Good Example Of Essay On Roles In The Classroom:

Effect on Students’ Learning

Effect on Students’ Learning
In any classroom, the role of a teacher is designed to be one that is essentially adaptable to any given situation. Some might claim that the role of an educator, an instructor, and a classroom manager are all one and the same, and they would be both right and wrong. On one hand each role is required of any teacher in order to teach their students, as each and every aspect of what a teacher must be is encompassed within such roles. Yet despite that fact the role that each teacher takes during their time in the classroom is still distinguished enough that one must differentiate and set them within their own sub-category, thereby lending credence to the fact that different roles produce different results from the students. With each role a teacher takes in a classroom, students respond in different ways.
As it has already been seen teachers are responsible for the cognitive and socio-emotional processes that take place within the classroom. (Babad, 2009) This means that they are who the students look to in order to know what to do, how to react, and how to learn. Whatever role they assume on any given day is highly important to the development of the students and the desired outcomes of the curriculum they are required to follow. While some teachers do manage to plan around a curriculum, some will take the chance to take what they wish and discard the rest in favor of teaching their students how to be more independent rather than to rely solely on what the state wishes them to know. In this manner teachers attempt to instruct children on what is required to think outside the box so to speak, to think for themselves and adapt rather than be led and conform.
Despite the literal definition and the subsequent roles however there are many roles that a teacher must assume once a student steps into their classroom, though at any given time only a few will apply to any one student. Even the best educators, and the most experienced come to realize eventually that despite the notion that education can fit every student in a variety of ways, it is how the material and experience is presented that helps them learn how to adapt and facilitates true understanding of what school is truly about. A teacher is a guide, a mentor, a surrogate parent, a disciplinarian, a role model, a planner, and many other roles that coincide with their profession. (Cox, 2015) While in the past a teacher might have been thought of as little more than an educator, in the world of today they are much more, as their profession carries the need for a multifaceted approach that does not plan for a one size fit all structure.
The role of an educator is just that, to educate. They are tasked with delivering the knowledge of lifetimes, cultures, and societal norms that are observed and practiced from one society to the next. Their job is to make certain that curriculum, as mandated by the state, is deciphered so that their students can understand and absorb the knowledge of their given country and culture. In this manner they seek to teach students what is expected of them, what has come before and how they are yet another part within the histories that are continually being written. An educator, or rather, the role of one, is to inform and to disseminate the knowledge they have been given to the generations that come after, so that they too might learn and pass on what they have gained.
As an instructor teachers must then find a manner in which to deliver the material they are required to administer in a manner that the students will learn. This also includes the notion of keeping the lessons interesting enough that the students will actually desire to learn what is presented, so that it might be passed on. (VanBaren, 2015) Instruction is essentially showing or telling one how to do something, and in that regard it is up to the teacher to guide the students, to show them what needs to be done, the how, and the why of the lesson at hand. Simply telling a student to do something would result in sure disaster, though with a capable and able instructor at hand, students can at least follow the teacher as a guideline to what is expected of them.
Classroom management is also a key role that the teacher fulfills in any classroom, as it is up to their decisions as to how the classroom will be constructed in a manner that will not only be conducive to learning, but be the most effective use of their space in which their students can learn. A sloppily kept classroom reflects the mindset that education is not important, that it is something to be used and then discarded, while a neatly kept and squared away space is not only safer, but offers the very distinct impression that the teacher cares for their students and their well-being, and in turn attempts to foster such attitudes in the students as well. The accomplishment of teaching a student to care about their surroundings is yet another achievement that the role of classroom management can boast, and one that is vital to the role that students will come to play in society later on.
In this regard teachers are also leaders, as they instruct and guide students in the most effective manner they can on how to become fully functioning members of the society in which they live. (Zeiger, 2015) Children will generally follow any example that they see, and as such teachers are required to fulfill more than one role as the school day progresses, calling upon their training and experience in order to provide the best example possible for their students to emulate. It is not to say that children will become photocopies of their teachers, but with a good example set before them kids do have a much better chance of mimicking a positive role model and thereby realizing their full potential later on in life. As it has been seen in many different facets of life positive role models more often than not have the capability of affecting the life of a child in such a manner that they will go on to know success and a much fuller life than they would if presented with a more negative model to follow.
No matter the role that a teacher displays at any given time however it is important to note the effect that each behavior has upon the students, and whether or not it is positive or negative. It is often very easy for a teacher’s personal attitudes and beliefs to become a presence within the classroom that students are subjected to. While many experiences may be positive there are those that are preferred to remain a part of the teacher’s personal life and not a part of their classroom. In this manner a teacher is to be a guide, an educator, but not a friend, not someone that a student can see as an equal in terms of life experience and knowledge. It is important for all teachers to make the distinction between themselves and their students, no matter that they are there for the students’ benefit.
The role that a teacher plays in the classroom and how it affects the cognitive growth of their students has not undergone a great deal of study in the past as it has for a very long time been believed that a teacher is a teacher, or in other words their effect is to educate youth and little more. There is a great deal more that goes into the many roles of a teacher however as the literature that exists now, including those resources paraphrased in this paper, can attest to. Teaching is not just a career or a profession; it is a manner in which students are shown how to become leaders and how to establish themselves within a social setting. The effect of a teacher’s many roles upon the cognitive development of any student is that they are in effect almost a surrogate parent, a means of both information and security when away from the students’ primary caregiver, be that their parents or other legal guardian. A teacher plays many roles in the life of a student, among them being both leader and protector as well.
How this affects students varies from one person to the next, but overall a teacher’s attitudes and beliefs are what help to shape the student within the classroom. What they see and hear within the classroom will generally be what a student comes to believe is normal, and thereby will serve as the template upon which they begin to base their own growth and development. From kindergarten age to adolescence students are subjected to many different teaching methods as well as beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. It is the job of the teacher along with the parents of each student to help guide them along in a manner that creates a productive, stable member of society who is capable of making their own decisions and to lead a life that is both socially acceptable and overall beneficial to others in some manner. Such a result is not always the case, as there are many different ways in which failure can occur between student and teacher or child and parent, but the goal within the classroom at the very least is to allow students to decide for themselves what is right and wrong while at the same time attempting to guide them towards that which is deemed as acceptable by societies standards as well as their own.
The roles that a teacher takes in the classroom are all well-defined and more the point expected of anyone that assumes such a profession. Their effect upon the welfare and development, cognitive and otherwise, of their students is highly dependent upon which method they employ. In the classroom of a controller the teacher retains complete control, hence the name of the role. Students do what they are told, and the teacher is diligent in the techniques and drills that are a constant part of any education. (Sue B., 2013)
In the classroom of a prompter, students are encouraged to take part in assigned activities and even offer suggestions concerning how the activity is to be handled. This role for a teacher is useful in goading students from inactivity, but should only be needed when absolutely necessary. A discreet nudge is all fine and well when it is required, but taken to excess it can make children far too dependent upon the same guidance that is needed to teach them to be free-thinking individuals. (Sue B., 2013)
A very common role for any teacher is that of a resource. This is a more traditional and accepted role that any teacher is classified as, and in part makes the teacher a walking center of knowledge. The responsibility of this role is to abound with knowledge for those who are lacking. A resource tends to be able to guide the student to whatever they need, to facilitate critical thinking, and foster free will. In short a resource is there when needed and capable of being objective when teaching a student how to be self-reliant. (Sue B., 2013)
In regards to how students perform and how they apply what they’ve learned a teacher must take on the role of an assessor, which allows them to keep track of how students are progressing. This type of role allows teachers the chance to correct and monitor their students, thereby insuring that they are following the guidance that was given initially and that they keep to the right path, or at the very least the path that they choose. The only unfortunate aspect of this role is that if communication is not delivered with tact, meaning if a teacher is not sensitive to the emotional needs of their students, there could be a serious blowback in the form damaging the student’s self-esteem, which in turn could cause a downturn in their development. (Sue B., 2013)
No doubt the hardest of all the roles a teacher must take on is that of an organizer. Not only does the inherent success of a good many teachings and activities depend on solid and careful organization, but the students rely on the knowledge that they are being led in a way that they can assure they are being told what they must do next and how. Instruction is just as important in this role as organization, and can further facilitate the necessary education and empowerment of the students. (Sue B., 2013)
A somewhat controversial role, given that it tends to blur the lines between student and teacher, is that of a participant. While this role can indeed improve the overall atmosphere within the classroom it still runs the risk of a teacher taking over when the students either falter or they simply feel the need to take control. This can allow a class a breath of fresh air away from the total authority of the teacher, a chance to allow the teacher to take a backseat so to speak and not be the absolute authority within the classroom if only for a short period of time. This is a rather good way to interact with the students by lessening the teacher’s influence. (Sue B., 2013)
Yet another role a teacher might take, and one that is quite important among them all, is that of a tutor. Students are encouraged to learn and to advance at their own pace most times, despite pressure from peers and teachers to excel, and the role of a tutor is essential to both self-esteem and learning alike. This is a role that offers guidance, advice, and aid when needed. It is a good way to administer attention to an individual that might be struggling through a lesson, and can allow teachers to fit a course to the specific needs of their students. The only real downside to this role is that it does have a tendency to make the student far too reliant upon the teacher and resistant to other methods and styles of teaching. For the sake of development the role of a tutor is best used sparingly and in times of greatest need so as to allow the student to develop their cognitive and social skills as needed. (Sue B., 2013)
There are many upon many roles a teacher plays to their students, and among the many there are those that are preferred, those that are most effective, and those that must be used with some amount of caution. A teacher is not a friend first, nor anything other than an educator that performs many varied tasks. Their responsibility is a great one, but also one that begs caution and careful planning. Through proper use of the roles that a teacher must play a student will learn how to rely upon themselves and become a stronger, more capable member of society. Through experience, a teacher will learn how to master each role, and become a better educator.

References

B., Sue. (2013). The 7 Roles of a Teacher in the 21st Century. Eton Institute. Retrieved from
https://www.etoninstitute.com/blog/item/26-the-7-roles-of-a-teacher-in-the-21st-century/26-the-7-roles-of-a-teacher-in-the-21st-century
Babad, Elisha. (2009). The Social Psychology of the Classroom. London: Routledge Publishing.
Cox, Janelle. (2015). What is the Role of a Teacher? About.com. Retrieved from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/becomingateacher/f/What-Is-The-Role-Of-A
VanBaren, Jennifer. (2015). Roles of a Teacher in the Classroom. eHow. Retrieved from
http://www.ehow.com/info_7833444_roles-teacher-classroom.html
Zeiger, Stacy. (2015). What Is the Role of Teachers in Education? The Houston Chronicle.
Retrieved from
http://work.chron.com/role-teachers-education-8807.html