The Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Women Teachers Association CEO Benter Opande has taken a moment to bring us to speed on the important role teachers play.
The Role of Teachers in Education
Teachers play an essential role in education, most especially in the lives of the students they teach in the classroom. What defines a teacher is his/her ability to teach students and a positive influence on them.
Generally, the role of a teacher in education goes beyond teaching. In today’s world, teaching has different faces, and a teacher has to carry out the part of being an external parent, counselor, mentor, role model, and so on.
Role of teachers in education
• Sharing Knowledge
First things first, the primary duty of a teacher is to impart knowledge, and that comes from teaching. Teaching usually entails following a specific curriculum and ensuring that the students understand what is being taught.
It is from this role that all other roles of a teacher originates from, because if a teacher fails in carrying out his/her basic responsibility to impart knowledge, then it might be difficult to have any other form of influence on the child.
• Role Modeling
Although teachers do not see themselves as role models, the truth is they actually are. The amount of time students spend with teachers each day or week makes it possible for them to have a certain level of influence on the students. It is now down to the teacher to make this influence positive or negative.
Being a teacher goes beyond just teaching according to the curriculum, it is about grooming in the child. Teachers don’t only impart knowledge, but they also help with character building as well.
• An External Parent
The role of a teacher transcends following a specific lesson plan and work schedule. Because both students and teachers spend as much time together, the teacher inadvertently becomes an external parent. Teachers can be a mentor to help set the child on the right path. In this role, the teacher can encourage the student to be the best they can be, and also be a source of inspiration and advice to the students.
Why Are Teachers Important?
Teachers are important because they change lives, inspire dreams, and push the limits of human potential. A teacher’s job is to nurture, teach, and raise children to become useful to society.
Teachers’ role in the classroom, society, and the world at large has taken a different turn from what it was back in the day. Over time, teachers were given a specific curriculum to follow and instructions on how to teach the curriculum.
Today, the teachers’ role has gone beyond teaching. Their role now involves counselling students, mentoring students, and teaching them how to use and apply knowledge in their lives. Teachers are now looking for ways to impact students on a different level and even inspire them to be more and do more.