Good Teaching Practice: Roles and Function of a Teacher

ROLES OF A TEACHER

1.      As a Manager

2.      As a Counsellor

3.      As a Motivator

4.      As a Leader

5.      As a Model

6.      As a Public Relations Specialist

7.      As a Parent-Surrogate

8.      As a Facilitator

9.      As an Instructor

AS A MANAGER

  • Responsible for the effective management of the class from start to finish
  • Carries systematic activities throughout the day
  • Expected to maintain order in the classroom

AS A COUNSELLOR

  • Teachers are expected to respond constructively when problems crop up concerning student behaviour.
  • Teachers provide guidance and assistance if students experience problems.

AS A MOTIVATOR

  • Teachers encourage and motivate learners to study well and behave properly in and outside the classroom.
  • Teacher is good at motivating learners to make them listen, participate, and understand instructions.

AS A LEADER

  • Teacher directs, coaches, supports, and delegates depending on the needs of the situation
  • To be a good leader, you must be a good follower

AS A MODEL

  • Teacher should look his best all the time, master his lessons, show interest in the learner’s welfare, show his good behaviour, and include good work and attitudes.
  • Teacher should be fair in dealing with students and exhibit good judgement when situation calls for it.

AS A PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST

  • Teacher deals with people outside the school with credibility.
  • Teacher must have a good public relation to make a good name for his school.

AS A PARENT-SURROGATE

  • In school, the teacher is the parent of the learners.
  • Adding to main functions of developing the learners intellectually, the teacher is also expected to train the learners socially and emotionally and to look after their physical and mental well-being.
  • Teacher guarantees that the individual rights of the learners in education and safety is respected.

AS A FACILITATOR

  • The learners must be given the chance to discuss things under the close supervision and monitoring of the teacher.
  • Teacher prepares guidelines which will serve as the focus of discussion and activities.

AS AN INSTRUCTOR

  • The main function of the teacher is instruction.
  • Teachers make decisions as to what to teach, what instructional materials to use what method to employ in teaching a particular content, and how best to evaluate the intended learning.

HALLMARKS OF GOOD TEACHING

a.      Professional competence

b.      Interpersonal relationship

c.      Teaching/ Evaluation practices

d.      Availability to students

A. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE

  • The teacher who enjoys teaching shows genuine interest in patient, and displays confidence in his or her professional abilities.
  • The teacher who is creative and stimulating and can excite student’s interest and can demonstrate clinical skills with expertise is also valued.

B. INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS

  • As in all relationships, it is important that teachers listen to learners and try to see the world through their eyes
  • First approach: Respect learners t care about their concerns
  • Second approach: Accept learners as they are, whether or not you like them
  • Third approach: Honest communication contributing to healthy relationships with learners
  • Fourth approach: Clearly identifying the learner’s responsibilities in the learning process.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

This skill is demonstrated by:

1.      taking interest in learners,

2.      Being sensitive to their feelings and problems

3.      Conveying respect for them

4.      Alleviating their anxieties

5.      Being accessible for conferences

6.      Being fair

7.      Permitting learners to express differing point of view

8.      Creating an atmosphere in which they feel free to ask questions

9.      Conveying sense of warmth

C. TEACHING PRACTICES

  • Teaching practices- defined as the mechanics, methods, and skills in classroom and clinical teaching
  • Students value a teacher who has a thorough knowledge of the subject matter and can present material in an interesting clear and organized manner.

TEACHING/EVALUATION PRACTICES

Jacobson (1966): defined teaching practices as the mechanics, methods and skills in classroom and clinical teaching.

  • Teaching subject matter in a stimulating way and inspiring learner interest hinge on several factors such as:
  • Teacher’s style
  • Personality
  • Personal interest on the subject
  • Use of variety of teaching strategies

D. AVAILABILITY TO STUDENTS

Allied health science students, expect the instructor to be available to them when needed. This may take the form of being there in the following:

  • stressful clinical situations
  • physically helping students
  • giving appropriate amounts of supervision
  • freely answering questions and;
  • acting as a resource person during clinical learning experiences.

TEACHER/MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST’S AND ROLES IN GUIDANCE

The concept of guidance, which associated it with the daily activity of the classroom teacher, gives a greater responsibility to him. It means that the teacher who is dealing with children should be given in-service education for discharging his responsibilities in personal, educational and vocational guidance.

make sure the young person has a voice in setting learning targets

DEFENITIONS OF TEACHING

  • Organized, purposeful, and deliberate efforts designed to bring about certain desirable ends in an individual.
  • It is an action of a person imparting skill, knowledge, or even a value to another.
  • It is an attempt to assist students in acquiring or changing some skill, knowledge, ideal attitude, or appreciation.
  • It is a process or set of actions to induce learning and eventually to succeed in learning.

LEARNING

  • Defined as a change in behavior that can be observed or measured and occur anytime as a result of exposure to a stimuli
  • Acquisition of knowledge and skills consciously such that behavior is altered in some way

BARRIERS

  • Factors that impede the ability to deliver educational services \n Factors that negatively affect the ability of the learner to pay attention and process information

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES OF A TEACHER

A professional teacher perceives himself as someone who can effect change or learning because he is an expert in what he teaches and in how he teaches.

Teacher has the collection of best teaching practices and can use these to instruct students in classrooms and to work with adults in school setting.

Teacher has disposition and skills to approach all aspects of his work in a reflective, collegial and problem-solving manner.

Teachers has a view of learning to teach as a lifelong process and dispositions and skills for working towards improving his own teaching as well as improving schools.

1. PASSION

  • Passionate teachers exude spontaneity in ministering to the needs of the students especially those experiencing learning difficulties.
  • It drives them to care for their students corrected with appropriate reformative action.

2. HUMOR

Teacher’s humor connects them with their student like a magnet.

  • They enjoy as a group, thus promote a spirit of togetherness.
  • A clean joke will always elicit rapport in a learning environment.

3. VALUES AND ATTITUDE

  • Values connotes standards, code of ethics and strong beliefs
  • Teachers are models of values
  • Examples of values a teacher is expected are:
  • open-mindedness
  • fairness and impartiality
  • sincerity and honesty

4. PATIENCE

  • It refers to teacher’s uncomplaining nature, self-control and persistence.
  • Teachers calmly endure their students’ limitations and difficulties

5. ENTHUSIASM

  • Refers to eagerness and excitement
  • Enthusiastic teachers are full of energy and dynamism where students look forward to any activity, they participate in with them.
  • It is an irresistible feeling that intensifies the student’s momentum to reach a desired goal.

6. COMMITMENT

  • A solemn promise to perform the duties and responsibilities mandated by laws and code of ethics of the profession.
  • It is unwavering pledge to perform all teaching and learning activities with consistency and selflessness to the best interest of the students under their care.
  • Committed teachers are caring and dedicated

WAYS TO MOTIVATE LEARNERS

  • Use several senses
  • Actively involve the patients or clients in the learning process
  • Provide an environment conductive in learning
  • Assess the extent to which the learner is ready to learn
  • Determine the perceived relevance of the information
  • Repeat information
  • Generalize information
  • Make learning a pleasant experience
  • Begin with what is known; move toward with what is unknown
  • Present information at an appropriate rate