Education is an essential process that allows us to grow and develop both as individuals and as a civilization. All of that would be impossible without people who pass their knowledge and skills to other people. So, the college teacher is someone who passes their knowledge to the next generations of professionals who would later go on to occupy their places within the society thanks to the skills they develop and hon through their college education. As straightforward as it sounds, this is the main role of the teacher but there also are many other secondary roles, so there’s much more to discuss here.
Teach
Of course, the first and the primary task of a teacher is to teach, and that is much harder than it might seem to other people. The teacher has to pay attention to all the aspects of students’ development, their progress, their strengths and weaknesses, and of course, how the students respond to the process of learning the new stuff. When you are a teacher, you take responsibility for giving your class the right information in the right amounts, balance the load upon the students, and do your best to make every student feel compelled and encouraged to study the new stuff.
Help Each Student
The teacher cannot leave anyone behind – every student has to receive equal treatment and an equal amount of attention. Some students might have problems catching on all the materials, some might have personal issues, difficulties getting to school, and a teacher has to provide each student with an equal opportunity to study. When students work on a dissertation, they might need some extra attention and help, so the teacher needs to be someone who always stays around and helps the students write the dissertation. This means that the teacher has to provide at least basic knowledge on how to get through all of that process, give some tips and tricks, and promote an interest in education.
Encourage
Both teachers and students have all been there – a time when you just cannot do it anymore. Studying is tough, that’s for sure, and the teacher has to find the right way to encourage the students to keep on going for it even when they don’t feel motivated at all. This is a real challenge for every teacher to overcome the monotony of studying and motivate the students. Teachers in the UK and other European countries now switch to making a strong emphasis on the advantages of online education giving their students the opportunity to study in the most comfortable environment using the Internet. This increases the students’ engagement as they can go wherever they want and still be present and involved with the class.
Promote Critical Thinking
A good teacher passes his knowledge and a great teacher makes the students able to think and generate the knowledge on their own. It is not enough to just tell the students how to do their stuff by the book – a truly great teacher gives the freedom to think and express themselves. This is the most valuable skill that gives the learners the chance to continue growth and development after the class is over. If the teacher succeeds in promoting critical thinking in the students, then it is more than likely that some of them would keep on learning after their classes are finished. Giving them the right amount of push so that they are interested in not just learning their stuff by the book but to question the information, look for the answers, and try to analyze every piece of information they receive is the most important part of being a teacher.
Wrap Up
Even though the most important task of the teacher is to pass the knowledge, there’s so much more to being a teacher than just teaching. The best educators make the students want to learn and not just study from page to page and then forget all of that as if it was some nightmare. Unfortunately, there are so many students who suffer through their education and then go away with nothing but depression and regrets after years of having to study all of that boring and tiresome stuff.