Icelt Ci-1

Who teachers are in class

Sometimes, we as teachers do not pay much attention to what students think of us. However, students do get an idea of who we are as soon as we walk into the classroom. So, it is imperative for a teacher to consider many aspects such as how we address to students and even how we look, but more importantly, we need to be aware what students think of us whether, consciously or subconsciously.

We know that every teacher has his/her personality, and we should not let our classes be influenced by our appearance. Nonetheless, we must take into consideration all these aspects, even before going into a classroom.

Personality

A typical question that teachers ask themselves is; “What makes a good teacher?” The answers may vary, but when some people were interviewed their answers were very specific, they say that; “Character makes a good teacher” However, one of them answered something a little more specific; “I like the teacher who has his own personality and doesn’t hide it from students so he is not only a teacher but a person as well, and it comes through in the lesson.” We can agree on this statement, but we have to consider that discussing teacher personality is complex, because there is no stereotypical teacher.

We, as teachers, need to ask ourselves what kind of personality is the most effective, or perhaps, what kind of personality we want our students to encounter; some of us would think that a teacher can be effective trough charisma; some others think that persuading authority could lead them to effectiveness. However, teachers personality is nothing more than two aspects; being professional and being person. In other words, “Effective teacher personality is a blend between who we are, and who we are as a teacher.” (Harmer, 2009) Therefore, teacher’s personality should create a connection with students.

Although teachers need to demonstrate their personality, teaching is not acting, after all, but we do have to think carefully about how we appear.

Adaptability

The meaning of the word seems to be too obvious, but this word can also be referred as flexibility. Adaptability can make a difference in any lesson; it is simply how a teacher can react to different events in the classroom as the lesson proceeds. It is being flexible to things that did not go as planned, because however well we have prepared, the chances are that things will not go exactly to the plan. And of course, when unexpected events occur in any part of the lesson, it is the teacher’s responsibility to adapt changes.

We as teachers should plan our lesson in order to overcome any unexpected situations, but have to remember that our students are human beings, and that they would react to the class differently, so, adaptability can be seen as a challenge but not as an option.

Teacher roles

Part of a good teacher’s art is the ability

...