Describing Teachers

 Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog!!

We are almost finished as we are on our third and last register of this semester and we are actually beggining with something quite similar as last register. Today we are not describing learners, but their teachers so lets begin.

1. Teacher's role in the classroom 

A. Controller Leading from the front.

B. Prompter When students forget something, such as the instructions of a task, the teacher is there to remind them.

C. Participant Taking an active role; for example, in a class discussion.

D. Resource When students ask the teacher’s help. For example, when they don’t know how the meaning of a word.

E. Tutor When giving feedback about a large project.

2. The teacher as an organizer

Teachers must be aware of how to organize their class before teaching, not only that but even the classroom if necessary so the whole structure of the class is well prepared and taught.

3. Rapport 

In essence, rapport means “the relationship that students have with the teacher and vice versa” (Harmer, 2007, p. 113). It is, somehow, a magical connection. The following characteristics help achieve successful interaction

A. Recognizing students. Students love it when their teachers know their names and try to understand their character and preferences.

 B. Listening to students. Students respond very well to teachers who listen to them.

C. Respecting students. Especially at the moment of being corrected. Teachers who don’t react with anger do their best to seem their students “in a positive light” (Harmer, 2007, p. 115).

D. Being even-handed. Even though some teachers have “some students that they warm to more than others” (Harmer, 2007, p. 115), they should try to treat all students equally because not only does it help to establish and maintain rapport, but it is also a mark of professionalism. 

4. Teachers as performers 

This actually depends on what they are teaching or what their class is about rather than their ability, as a teacher needs to be able to transmit the information in a way that their students can comprehend it, this is dependable of their perfomance.

5. Teachers as a teaching aid

Even though most of the teachers always have many resources available, they sometimes have to convey meaning and instruction through their expressions, body language, and pronunciation (especially when modeling a dialogue).

6. Native-speaker teachers VS Non-native-speaker teachers

For many years, non-native-speaker teachers have felt a sense of injustice, have experienced some kind of inferiority, and have struggled to demonstrate their credibility as English teachers. All of this happens because some people still have a couple of preconceived ideas of superiority in favor of native-speaker teachers.

So here are some advantages for native speaker and non native speaker teachers:

Strengths of non-native-speaker teachers: Since they have previously gone through the process of learning a foreign language, they may have a better understanding of their students’ sensations and concerns at the moment of being instructed. This can help them readjust their teaching performance when necessary.

Strengths of native-speaker teachers: Their linguistic confidence about their language in the classroom, and their cultural knowledge. For example, an American teacher of English may have much enriching anecdotes to share when teaching about “Thanksgiving in the USA”.

And that would be all for this entry, hope you enjoyed it and lets see what this final register has to offer :D