MY ROLE AS A TEACHER
As the facilitator of knowledge, my role as a teacher is not only rewarding but one that I am thoroughly passionate about. The generation of today is an easy one to reach if you engage students through the mediums they enjoy, through the topics that they can relate to and through the connections that you help them make. By utilizing such techniques, instructors produce an environment that not only maximizes their student’s learning experience, but also gives them a passion for the subject.
Thanks to my position at The American International School in Cyprus, it has been my privilege to teach children from all over the world. The common thread that binds all of these students is their desire to have a teacher that enjoys what he or she is doing, who motivates them to learn and who shows a genuine interest in their well being. I am such a teacher.
The role of a teacher is dynamic. Our job is not only to support the philosophy of the school, but to let data drive instruction, to teach using best practices, to use balanced assessments, to create concept based units and most importantly let common sense be the compass that guides what we do.
It has been said that teachers live in their “little bubbles” called classrooms where they are autonomous and proceed as they wish. I believe that teachers are part of a community that includes their administrators, their colleagues, their students and the parents of their students. I believe that a classroom should not be a place of isolation, but rather a place where everyone is invited to share in the love of learning; a place where every unique student can demonstrate their learning in the most positive environment possible.
Finally a teacher’s role is one of heart. The love and care we give our students instill in them the self-belief that they can accomplish more than they ever thought possible. Our sincere words of encouragement turn assignments into an opportunity for students to show off their accomplishments. At the end of the day, the dozen or so children in the class are more than just students at a desk; they make up a family with the teacher as the head and heart of that family.
In summary, I believe that it is our duty and our privilege to educate the greatest resource our nation will ever know, our children. It is in everyone’s well being that we do so to the greatest of our abilities and with the biggest of hearts.