Teacher's Roles

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Transcript of Teacher's Roles

Achange agentis a person from inside or outside the organization who helps an organization transform itself by focusing on such matters as organizational effectiveness, improvement, and development. So, an agent of change in the aspect of curriculum means that the teacher focusing on the improvement and development of the curriculum. Teachers in school must be an agent of change in order to fulfil the National Philosophy of Education, Malaysian Education Blueprint(PPPM) and become the implementer of KSSR curriculum. There are several steps that can be followed by teachers in order to become an agent of change in school.

1. Planning

At the planning stage, teachers need to have knowledge. Teachers are learners and should be attending professional development sessions to learn the latest best practices and strategies for effective teaching. Teachers should regularly collaborate with one another to gain new ideas for teaching, planning grade-level instruction and combining subjects to enhance the learning experience. They analyze test results and other data to help determine the course of their instruction and make changes in their classrooms. Teachers also design lesson plans to teach the standards and provide engaging activities, while taking into account each student's interests and instructional needs. In other words, teacher needs to be knowledgeable before become an agent of change. In planning stage for KSSR, there are few steps that teacher should taken into account to benefit his or her teaching practices: Determine the purpose of the lesson.If you have a clear expectation, so will your students. A good teaching technique encourage teacher to put up learning objectives first at the beginning of the class. Create space for student thinking and discussion.KSSR requires students to think critically and able to do reasoning skills. Hence, teacher should be able to spark the students thinking through questioning, brainstorming and discussion. Be prepared to push that student thinking further.Students must have an opportunity to apply their thinking independently. This should be part of the lesson and can be whole-group, mini-group, or individual work. Make time for reflection.Encourage students to make reflection at the end of the class. Reflection can be accompanied with moral values and to make the lesson become more meaningful.

2. Instruction

Instead of just lecturing in the classroom, teachers are facilitators of learning, providing students with the information and tools they need to master a subject. At times, teachers act like tutors, working with small groups of students or individual students within the classroom or after class. Teachers also play the role of evaluators, constantly assessing students' abilities through formal and informal assessments, providing suggestions for improvement and assigning grades. In the KSSR, teachers are encouraged to become facilitator in a student-centered class. According to Harmer, J. (2007), the term facilitator is used by many authors to describe a particular kind of teacher, one who is democratic (where the teacher shares some of the leadership with the students) rather than autocratic (where the teacher is in control of everything that goes on in the classroom), and one who fosters learner autonomy (where students not only learn on their own, but also take responsibility for that learning) through the use of group work and pair work and by acting as more of a resource than a transmitter of knowledge. Harmer, J. also states that it makes more sense to describe different teacher roles in more detail and say what they are useful for, rather than make value judgments about their effectiveness in terms of their facilitator credentials.The curriculum wants to avoid chalk and talk method and the traditional way of teaching. The National Philosophy of Education stated that: Education in Malaysia is a continuous effort towards enhancing potentials of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner in order to create individuals who are well-equipped intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. This effort aims to produce knowledgeable, ethical and responsible Malaysian citizens who are can contribute towards the harmony and prosperity of the community and nation.In order to realize the statement above, teacher should make his instructions in class to be better, meaningful, attractive, fun and enjoyable. An interactive teacher is by definition one that is fully aware of the group dynamics of a classroom. As Drnyei and Murphey (2003) explained, the success of classroom learning is very much dependent on how students relate to each other, what the classroom environment is, how effectively students cooperate and communicate with each other, and what roles the teacher and learners play.3. Teacher-Students Relationship

Teachers must be leaders in the classroom and in the school, earning the respect of students and setting a positive example. They must be disciplinarians, doling out fair and consistent punishments to students who break the rules. At the same time, teachers must show care and concern for students. A teacher has the power to build up or tear down a student's self-esteem and make a student's day or ruin it in an instant. When interacting with students, a teacher must fill the role of a counsellor, a surrogate parent, a nutritionist and someone who has the best interests of every child at heart. With a strong bond between teacher and students, the learning process will become much easier to do. Students are the ones who need support when learning a new skill or piece of information.

A teacher must act as the support person when the student needs this help. Support can come in many forms such as a coach, leader and even a counsellor. In professional circles, a teacher may even have to support other teachers leading a particular subject matter. Serving as a mentor for novice teachers is a common role for teacher. Mentors serve as role models; acclimate new teachers to a new school; and advise new teachers about instruction, curriculum, procedure, practices, and politics. Being a mentor takes a great deal of time and expertise and makes a significant contribution to the development of a new professional.

If teacher follow these three basic steps, then he or she can be an agent of change in a classroom. Apart from this steps, to be an agent of change in school, a teacher must play different roles. These roles will not only help teacher to become an agent of change, but also contributing in implementing KSSR and thus realizing the Malaysian Education Blueprint(PPPM). The roles are:Controller:The teacher is in complete charge of the class, what students do, what they say and how they say it. The teacher assumes this role when new language is being introduced and accurate reproduction and drilling techniques are needed.Prompter:The teacher encourages students to participate and makes suggestions about how students may proceed in an activity. The teacher should be helping students only when necessary.

Resource:The teacher is a kind of walking resource centre and ready to offer help if needed or providing students with whatever language they lack when performing communicative activities. The teacher must make her/himself available so that students can consult her/him when they wish.Assessor:The teacher assumes this role to see how well students are performing or how well they performed. Feedback and correction is organized and carried out.Organizer:Perhaps the most difficult and important role the teacher has to play. The success of many activities depends on good organization and on the students knowing exactly what they are to do. Giving instructions is vital in this role as well as setting up activities.Participant:This role improves the atmosphere in the class when the teacher takes part in an activity. However, the teacher takes a risk of dominating the activity when performing it.Tutor: The teacher acts as a coach when students are involved in project work or self-study. The teacher provides advice and guidance and helps students clarify ideas and limit tasks.

In a nut shell, it was never easy to be an agent of change in school. Teacher needs to buckle up and strive for it. If teacher able to become an agent of change, he or she will not only change the students, but rather changing the future generation at whole. Teacher can give deep impacts to students. Teacher should realize it and become a vital agent in changing the students towards a better path. Thank you.