Day 31:
More and more families decide to homeschool their children. The majority justifies their action by voicing a concern of the school environment, while others chose to homeschool because of religious reasons or because the child has special needs. While the motivation might be well intended, parents often forget the importance of teachers.
Why are teachers important?
The Board of Education claims that a primary school teacher holds the most important job in the world. A teacher is a trained professional, able to deal with all kinds of children and situations. A teacher passes on knowledge and values to her class of young students and prepares them for higher education and life in the workplace.
The role of the teacher
Teaching gifted students is easy, stimulating ordinary students and leading them to excellence is quite another. A good teacher sparks the interest of her students, tickles their curiosity and motivates them to work.
The role of the teacher in class
Teachers, whether in elementary or high school, do more than stand in front of a class and deliver a lecture. Many will claim that teaching isn’t so much a profession as it is a calling.
They influence their students with their commitment, competence, and character.
They transfer their morals and ethics to their students and stimulate them to learn.
Good teachers encourage students to participate in lessons, seeks their opinion and use student’s feedback to make the lessons more effective and fun.
The role of the teacher in school
While teachers are first and foremost facilitators who transfer their knowledge in a particular subject to their students, they take on other roles too.
They are role models who show kindness and good manners to those around them.
They instill the right attitude in students to learn.
They provide guidance to students who need help and support them along the way.
They are confidants to students with problems. While schools generally have a guidance teacher, many students prefer to entrust a teacher they know with their problems.
Teachers are often instrumental in a student’s career choice.
A good teacher has a way of communicating with parents and encourages them to be involved in their child’s education.
A teacher’s role in society
Being a role model, a teacher should behave impeccably in everyday life. While everybody deserves to relax and let their hair down, swearing in public, or rude or drunken behavior can ruin a teacher’s reputation. The teacher never knows who is watching. A single misstep can ruin a carefully build up career.
Unless a child is homeschooled by a teacher or professor, it misses out on all these advantages. Not only that, a homeschooled child doesn’t learn any social skills in dealing with other children. In many ways, going to school prepares a child for a working environment in adult life.
