The Great Teacher
It cannot be denied that the teacher is the center of learning and teaching proses.Hence, a teacher does not only teach the students but also builds up students’ motivation and becomes figure for the students. I have discussed with my colleagues in Kuningan University and jumped into conclusion that we need a teacher who can teach us both professionally and inspiringly. The school is indeed flooded with teachers who have qualifications but the ways they present their knowledge into practice become the subject of this discussion. First of all, we must know the traits that the great teacher should possess.
Gerald Grow, the division of journalism Florida A&M University wrote:
To a mind of flint, a teacher must be iron, and strike sparks. To the empty pitcher, a teacher becomes a well. To the fallow mind, a planter of seeds. To the cluttered mind, a gardener to weed, shape, and clear a space for growing. To the lens, a teacher is light, and to the mind of light, a lens. To the sleeper, a teacher is the wake-up call of birds at sunrise. To clay, a teacher is potter, sculptor, and trainer in self-shaping. To the wanderer, a teacher is a knowing guide. To the developed mind, a teacher is colleague, listener, friend. To all, a teacher is a mirror that shows not only the shapes but the path and its choices, the task and its demands, the difficulties, the joys. To all and from all, a teacher is a learner, a person, and a prism through which the ordinary reveals itself to be miraculous.
I, in no uncertain term, agree with Gerald Grow. Unfortunately, as I take a considerate look at the real fact, the real situation is really different with his statement. Based on my experience and my respondents’ experiences, we still have lack of teachers who possess the same traits as Gerald Grow stated in his statement.
Who is the great teacher? Before we answer this question, we must know what the word ‘great’ means. The word ‘great’ can have quite a few interpretations. For the purpose of the essay, it is assumed that ‘great’ here means ‘effective’-that is, a teacher can impart his knowledge and whatever other values it is his responsibility to spread to his charges. Based on research conducted, some traits are revealed by respondents about what traits that the great teacher should possess.
Firstly, the great teacher masters the materials. As its own purpose that the aim of teaching is to create faithful, pious and virtuous human, strong, independent, competent, intelligent, discipline, hard working, professional, responsible, productive, progressive and health both in physical and spiritual, a teacher must know his profession thoroughly. He must know his subject far beyond the point he intends to teach. He needs to be an expert. For example, if he is teaching literature, he should know all the plays of Shakespeare or at least most of them, rather than just the play he is teaching. He can then make cross references and answer all the questions that arise in the minds of his students.
Secondly, the great teacher communicates effectively with the students. Effective communication will be the right way for a teacher interacts with the students. Communication both directly and indirectly in a proactive, positive, and respectfully assertive fashion with those whose support and goodwill is essential to the teaching success, even when the information that must communicate isunpleasant and difficult.The students are generally more receptive and cooperative when they are approached in a courteous, begin your communication with them as positively as possible. Starting positively is especially helpful when you know that a discussion will eventually cover some difficult and unpleasant topics.
Thirdly, the great teacher masters teaching methods.Teaching methods, in that the way a teacher transfers knowledge to the students are important to have.Only knowing his subject is of no use if he does not knowhow, or does not bother to, to teach it most effectively to his students. Though it is true that students should take the responsibility for their own learning, it would be dull and boring to learn from a teacher who does not present his subject in an interesting manner. It is the teacher’s duty to promote love of his subject among his students. This he will do by first of all loving the subject himself. His enthusiasm and love for his subject will catch on with his students and if they learn to love a subject, they can learn it better. A bad teacher, usually by his lack of enthusiasm and interest, will cause his subject to be hated. It is for such reasons that a teacher should adopt good teaching methods instead of resorting to easier methods like just reading out of a textbook.
Fourthly, the great teacher understands children psychology.Children psychology, it means knowing the characteristics each students, is also very important to be mastered in order to create effective proses of teaching and learning due to the fact that different children develop at different rates. A teacher is to know personality each student and give right service to them. Here, to understand children psychology, what a teacher does is similar to what the servant does, they are to know what the customers want and give them the best service.
Fifthly, the great teacher builds up students’ confidence and challenges. Students’ confidence is thing that is almost forgotten. On the other hand, that is urgent for the students developing their productive skills. I have found that without confidence even the smartest student in the class, he couldn’t do anything well when his teacher asked him to deliver a speech about “The Importance of English” in front of his friends, he just trembled and spoke nothing. Consequently, what a teacher is to do is builds up students’ confidence by the challenges arousing their confidence. Ask the students to speak first and listen carefully to what they say, make supportive and empathetic comments, suggest solutions to any problems presented then end all communication on a positive note by making honest and tactful statements about the current situation. They will be challenged and by the challenges, they will be usual to be productive and grow up their confidence.
Sixthly, the great teacher builds up students’ motivation. Students are almost same with children. They are motivated learner. They indeed need motivation to develop their knowledge. Hence, in this case the great teacher is to give motivation to the students in the hope that they can build their self-motivation. It can be done both by telling your great experiencesand any other great experiences.Then, ask for what their dreams are, go on to their plan to reach the dream, help them to execute optimistically the dream and give them reward.
lastly, the great teacher is discipline and professional. As the center of teaching and learning proses, a teacher does not only give instruction but also educate the students. What a teacher does is what the students get.The biggest footprint in students’ soul will mostly come from their teacher. Therefore, being discipline and professional are the things to be planted to the students becoming good learner. Over and above teaching his subject, a teacher has the responsibility to develop the characters of the students in his life. Quite often, a teacher is a student’s role model. All of us who go through school, hero worship at least one teacher whom we would like to emulate. A teacher should always be aware of this responsibility. If by chance he were to show flexibility in ethics and morals, he is more or less giving a sanction to his charges that it is acceptable for them to be like that too. This applies to simple vices like smoking and more serious errors where the teacher fails to draw a clear line between good and bad behavior.
From time immemorial, teachers have been the pillars of society. Staying in the background, at least for most of the time, they have been indirectly responsible for the advancement of the race. Often, it is their lot to go unnoticed. But time and again, all great men and women have been unsparing in their praise of teachers. This is by far their greatest responsibility. Teachers are the one who guarantee that our tomorrows will be as good as, if not better than, our todays. By shaping characters they ensure that the world continuous to be.
*Jaruki Andriansyah
