What do we call a teacher today? Is a teacher a bridge or are they a guide? I think that they are both. To be a bridge means that they have the knowledge to get the students from point A to point B. But sometimes just being the one to fill the gap is not enough. The teacher then becomes the guide. The teacher has to guide that student across the bridge. There may be some cracks or even a hole in the bridge that the student has stumbled upon and the teacher has to help them through it. So if the teacher can be the bridge but not the guide then what good is that teacher?

And what if they don’t want to cross that bridge? What do we do then? I know that we can lead the horse to water but we can’t make it drink, but shouldn’t we as teachers at least try to get students to cross that bridge?

I think anyone can be a teacher, but I think it depends on the subject as to whether or not the teacher is a good teacher.

I think that the role of the teacher in that since is good. A lot of people don’t have the money or the time to take classes from a well known source or a school that has a lot of credential. The education that a person gets shouldn’t have to come from a school like Harvard or Yale. I think that as long as the person understands the knowledge that he/she needs in order to be successful in society today then that should be enough. If they can pass the test with high standards and get the piece of paper that says they are ready to use that knowledge to help others or start a career then it shouldn’t matter if they went to a community college. I’m sure that out there, there are people going to community colleges that are more knowledgeable than someone who is going to say Harvard or Yale.

I whole heartedly believe that the role of the teacher comes from within. You have to want to teach in order to be a good teacher. I know a lot of students who are going through the education program who I think would not be suitable to teach. They show no compassion for the students or the subjects that they are teaching. The only reason they teach is because they think that it is an easy way to get through college.

I have been tutoring math for quite some time now and, I hate to blow my own horn, but I don’t think that any of the other tutors here have gotten the praise and respect that I have. The students that I have tutored have always told me that I would make a great teacher because I am a caring person. They always came to me because the other tutors would never sit down with them and explain their mistakes and ways that they could minimize those mistakes. In the lab, we are supposed to keep track of their scores and help whenever necessary, so when a student gets a low grade on a test then I ask them if they would like for me to go over the test with them, and others don’t.

I think teaching should hold the same concepts as tutoring. The teacher should have a passion for the subject that they are teaching as well as a passion to helping the students understand and learn the subject being taught.

The relationship between teacher and learner should be based on trust and respect. Teachers are like parents. We teach, listen, and discipline children on an everyday basis. Teachers need to get to know all of their students and the students need to get to know the teacher. If the teacher knows the students well enough he/she can relate education to what the students like to do. The teacher also has to show that they want to be in the classroom or in the online course. If the teacher shows that they want to be there then it shows that they care and then the students will feel welcome and want to learn. Same goes for the students. It’s basically a give and take relationship.

The role of the teacher should be one that engages the student in learning and is there as a guide to the childs learning. Whether it is online or in the classroom the role is the same. Both the teacher and the student are responsible for the learning but the teacher should be able to get the student to want to learn. The teacher should also be able to create a friendly environment for the students. That can be done in the classroom and online. If the sites and technology that the teacher uses for the course are user friendly and do not cause anxiety for students then the environment will be friendly.