activities which created a much friendly environment for students to learn in. A leader is arguably the most important role of the teacher. The teacher represents somebody with a higher level of knowledge on a subject, therefore they can create a more effective learning environment for the learner. This is due to their inherent nature of problem-solving and stepping in when something is wrong (troubleshooting). Being a leader can be tough work, so to be a good teacher one must first understand how to take on a leadership role. An example of teacher leadership you might see in the classroom includes when the teacher is forced to get the students to behave in an orderly manner, as things may sometimes get awry in the classroom. As a teacher, it is crucial to be able to motivate your students when the going gets tough. When learning a subject without a professor/teacher, it can be very easy to stray from the learning objectives you have set for yourself. Whereas when a teacher is ‘breathing down your neck’ it becomes clear what needs to be done and what kind of time frame you must complete it by (deadlines, etc). As an example: This project is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday. Failure to do so will result in a diminished mark for each day that it is late. These three roles are what I have determined to be the 3 most important roles of the teacher. To summarize, these roles are a personality, a leader, and a motivator. When learning a tough subject such as ESL, it can be challenging and intimidating when facing the content. But with the help of a teacher, this content becomes exponentially easier and allows the student to regain their confidence in the classroom.
