A teacher is one of the most underrated people in society. In most professions, you will find employers emphasizing the importance of the job and not the person. You will hear people describe teaching as a rewarding job, but nothing about the person who makes it so. Besides parents, teachers are the next category of people who impact a child’s life the most.
You have probably heard numerous successful people thank their teachers when they win awards for excelling in their crafts. Some of the stories you hear are good, and some are bad. That should give you an idea of how powerful a teacher’s influence is on a child. A child can have different teachers throughout their school life, but they tend to be constant in primary and secondary school where there is a clear outline of subjects.
The question of whether teachers are essential is not one that many people ask. However, the answers to this question might bring new respect to the people who choose to pursue this profession. On that note, here’s why teachers are essential in society.
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1. They act as mentors and role models to the students
During a student’s academic career, there will be at least one teacher who spoke into their lives. You have heard of the importance of a student-teacher relationship when it comes to enhancing a child’s learning experience. At some point during their school life, students will admire their teachers because of who they are and how they positively impact them.
Some kids have a hard time in school because of instability in their home. This is where the student-teacher relationship comes in, providing stability and constant positive reinforcement in a student’s life. Teachers are trained to remain positive and encourage their students even in challenging situations. They become an excellent example for students to learn how to conduct themselves as adults.
2. They educate the children
Not everyone has the gift of passing on information in a way that children can understand and remember it. Imagine a preschool online teacher who has to deal with toddlers, getting them to sit still first before you can teach them something. A teacher is someone who understands a student’s learning ability first and then figures out a way to teach them effectively so they can carry that knowledge throughout their lives. Doing that requires more than being knowledgeable in a particular subject.
3. They help students to realize their potential
Teachers understand that their students have different skills. They also know that some students are quick to realize their talents, and some need to be pushed a little bit to reach their full potential. Handling such students takes a lot of patience and dedication to help them nurture their skills.
4. They inspire children
School life can be difficult for some kids, especially those with a reserved personality. Teachers help these students by helping them find a place where they can shine. It could be by encouraging a student to join the math or science club or put them in charge of specific classroom tasks. Either way, a student is inspired to keep their head up and excel in school.
During this pandemic, teachers are continually finding new ways to keep their students’ spirits up. Online learning has been challenging for everyone, but teachers are going the extra mile to engage students by trying to keep some things constant with online learning.
Qualities of a good teacher
- They are compassionate – compassion helps build kindness and patience with students and other staff. When a teacher takes extra time to teach something, it is because they are sensitive to a student’s learning ability.
- Can create meaningful relationships with the students – the relationship between a student and their teacher will directly affect their academic success. Aside from that, it is essential that students feel safe and comfortable enough to share their problems with their teachers.
- Must love both teaching and children – Someone who loves their profession will be enthusiastic and willing to go the extra mile when needed. Furthermore, a love for children makes a teacher’s intentions and actions pure.
- Must have excellent communication skills – getting through to children isn’t easy. How you communicate with a toddler is not the same way you will talk to a teenager or a pre-teen. The best teachers can communicate well with their students and get to the bottom of things.
- Must have some knowledge in child psychology – a background in child psychology will help a teacher understand their students’ pace and capacity.
It is clear that teachers do more than teach. People need to understand that teachers, for the most part, are responsible for shaping the next generation of intellectuals. The world was once without schools but never without educators who we know today as teachers.
