What is to Teach?

In order to understand what a teacher is, it is important to study and understand the
etymology to the word teach. According to Harpers online Etymology dictionery (2017),
the word teach is an old English term taecan which means to show, point out, declare,
demonstrate, to give instruction, train, assign, direct warn or persuade. Inorder to
achieve the above, Home (2000), states that it is important that a real teacher is to have
both the strategy and tactics, a strategy gurantees goals, while tactics gurantees means
of attainment. Mills (1978) quotes a statement from The Golden Stairs which in his
opinion contain a reference to a teacher:

a loyal sense of duty to the teacher, a willing obedience to the behests of the Truth,
once we have placed our confidence in and Teacher to be in possession of it

The aim of education

It is very important to examine the role of education inorder to be able to justy the the
defination of a teacher. The aim or role of eduation according to Home, (2000) is:

To equip people to think

To learn practical skills
To train in physical fitness
To develop good character
To relate life to its source and goal
To make a good citizen
To express affective understanding

Mills, (1978) concludes that a teacher is one with a pure heart, compassion, love and a
will of steadiness in intent or purpose that can never be daunted by success nor failure,
faithful to duty and self-controlled in all situations.

Teacher values are very important in the staring of students, but Maxine Greene states
that teachers cannot stir other to define themselves, they themselves need to be moral
agents to develop leaners.

Are teachers necessary?

According to Balser, (2011) teachers are responsible for the preparation of students for
jobs that dont yet exist, using technologies that havent been invented, to help solves
problems that are not yet problems so teacher are necessary. Teachers are not only
experts and explainers but also coaches and role models who care. Teachers are
definitely a necessity but due to a paradigm shift from traditional development of literacy
goal, they are now necessary for supporting lifelong learning, develop resiliency and
agency which requires more of the individuality, caring and humanity.

Qualities of a Good teacher

Every teacher worldwide is expected to have certain qualities in order to be considered

to be a good teacher, this include:

a. Knowledge of the subject taught

Knowledge of exactly what is taught is important as it enable teacher confidence. It

important that a teacher is qualified.

b. Knowledge of teaching methodologies

A teacher has to promote and nurture potentials among pupils using teaching theories
and the psychology of education.

c. Sense of humor and love for pupils

A good sense of humor guarantees is an essential ingredient in the success of a

teacher, it guarantees peaceful class environment without conflicts. It attracts students
to love the subject and teacher.

d. Positive attitude

This is cornerstone quality for a good teacher, it enables the overcoming all problem
that come in the course of the career. This quality will help the teacher remain calm and
give the students the ability overcome their anxieties and enables improvement of
teaching strategies.

e. High expectations
A teacher is to expect the best from their students that is also transferred to the pupils
make them have high expectation in relation to their academic capabilities. This usually
builds confidence in pupils enabling effective learning.

f. Love of justice

A teacher is to be stable and firm, treating all student fairly and involve all students in
the class and involve strategies that promote creativity and mind inquiry.

g. Be a role model

Being a role model demands that a teacher has a spirit of hard work, diligence, honesty
and manner for students to want to emulate. According to Scapp, (2004) pupils
generally emulate what a teacher does rather than what they say in class.

h. Flexibility and loves learning

The teacher is to have a love for learning more by developing a culture of reading to
allow them to be aware of the times which help in the ability to cope with change. The
desire to learn also helps in the teacher improving their teaching methodologies and
understand that change is inevitable. Acceptance of change will help teacher
understand students be able to manage them better.

The roles of a teacher

The development of any nation is in the hands of teachers. Teachers prepare the
society for by directing perspectives through education. Socrates (470-399 B.C said:

A teacher is like a small ship sailing from the land of ignorant people to the land of
knowledgeable people

The roles of a teacher are:

To give knowledge and utilize potentials

To facilitate teaching and learning
Maintain and build values of students
Creative researcher
Be a good role model
Counselor and mentor
 Solicitor of knowledge
Be an evaluator
Be a facilitator

Qualifications of a teacher

There are two important aspect in being a teacher, the being (affective) and doing
(procedural). The most important is the being aspect of teaching which requires
enthusiasm and excitement from the individual as a teacher. Being a teacher requires
only skill but also both personality and passion.

Teacher Responsibility

A sense of personal responsibility is a very important trait which influences the teachers
psychological well-being and also the students learning ability and performance.
Halvorsen, et al., (2009) state that the teachers sense of responsibility is directly
proportional to positive teaching attitude, job satisfaction and professional dedication. It
is important to define responsibility in the context of a teacher so as to aid in the
understanding of a teacher. Winter, (1992, pp. 500-505) defines responsibility as a
relatively stable disposition that develops as a function of socialization, responsibility is
made up of components of moral standards, internal obligation, critical self-judgment,
sympathy and concern for consequences of ones own actions. According to
Lauermann, (2013, p. 9) six questions have to be answered to define responsibility in
order to capture the essential elements of teacher responsibility. The questions are: A)
who is responsible? B) For what? C) To who? D) Who is the judge? E) In relation to
what criteria of responsibility? F) In what realm of responsibility? Lenk, (2007, p. 180)
defines responsibility with the six component model which answers Lauermann, (2013)
six responsibility questions as follows:

Someone: the subject or bearer of responsibility, is responsible for: something (actions,

situations, consequences of actions, tasks), in view of: an addressee (object of
responsibility), under supervision or judgement of : a judging or sanctioning instance, in
relation to: a (prescriptive, normative) criterion of attribution of accountablity, within: a
specific realm of responsibility and action.
A teacher is to make choices which are momentary, immediate and long-term as they
prepare lessons, engage parents and participate in professional development
associations so the concept and practice of teacher leadership is important as it is a
catalyst for change and helps sustain curriculum reform efforts (Beachum & Dentith,
2004).Teacher leadership according to Krause, (2004) is an identity based on social
roles and role identities, the social roles indicate position in a group while identity is an
individuals self image. Komives, et al., (2005) state that the teachers vision affects their
perception of self leadership, meaning it shapes the ideas of various leadership
practices and roles leaders play. According to Gonzales & Lambert, (2001) one of the
elements that qualifies a teacher is his or her ability of taking on new leadership roles
e.g authoritative nature, which brings more responsibility contributing to a teachers
leadership identity. Sinha & Hanuscin, (2017) in their research on teacher leadership
identity concluded that teachers develop an identity by practicing leadership in and
outside the classroom.

Teacher accountability

According to Lanoue, (2015) accountablity is not only a test score but more of a
monitoring and evaluation tool for students to achieve the highest level, it is a
machanism for ensuring a teacher really is delivering what is expected. Darling-
Hammond, (1989) state three forms of accountablity relevent to teachers in South Africa
as legal accountablity, bureaucratic accountability (ensures that leaners are treated
equally and consistently) and professional accountablity( controls corruption negligence
and abuse of trust). Professional Accountablity is the most measureble in that it
achieves applied compentence in that student are able to demonstrate practicablity,
foundational competence and reflexiva ability.

According to Adendorff, et al., (2010) accountability is an unspoken obligation between

student and teacher which professional discretion can provide clear assurance.
Acountablity and responsibiity go hand in hand. Accountability is an obligatory
transaction while responsibility is a moral one.

Teacher Authority
Teacher are mangers in a classroom, they require authority as a form of power to
influence their students to achive miximum efficacy. There are five types of teacher
authority that a teacher must make use of to produce results in students. They are:

Attractive authority

This is where the teacher uses personality, and common interest to relate to students. In
this they of authority the teacher invest in the emotional of the students as a tool to
influence them also the use of personality traits which students percive the teacher as
likeable. This authority is aimedfor student to want to follow those whose qualities are
attractive and percived to be cool in their eyes. According to Murray & Pianta, (2007)
students have a tendency of working harder to impress teacher they like.

Expert Authority

This is where a teacher is knowledgable, well prepared and seem intelligent about the
subject taught to students. This authority couples with humor leads into teacher respect
by students.

Reward authority

This involves the use of rewards to influence stdent behaviours. Rewards can include
praises, special previlages and prizes, etc. this guarantees that students feel valued and
makes them stay competent, this authority expresses a deep affirmation and willingness
of teachers in recorgnizing efforts made by students.

Coecive Authority

This is where a teacher uses their right to withhold certain previlages and give
punishment to certain types of misconducts when a line has been crossed. This helps
student in respecting authority and not abuse their freedom and it promotes a sense of
security on the teacher to take action when necessary.

Position Authority
This is center on the position of a teacher as a teacher. The position demands
responsibility since teachers act in the role of parental authority. This authority is
legitimate authority as it is by default.
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