To Be a Teacher
"Teaching is not just to deliver knowledge written on books, but it's also about communication, understanding your students." It's what my English teacher said to me when I told him I was looking for an opportunity to teach students. He used to teach me English when I was in high school and I once hoped I could be a teacher like him. Time has passed, the dream of being a teacher in schools has gone away and now I find myself having other dreams and plans for my future. However, working as a private English tutor for high school students, I sometimes wondered what my teacher really tried to say and recently, I thought I found the answer; teaching does not only require knowledge, but also interpersonal skills and problem solving skills.
First, most importantly and basically, teachers must have knowledge of their subject and of teaching. If a teacher lacks knowledge of what he teaches to his students, then the class and school are meaningless. What makes the difference between the teacher and his students if he doesn't know something discussed in text books? In addition, teachers must have knowledge or skills of teaching. If the teacher doesn't know how to teach, then it also leads to failure of the class. For instance, when I was in middle school, there was a math teacher and he often got the wrong answer for questions on an easy textbooks. All those years of studying in education colleges must have been for knowing what to teach and how to teach.
Second important thing to be a teacher is interpersonal skills. As my English teacher told me, teaching is not just about passing on knowledge to students. It's communication between the teachers and their students. After all, teaching is a matter of human beings and humans need to communicate, understand, emphasize with one another. Teachers must have a warm heart, ears to listen to his students, and a mouth to talk softly but logically and persuasively. For example, the most impressive teacher I've met during my past school days is my homeroom teacher in 2011 when I was a senior. Preparing for the SAT, most students were depressed and nervous and were getting tired of studying. At the early time of the first semester of that year, knowing his students are going through a hard time, my homeroom teacher said that he would have counseling for all his students. It was a rare case for high school teachers because most of the teachers were so busy dealing with grades, classes, and SAT-related matters. However, my homeroom teacher, during his busy schedule, managed to make time for us. For some students, he just listened and tried to put his feet in their shoes. For other students, he listened to their problems and gave sincere advices. At the end of that year, after graduation ceremony, our class visited him altogether. The reason why it was possible for him to be a good teacher is because he knew how to communicate. He knew his interpersonal skills.
Third, lastly, problem solving skills are also required to be a teacher. On the surface, writing down something on the boards, giving tests, and being nice to his students seem to be what teachers do as their job. However, teachers also need to be decisive, confident, and reasonable. Other than teaching, there are lots of works to do for teachers. After all, teachers are public officials in Korea. Sometimes they need to make decisions on an important issue or have to be brave to start a new project or correct problems. Even in classes, everything from punishing bullies to taking care of students lagging behind requires decisions. Teachers need problems solving skills every day, whether in class or office.
As the private education field thrives, there are fewer places for public teachers to be focused and appreciated. We're more likely to consider our teachers as someone who gives knowledge, someone who teach for money. All teachers are equal in that they help us to be better. However, we're not trying to look at the real meaning of being a teacher. Teacher is not just a person who gives us knowledge. Teacher is the title for those who have knowledge, communicate and understand his students, and deal with a variety of problems in or out of the class. That's what the word teacher stands for, that's what a good teacher does, and that's what is needed to be a good teacher.
Deleted unnecessary or regardless sentences and tried to make sentences simple.
ReplyDeleteTo Be a Teacher
"Teaching is not just to deliver knowledge written on books, but it's also about communication, understanding your students." It's what my English teacher said to me when I told him I was looking for an opportunity to teach students. He used to teach English when I was in high school and I once hoped I could be a teacher like him. Working as a private English tutor for high school students, I sometimes wonder what my teacher really tried to say and recently, I found the answer; teaching does not only require knowledge, but also interpersonal skills and problem solving skills.
First, most importantly and basically, teachers must have sufficient knowledge of their subject and of teaching. If a teacher lacks knowledge of what he teaches to his students, then the class and school are meaningless. What makes the difference between the teacher and his students if the teacher doesn't have knowledge? In addition, teachers must have knowledge or skills of teaching. If the teacher doesn't know how to teach, then it also leads to failure of the class. For instance, when I was in middle school, there was a math teacher and he wasn’t good at making students focused and making them follow him. All those years of studying in education colleges must have been for knowing what to teach and how to teach.
Second important thing to be a teacher is interpersonal skills. As my English teacher told me, teaching is not just about passing on knowledge to students. It's communication between the teachers and their students. After all, teaching is a matter of human beings and humans need to communicate, understand, emphasize with one another. Teachers must have a warm heart, ears to listen to his students, and a mouth to talk softly but logically and persuasively. For example, the most impressive teacher I've met during my past school days is my homeroom teacher in 2011 when I was a senior. Preparing for the SAT, most students were depressed and nervous and were getting tired of studying. At the early time of the first semester of that year, knowing his students are going through a hard time, my homeroom teacher said that he would have counseling for all his students. He, during his busy schedule, managed to make time for us. For some students, he just listened and tried to put his feet in their shoes. For other students, he listened to their problems and gave sincere advices. At the end of that year, after graduation ceremony, our class visited him altogether. The reason why it was possible for him to be a good teacher is because he knew how to communicate. He knew his interpersonal skills.
Third, lastly, problem solving skills are also required to be a teacher. On the surface, it seems that teaching something or giving tests is all what teachers do. However, teachers also need to be decisive, confident, and reasonable. Other than teaching, there are lots of works to do for teachers. Sometimes they need to make decisions on an important issue or have to be brave to start a new project or correct problems. Even in classes, everything from punishing bullies to taking care of students lagging behind requires decisions. Teachers need problems solving skills every day, whether in class or office.
As the private education field thrives, there are fewer places for public teachers to be focused and appreciated. We're more likely to consider our teachers as someone who gives knowledge, someone who teach for money. We're not trying to look at the real meaning of being a teacher. Teacher is not just a person who gives us knowledge. Teacher is the title for those who have knowledge, communicate and understand his students, and deal with a variety of problems in or out of the class. That's what the word teacher stands for, that's what a good teacher does, and that's what is needed to be a good teacher.