Some great teachers and their work
Friedrich Froebel – coined the term kindergarten and opened the first kindergarten in the world in Germany.
Confucius – first private teacher in history
John Amos Comenius – called the father of modern education
Savitribai Phule – First female teacher of India
Dr. Sarvepalli – Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a great philosopher, statesman, the second President and the first Vice-President of India. He was a prominent scholar and academician. His birthday (5 September) is celebrated as Teachers Day in India.
Role of Teacher
Teachers are the most important part of the learner’s educational environment. Without them, the other elements of the educational environment would be ineffective, for they guide, direct and stimulate youth in their goal-seeking. Teacher plays many roles in the classroom. These roles include the following:
i. Manager
As manager, the teacher is responsible for the effective management of her class from the start to the finish. The teacher carries throughout the day systematic activities to develop the pupil’s cognitive, psychomotor and effective aspects of the teaching-learning process.
ii. Counselor
Every teacher is a guidance teacher. He acts as counselor to the pupils especially when the pupils are beset by problems. In general, teachers comfort and make the pupils feel they have a ready shoulder to cry on. As counselor, the teacher religiously keeps tab of all the activities of the children under his care, carefully noting important information regarding the children’s moods, health, and progress in their studies that will help him assess the over-all performance of the learners.
iii. Motivator
Mentoring is a natural role taken on by teachers, whether it is intentional or not. This again can have positive or negative effects on children. This also includes encouraging students to enjoy learning. Part of mentoring consists of listening to students. By taking time to listen to what students say, teachers impart to students a sense of ownership in the classroom. This helps build their confidence and helps them want to be successful.
iv. Leader
A leader directs coaches, supports, and delegates depending on the needs of the situation. A leader is always looked upon as somebody dependable and responsible. A teacher always assumes the position of a leader and he has to be credible in this regard. He should, therefore, manifest the highest leadership potentials demanded of his role as teacher and leader. The teacher should set the example to emphasize his role of being a leader
v. Model
A teacher is an exemplar. He serves as model to his pupils. Pupils idolize teachers, they believe the things the teacher says, especially if the teacher is kind, approachable and sympathetic to their needs. As a model, the teacher must look his best all the time, master his lessons, show his interest in the children’s welfare, show good behavior, and inculcate good work and attitudes, especially during trying moments inside the classroom, be fair in dealing with pupils, and exhibit good judgment when the situation calls for it.
vi. Public Relations Specialist
The credibility of the school is attributes most of the time to the ways the teachers deal with people outside the school. More than this , the teacher who has good public relations will always make a name for his school.
vii. Parent-Surrogate
In school, the teachers are the parents of the pupils/students. Parents have a feeling of security knowing that the children are in good hands. In school, teachers take over the roles of the parents, attending to the needs of the pupils and offering them the comforts away form home.
viii. Facilitator
Teachers act as facilitator who provides resources, monitors progress and encourages students to solve the problem. Teachers reap benefits when they see how excited their students are about applying their knowledge to solve a problem. He allows pupils to discuss spontaneously with only his very minimal affirmation and confirmation.
ix. Instructor
The main function of the teacher is instruction. All the other roles aforementioned are corollary to teaching. To effectively carry out this aspect of teaching, the pre-service education of teachers must be more than adequate to prepare them for a job involving varied responsibilities.
