I feel that the most important role of a teacher is to get to know each student individually. Get to know their likes, hates, skills, needs, styles of learning, their family life, and their dreams and goals. I feel this is the most important role in the many roles that a teacher plays because if you do no get to know your students, I mean really know them, then how can you truly help them learn and grow. Looking back now in my childhood school days, (Elementary/Junior High) I can reflect upon each one of my teachers that I had beginning with Kindergarten. I never realized before until reading more about the roles of a teacher in that article, how the teacher truly affected my learning. I realize back then it was a whole different way of teaching, again like the article said, the teachers then were given the same curriculum they taught the same exact way year after year and were not supposed to alter or change it up. I feel that many would get stuck in the robotic way of teaching, and forget the reason why they are teaching. They were just going through the motions, but not really being a part of that child's life. The classes I truly struggled in, I feel the teacher did not try to understand me as a person. The only attempt I remember most teachers doing to get to know each student was on the first day of school they gave you a paper and you were to write you interests, hobbies, birthday, favorite candy bar, how many siblings, ect. . . . but it seems like quickly after the paper was turned in there was not anything ever brought up or referenced to those answers we put down. However I did have a few teacher, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade, who truly took the time to get to know each student in their class, These teachers made a significant difference to me because I felt they truly took the time to get to know me and my family and to reach out when I was struggling and be patient and loving and supportive, and they also provided bonding activities with the class to help the classmates be kinder and show more appreciation to one another. I wasn't the smartest kid in class at all, but I felt these teacher that took the time, gave me the confidence to succeed when I felt I could not. I did well in their class because I felt they cared, as compared to the other ones that often yelled, ignored me, thought I was stupid, and never offered any help. So I feel that as a teacher, it is essential that you have compassion, empathy, and truly a love of people because with these qualities you will have the desire to really try and reach out and do all in your power to get to know each one of your students and how to best teach and inspire them to succeed.
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