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Role of the teacherThe different roles a teacher can take many forms. Roles commence at the beginning of a class and run throughout the entire duration of the lesson. Teaching a class does not only require the teacher to provide information but also needs the educator to juggle many other areas of the classroom to achieve an overall classroom balance. All of the roles are equally important when trying to achieve the main goal of educating the students to the highest level achievable. Some of the roles of a teacher can include: controller, assessor, mentor, organizer, information provider, role model and observer. All of these roles can be grouped under the umbrella of facilitator of learning, as you need all of the above to be an effective teacher. Each role mentioned above is used consistently in different areas of teaching. These roles will be touched upon below: ? The controller means the teacher has complete charge over the class. The teacher is usually positioned at the front of the class and is most used when explaining activities, instructions or reading stories. ? The assessor role is undertaken when the teacher gives feedback, correcting, evaluating and grading. It is an important aspect of teaching as depending how the role is undertaken; it can either motivate or demotivate the students to further learn. ? Being a mentor requires the teacher to provide guidance and advice. The mentor role is used consistently throughout lessons to motivate, encourage and support the students in progressing their learning. ? The role of organizer is to maintain the smooth running of a class. It is to ensure that all students are aware of what is to be completed and to assist in any group formation, feedback or creative activities. ? The role of information provider is being able to assist the students with areas they are experiencing difficulties using easy and understandable examples and terminology. The term can also suggest the teacher being able to provide additional information if the students display an interest in the topic. ? The teacher should always consider being an appropriate role model for the students. This is because they are continually on ?show?. The teacher should set a standard personally as well as for the students so they are aware of what is and isn?t acceptable in the class. ? The role of an observer is used continuously throughout the lesson. It requires the teacher to monitor the student?s progression with the allocated work and also enables the teacher to identify any areas the student appears to have difficulties. This role is important for the teacher to complete accurately, as too much observing can distract the student from their work and too little can cause failure to recognize problem areas. As it has been previously mentioned, all roles are important for positive teaching and learning. The teacher cannot just adopt one role for teaching, as being able to teacher accurately and effectively requires versatility. If the teacher is able to adapt to several different roles throughout the lesson, it should encourage the students motivation and learning, as well as assisting in creating structure for the students throughout the class.
