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Role of the teacherKind, patient, authoritative, knowledgeable; all adjectives which spring to mind when one contemplates the word ?teacher?. While these are all important attributes, the role of the teacher is a complex, ever-changing position of responsibility, which finds itself subject to the pressures of the outside world on a regular basis. In bowing to these pressures, the modern teacher must keep the best interests of their students at heart; in fact, the role of a teacher is not one role, rather many intertwined. Why, then, is this precious role changing so much? As has proven to be the case with many sectors of industry nowadays, technology has had a large influence on proceedings in the field of education. With an ever-increasing amount of manual labour being carried out by machinery and other forms of technology, our world needs thinkers, human brain power which cannot, for the moment at least, be replaced by any form of technology. Obtaining a pass in an exam is not enough, the candidate needs to know how to apply and adapt the knowledge they have gained throughout the training for the exam. With this in mind, teachers of all disciplines have shifted their focus from teaching students how to pass assessments, to how to use their skills and intelligence in a working environment. Also explanatory of the change in approach to teaching in recent years is the extensive research which has been carried out on learning and - as a result - teaching technique. Emphasis is now widely placed upon student-centred learning as opposed to teacher-centred learning, which again most probably reflects the needs of our demanding society, in that those entering the world of work are required more and more to be capable of making their own decisions and consulting their own thought processes than before. With the discussion of the technical aspects of a teacher?s role well underway, one must then consider the personal aspects which are vital in the success of the teacher. Happily, these are not subject to change in the same way as technique and approach are, as the bread and butter of learning, the rapport between teacher and learner is fairly instinctive in its construction, at least for those who have the necessary gifts. The various faces of a good teacher are numerous, but it may help to think of them in three divisions; manager (in teacher-centred lessons), requiring charisma, organisational skills, and control; helper (to prompt, guide and reassure), which calls for patience, sensitivity, and fairness; and resource (A.K.A. dictionary, in terms of language learning), requiring a sound knowledge of the subject in hand. Evidently, not one of these roles is enough on its own. A good teacher wears many hats, but a great teacher has mastered when to wear which one.
