Teachers’ role and responsibilities Cohen, Manion &Morrison Ch. 11 Arthur & Cremin Ch. 1.1

Lectures’ objectives 1.Develop an awareness of the personal qualities and skills you require as a primary teacher. 2.Be overawed at the responsibility of being a primary school teacher. 3.Recognize the roles and functions of primary teachers

Before we begin Task 2. “ Before we begin Task 2. “characteristics of a good teacher” In a small group discuss the following question: o What makes a good teacher? o What kind of knowledge and personal qualities are needed? o Do you think children would have the same answers?

Primary teacher’s personal qualities. Primary students expect teachers to teach. They appreciate clear explanation, the clear statement of a problem and guidance in their solution. Personal qualities like kindness, sympathy and patience are secondary. “ teaching include a lot more than care, mutual respect and well-placed optimism. It demands knowledge and practical skills, the ability to make informed judgments, and to balance pressures and challenges; practice and creativity; interest and effort; as well as an understanding of how children learn and develop.” A & C p.13

Primary teacher’s knowledge. Teachers are required to have multiple kinds of knowledge: 1. Subject content knowledge; an understanding of the main concepts, principles and skills you will have to teach. 2. Pedagogical subject knowledge or The application of subject knowledge in teaching; how to make knowledge, skills and understandings of subjects meaningful and accessible to students; how best to present an idea; what illustrations to use; what stories to tell; what examples to draw on.

Primary teacher’s knowledge. Cont. 3. Knowledge of children development; including knowledge of theories of child development; the children intellectual, physical, emotional and social development; in addition to aspects of how children learn and what motivates them. 4. Curriculum knowledge; the curriculum requirements, national strategies, published materials sources available as “ tools of the trade” to help you teach your class.

Primary teacher’s knowledge. Cont. 5. General pedagogical knowledge ; including teaching strategies, techniques, classroom management and organization, some awareness of group dynamics. 6. Knowledge of educational context ; including the ways schools are organized, run financed and govern. 7. Knowledge of educational ends, purposes and values.

The roles primary teacher plays. The primary teachers’ roles and functions are itemized in the following: 1. Manager: she is there to manage the total learning environment including; the students, the learning program, the environment and the resources. 2. Observer : the ability to observe the students closely, their actions, reactions and interactions. 3. Diagnostician : identifying the strength and weaknesses of each child and altering their learning program accordingly.

The roles primary teacher plays. Cont. 4. Educator : involving deciding on aims and objectives, the nature and content of the learning program. 5. Organizer : organizing the learning program, the classroom and the lessons. 6. Decision maker : choosing appropriate learning materials, deciding on topics and projects.

The roles primary teacher plays. Cont. 7. Presenter : involves the teacher as narrator, questioner, explainer and director of discussions. 8. Communicator : in addition to presenter it involves talking to other staff members such as speaking in the name of the class to the principle. 9. Motivator : involves arousing or sustaining interest and encourage the students.

The roles primary teacher plays. Cont. 10. Consulter : advising the students on a rang of problems; educational, personal, social..etc 11. Evaluator : involving evaluating, assessing and recording child’s ability, achievement and progress.

The roles primary teacher plays. Cont. Teacher’s roles and functions are not without their difficulties, consider the following dilemmas teachers face and find a way to resolve them: 1.Losing class time when giving the children a degree of control over their use of time while doing a certain activity. 2.Presenting oneself formally to the children. 3.Inducting the children into a common culture. What other dilemmas you might think of?

Summary None of us is a perfect human being but being a teacher holds a good deal of responsibilities and expectations we may feel guilty about not meeting them completely. However, in our pursuit of achieving them we find ourselves showing qualities such as ‘ care, respect optimism, interest and effort” which many other professionals aspire to have.

Reflective journal Describe one of your former primary teachers and judge wither she was a good teacher or not, write the reason why, and find a way to resolve her negative points.

Next week Classroom environments: what is it, why it is important

Reference  Learning to Teach in the Primary School. Arthur& Cremin, nd edition. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group, London. A guide to Teaching Practice: Revised 5 th Edition by Louise Cohen, Lawrence Manion, Keth Morrison, And Dominic Wyse ( Jul 21, 2010)