Top 10 Responsibilities of a Teacher – A teacher interacts with students on a regular basis and for extended periods of time, resulting in a crucial developmental connection in which students rely on more than simply guidance with the material being taught.
A teacher has various obligations, and this article will go through the 14 tasks of a teacher in further detail.
1. Communication
A huge part of teaching is communicating information. It might be verbal, written, or via any other route from practical demonstrations to artistic interpretation – whatever gets your point across.
How to develop it:
- Telephone jobs, such as calling alumni for donations or volunteering for a peer support line, develop your verbal communication skills and build your confidence.
- Join a debating society, a student council, Â or even an improv group.
- Join a student magazine or take responsibility for a society website.
Learn more about working in teaching from Ark Teacher Training with this Bright Network Academy Teaching Sector 101.
2. Patience
People learn at all different rates. If you have to explain something seven times in seven different ways before it sticks, that’s just part of the job. And when faced with challenging behaviour, you need to stay calm and patient and not lose your temper.
How to develop it:
- Patience is one of those inherent character traits – but it is possible to improve yours. Practise thinking before you speak, or make patience your goal for the day.
3. Creativity
People learn best when they’re doing something fun and interesting. It’s up to you to be creative in your approach, finding novel and enjoyable ways for your students to learn.
How to develop it:
- Take up an artistic hobby, like painting, music or drama.
- Get used to sharing ideas and brainstorming when you have a problem – it’s a skill that will help you connect with your colleagues in future and come up with more creative solutions.
- Get inspiration. Take any opportunity to volunteer in a classroom and learn from the teacher’s approach.
4. Enthusiasm
Your enthusiasm is infectious. If you love your subject and your job, you’ll be able to engage the people you teach.
How to develop it:
- It’s hard to fake enthusiasm, so aim to teach a subject you love.
- If you have to do something boring, turn it into something you can be enthusiastic about – make a game of data entry, or write poems to help you memorise facts.
- In your studies, look for ways you can go above and beyond. Read books that aren’t on the reading list, take on extra projects, and show that you love what you do.
5. Confidence
Children can smell fear… no, just kidding. Confidence helps you when you’re standing up and directing a class, whether your students are kids or adults. A lot of education sector jobs involve public speaking, so confidence is a must.
How to develop it:
- Try new things and set yourself challenges. If you can do things that scare you, you can handle anything.
- Confident people can be themselves without worrying about pleasing others and fitting in. If you find this hard, experiment with saying the words, ‘No,’ and ‘I disagree’.
6. Dedication
There’s no denying that teaching can be tough at times. If you’re dedicated to helping your students succeed, you’ll be able to keep up your energy levels and avoid getting discouraged.
How to develop it:
- Work on your empathy. When you put yourself in someone else’s shoes you can better understand why they’re struggling.
7. Conflict resolution
Especially in secondary schools, this can be a big part of the job. If you can defuse tense situations before they explode, you be able to handle it when teenagers upset each other or test your authority.
How to develop it:
- You’ll learn behaviour management skills during your teacher training, but there’s no harm in getting a head start. Find a workshop, or read up on tips online and try to apply them in everyday life.
- Many volunteering positions will offer you conflict resolution training, particularly if you’ll be working with children or teenagers.
- Be aware of how you act. If you end up in a conflict at work, with your friends or during a project, sit down afterwards and think about how you reacted and what you might do differently next time.
8. Organisation
If you’re a schoolteacher, organisation skills will help you to fit marking and lesson planning around your school hours, and file and reuse the resources you develop.
How to develop it:
- Practise organisation while you study. If a friend asked to borrow your lecture notes, would you know where to find them straight away? If not, sit down and work out a system.
- Keep your calendar up-to-date and plan out how you’ll fit your to-do list items into each day. (Don’t have a to-do list? That’s another thing to work on.)
9. Leadership
Teachers need to be able to lead a classroom and inspire confidence in their students. They also need to be able to deal with lots of different students with different, and sometimes competing needs. If you’re not a natural-born leader, don’t worry, leadership is a skill you can develop.
How to develop it:
- When it comes to leadership, practice makes perfect. Try putting yourself in situations where you’re required to take on a leadership role. Why not volunteer to head up a group project or become more involved in a society at university?
- You can also take our Bright Network Academy course on leadership skills to learn more about how you can develop your own leadership qualities.
10. Adaptability
Working in teaching can present challenges on a daily basis. While these keep the career exciting, a certain amount of adaptability is important. You may have a great lesson plan, only to realise you need to switch gears depending on the level of understanding your students have.
How to develop it:
- Plan, but be open to your plans going awry. While it’s important to be well prepared, be sure to leave room for change and modify your plans accordingly.
- Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Making mistakes is a normal part of the learning process. If you do make a mistake, it’s important to be able to adapt and learn from it rather than letting it de-rail your hard work.
In Addition
As a teacher, there are many responsibilities that come with the job. Here are the top 10 responsibilities of a teacher:
- Create lesson plans: Teachers are responsible for creating lesson plans that align with curriculum standards and cater to the needs of their students.
- Teach and facilitate learning: Teachers must ensure that students are learning the material and are engaged in the learning process.
- Manage classroom behavior: Teachers must establish classroom rules and procedures and enforce them in a fair and consistent manner.
- Assess student learning: Teachers are responsible for evaluating student progress and providing feedback to students and parents.
- Communicate with parents: Teachers must communicate with parents regularly to provide updates on student progress and to address any concerns.
- Collaborate with colleagues: Teachers should work with other teachers and school staff to develop curriculum, share resources, and support student success.
- Participate in professional development: Teachers should engage in ongoing professional development to stay current with best practices in teaching and learning.
- Use technology effectively: Teachers should integrate technology into their lessons to enhance student learning and engagement.
- Create a positive classroom environment: Teachers should create a welcoming and inclusive classroom environment where all students feel valued and respected.
- Serve as a role model: Teachers should serve as positive role models for their students, demonstrating integrity, respect, and a love of learning.