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The Role of the Teacher The role of the teacher is always changing in the classroom, something a good teacher is constantly aware of. The role of the teacher is not a stagnant position, it is actually quite fluid. In fact, a teacher may have to put on multiple hats throughout a single lesson to effectively reach his or her students. A teacher must be aware of what role the class needs them to be in order to be successful. If the teacher is unable or unwilling to change roles, the students and the class will suffer. A teacher will sometimes have to take control of the class in the role of the manager. When in this role, they are in charge of the class and all the students? eyes should be on the teacher. They are usually standing in front of the class giving lectures or explanations. In this role, the teacher is not equal to the students but superior, the knowledge giver. It allows the class to receive the same information at the same time, allowing for unity and uniformity. However, it is important not to overuse this role, as the teacher usually ends up dominating the class. Sometimes a teacher will have the role of the organizer, where they have to organize students into various activities, give instructions, preparing activities the night before. This is an extremely important role for the teacher because without organization, a class would surely fall into chaos. It is important for the teacher to organize lessons in a coherent order so that each lesson builds on the one before it. A disorganized class will lead students to become frustrated and discourage. Another important role for the teacher is the assessor. As the assessor, it is the teacher?s job to correct students, give feedback, as well as evaluate students? progress and grading. It is crucial that teacher be fair and consistent while assessing students in this role. They also must assess when to give help to struggling students and when to withhold help in order for them to figure it out on their own, something quite difficult as each student is different and there is no one blueprint to follow for success. A teacher may also find themselves in the role of the prompter, where the teacher may gently encourage students with suggestions when they get stuck. This can go hand-in-hand with assessing when to help students. A teacher needs to be careful to be helpful but not take away the initiative of the student. The role of the participant is another important role for the teacher. It helps put the teacher and the students on the same level, which may help encourage some students to speak or learn more. It is vital that when the teacher is in this role, that they participate in but dominate the activity. It is about the students here. A teacher may be able to glean a great deal of insight about their students while acting in this role. A teacher may also need to act as tutor for students that need extra help inside and outside the classroom. This is a double-edged role, however, because it may be difficult to give all students equal time or treatment, leaving some students left out or disappointed. A teacher may also act as a resource or a facilitator to the students. In some activities, a teacher may want to leave the students to participate without intruding on the activity, however, they still need to be available to answer questions or give guidance. However, like in many roles, the teacher needs to be careful not to give too much away and allow the students to figure it out themselves. It is also important for the teacher to be a model for the students. The teacher is often the only source of real English speaking the students have encountered and it is important for the teacher to model live, correct English for them to hear, learn from, and recreate. Lastly, the teacher will often have to take on the role of the observer in order to monitor what is going on in the classroom. A teacher may want to take notes for correction or praise for later. It is important for the teacher to remain at a distance during this role in order to not distract the students. A teacher has many roles that they must take on throughout a semester. A good teacher knows when to take on each role and when to switch roles in order to most effectively reach his or her students.
