Learner-centered teaching is totally a different method than the stereotyped teaching system. This method's main goal is to develop learner's freedom.It focuses on students' life long learning rather than preparing for a required exam. In learner-centered teaching,the learners have the responsibility to enhance their skill to the performance specific requirement.The teachers as usual have the key roles here.But in this system learners' engagement is much more than any other teaching system.They get to learn new things of their own analysing new
information and prior experiences.
I am about to talk about the key roles of a teacher.I prefer learner-centered teaching method,so the key responsibilities that a teacher should have would be described from the view of this method.
The Role of the Teacher
The utmost role of a teacher is being a facilitator.The success depends on how well the teacher is going to transition to this role. The teacher should be the facilitator besides the supporter.Some metaphors have been used to define the teachers role more beautifully.They are as follows:
Teacher as Gardener A teacher nurses the students just like a gardener.A gardener takes care of the plants and enables them to grow up and accomplish fruits and flowers.A teacher works alike ,helps a student to enhance his/her skill,blooms of his/her own way.A teacher has the most important duty in a students' life alike a gardener has in plants.
Teacher as Guide
Teacher work as the most reliable guide in a students' life.A student follow his/her lead without having any question in mind.So,the teacher has to show them the path to go.Not only the path but also the system to get into that path.Because the teacher has prior experiences of walking in those areas.Though the student has to walk of his/her own,yet s/he relies on her teacher(guide) to find the best out of everything.
Teacher as coach
Sometimes the teacher has to act as a coach.Just like a coach,the teacher trains the students up,teaches them the strategies,the methods.The teacher has to plan their course plans,study materials like the coach designs a new and better game for the players.A teacher has to put a lot of endeavour find out the student's difficulties.
Sapiens(2010,p.3) in one of his excellent essay quoted the basketball coach John wooden.It was like-
'...He believed that if you did not pay attention to what students did and then correct and instruct them,there was no teaching,As he put it,if the the students have not learned,then the teacher has no taught.'
Teacher as Midwife
Ayers(1980,p.50) mentioned that good teachers are good midwives. Learning requires invention and discovery.The key role of a teacher is to attract the students to learning,get them engaged.A teacher is a source of resource alike the midwives.A midwife brings much previous experience,expertise,assurance and calmness.A teacher should act like a midwife in this sphere.
A teacher should always focus on what the students are doing,how they are doing.
A teacher has to get the students first.How do they think,in which spheres their thinking goes etc.
Teacher as Host
Teacher is the host of a class.So,s/he has to have that skill to maintain the class,manage the students,make them focused on study.S/he has to engage students to class,encourage them to participate in class discussion(being so specific_make room for them to participate).
A teacher can start the class with a relevant story or a joke to shake them up and get them attracted to learning.Every teacher should have his/her own way to stir up the class as a booster.
Teacher-the source of Resources
Teacher are the source of resources,I believe.But it's not like that ,a teacher has to know everything of this world. So when a teacher has no suitable answer to a student's question.S/he should encourage the student to get the answer through working out together probably or suggesting the possible ways to find the answers rather discouraging him/her for it.
Teacher as Actor
Teacher is the torchbearer.His/her responsibilities are beyond everything.A teacher has to be the best actor.S/he has to act according to the student's demand.Later after, a teacher can easily get them attracted(kind of trap) to the learning as soon as he/she gets familiar with the students motivation.
Teacher as a friend ,as a mentor
Teacher is the person from whom we get academic knowledge .Besides we make our mental notions and all other things as a human being we developed in us in an indirect way.Teacher have their shadows on their students.So a teacher should maintain a healthy friendship with a student,so that s/he can come to the teacher with her difficulties regarding learning without getting afraid.
A teacher is the person who plays the most important roles in a students' life after his/her family.So,a teacher has a lot of responsibilities to perform and qualities to possess.
What I found in my Mentor's class
First of all,I was so overwhelmed when I first got into the classroom.It was a morning class,a very morning class.Even then the class was so active.My mentor has her own method to stir up the class.On her first day,She made students engaged to the class first.She showed her interest to know them and let them know about her,It was such a friendly environment there.Like everyone has the freedom,but nobody violates any rule.So beautifuly managed.The thing that I loved most is her way to engage students.Like when she takes the attendance,she used to ask different things in different days. On the first day,she asked everybody about their favourite colors.Later day,She asked them about the best food they ever had and things like this.Students got inspired and motivated to participate,as she talks about their interests.They become more attentive to class,as the class becomes a very comfortable place for them.My mentor used to have a very beautiful smile on her face always which works like tonic,I must say.She used to make jokes,obviously those are relevant to studies and that energize students.She knows very well when to give the punch lines.Sometimes she let the students lead the class,she gives time to ask.She lets them find examples and find out new things about that.She praises students frequently
The most important part of her is -she is a motherly figure which evaporates all the fears from mind and shows as a place of hope and faith.She shows her students the right way,listens to them attentively.She is a very responsible person,I admit with everything.She speaks less in class and let them more to find out and discover.She is a super woman and plays the role of a super teacher.I think A teacher as my mentor is the learner-centered oriented.Every teacher should have these things in mind to get a fruitful and better learning system.
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