Teacher

A teacher (also called a school teacher or, in some contexts, an educator) is a person who helps others to acquire knowledge, competences or values.

Informally the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. when showing a colleague how to perform a specific task). In some countries, teaching young people of school age may be carried out in an informal setting, such as within the family, (homeschooling) rather than in a formal setting such as a school or college. Some other professions may involve a significant amount of teaching (e.g. youth worker, pastor).

In most countries, formal teaching is usually carried out by paid professional teachers. This article focuses on those who are employed, as their main role, to teach others in a formal education context, such as at a school or other place of initial formal education or training.

Duties and functions

Teachers may provide instruction in literacy and numeracy, craftsmanship or vocational training, the arts, religion, civics, community roles, or life skills.A teacher's role may vary among cultures.

Formal teaching tasks include preparing lessons according to agreed curricula, giving lessons, and assessing pupil progress.

A teacher's professional duties may extend beyond formal teaching. Outside of the classroom teachers may accompany students on field trips, supervise study halls, help with the organization of school functions, and serve as supervisors for extracurricular activities. In some education systems, teachers may have responsibility for student discipline.

Competences and qualities required by teachers

Teaching is a highly complex activity.^[2] This is in part because teaching is a social practice, that takes place in a specific context (time, place, culture, socio-political-economic situation etc.) and therefore reflects the values of that specific context.^[3] Factors that influence what is expected (or required) of teachers include history and tradition, social views about the purpose of education, accepted theories about learning etc.^[4]

Competences

So the competences required by a teacher are affected by the different ways in which the role is understood around the world. Broadly, there seem to be four models:

the teacher as manager of instruction;

the teacher as caring person;

the teacher as expert learner; and

the teacher as cultural and civic person.^[5]

The OECD has argued that it is necessary to develop a shared definition of the skills and knowledge required by teachers, in order to guide teachers' career-long education and professional development.^[6] Some evidence-based international discussions have tried to reach such a common understanding. For example, the European Union has identified three broad areas of competences that teachers require:

Working with others

Working with knowledge, technology and information, and

Working in and with society.^[7]

Scholarly consensus is emerging that what is required of teachers can be grouped under three headings:

knowledge (such as: the subject matter itself and knowledge about how to teach it, curricular knowledge, knowledge about the educational sciences, psychology, assessment etc.)

craft skills (such as lesson planning, using teaching technologies, managing students and groups, monitoring and assessing learning etc.) and

dispositions (such as essential values and attitudes, beliefs and commitment).^[8]

Qualities

Enthusiasm

It has been found that teachers who showed enthusiasm towards the course materials and students can create a positive learning experience.^[9] These teachers do not teach by rote but attempt to find new invigoration for the course materials on a daily basis.^[10] One of the challenges facing teachers is that they may have repeatedly covered a curriculum until they begin to feel bored with the subject, and their attitude may in turn bore the students. Students who had enthusiastic teachers tend to rate them higher than teachers who didn't show much enthusiasm for the course materials.^[11]

There are various mechanisms by which teacher enthusiasm may facilitate higher levels of intrinsic motivation.^[14] Teacher enthusiasm may contribute to a classroom atmosphere of energy and enthusiasm which feeds student interest and excitement in learning the subject matter.^[15] Enthusiastic teachers may also lead to students becoming more self-determined in their own learning process. The concept of mere exposure indicates that the teacher's enthusiasm may contribute to the student's expectations about intrinsic motivation in the context of learning. Also, enthusiasm may act as a "motivational embellishment", increasing a student's interest by the variety, novelty, and surprise of the enthusiastic teacher's presentation of the material. Finally, the concept of emotional contagion, may also apply; students may become more intrinsically motivated by catching onto the enthusiasm and energy of the teacher.^{[citation needed]}Teachers that exhibit enthusiasm can lead to students who are more likely to be engaged, interested, energetic, and curious about learning the subject matter. Recent research has found a correlation between teacher enthusiasm and students' intrinsic motivation to learn and vitality in the classroom.^[12] Controlled, experimental studies exploring intrinsic motivation of college students has shown that nonverbal expressions of enthusiasm, such as demonstrative gesturing, dramatic movements which are varied, and emotional facial expressions, result in college students reporting higher levels of intrinsic motivation to learn.^[13] Students who experienced a very enthusiastic teacher were more likely to read lecture material outside of the classroom.

Interaction with learners

Research shows that student motivation and attitudes towards school are closely linked to student-teacher relationships. Enthusiastic teachers are particularly good at creating beneficial relations with their students. Their ability to create effective learning environments that foster student achievement depends on the kind of relationship they build with their students.^{[16][17][18][19]} Useful teacher-to-student interactions are crucial in linking academic success with personal achievement.^[20]Here, personal success is a student's internal goal of improving himself, whereas academic success includes the goals he receives from his superior. A teacher must guide her student in aligning her personal goals with her academic goals. Students who receive this positive influence show stronger self-confidence and greater personal and academic success than those without these teacher interactions.^[19][21][22]

Students are likely to build stronger relations with teachers who are friendly and supportive and will show more interest in courses taught by these teachers.^[20][21] Teachers that spend more time interacting and working directly with students are perceived as supportive and effective teachers. Effective teachers have been shown to invite student participation and decision making, allow humor into their classroom, and demonstrate a willingness to play.^[17]

The way a teacher promotes the course she is teaching affects how much benefit the student will get out of the subject matter.^{[citation needed]} The three most important aspects of teacher enthusiasm are enthusiasm about teaching, enthusiasm about the students, and enthusiasm about the subject matter^{[citation needed]}. A teacher must enjoy teaching^{[citation needed]}. If they do not enjoy what they are doing, the students will be able to tell^{[citation needed]}. They also must enjoy being around their students^{[citation needed]}. A teacher who cares for their students is going to help them succeed in their life in the future^{[citation needed]}. The teacher also needs to be enthusiastic about the subject matter she is teaching^{[citation needed]}. For example, a teacher talking about chemistry needs to enjoy chemistry and show that to her students^{[citation needed]}. A spark in the teacher may create a spark of excitement in the student as well. An enthusiastic teacher has the ability to be very influential in the young student's life^{[citation needed]}.

Teaching qualifications

In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional qualifications or credentials from a university or college. These professional qualifications may include the study of pedagogy, the science of teaching. Teachers, like other professionals, may have to, or choose to, continue their education after they qualify, a process known as continuing professional development.

The issue of teacher qualifications is linked to the status of the profession. In some societies, teachers enjoy a status on a par with physicians, lawyers, engineers, and accountants, in others, the status of the profession is low.

Teachers are often required to undergo a course of initial education at a College of Education to ensure that they possess the necessary knowledge, competences and adhere to relevant codes of ethics.

There are a variety of bodies designed to instill, preserve and update the knowledge and professional standing of teachers. Around the world many teachers' colleges exist; they may be controlled by government or by the teaching profession itself.

They are generally established to serve and protect the public interest through certifying, governing, quality controlling, and enforcing standards of practice for the teaching profession.

Professional standards

The functions of the teachers' colleges may include setting out clear standards of practice, providing for the ongoing education of teachers, investigating complaints involving members, conducting hearings into allegations of professional misconduct and taking appropriate disciplinary action and accrediting teacher education programs. In many situations teachers in publicly funded schools must be members in good standing with the college, and private schools may also require their teachers to be college members. In other areas these roles may belong to the State Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Education Agency or other governmental bodies. In still other areas Teaching Unions may be responsible for some or all of these duties.