A teacher’s influence on their students’ lives is undeniable. Youths are the future of the nation, who are responsible for carrying out vital duties across several domains and serving society this way or another. What influences them to do something great in life? Besides parents, whose credit is it when the youth today grow up to be beautiful human beings tomorrow? It is the teacher!
Teachers are builders of a better tomorrow. They shape the youths today and help them achieve something great in life. What does it take to be a good teacher? What are the essential qualities he possesses that are enough to influence the students? What impact is he/she capable of putting on a student’s life?
Let’s address all these questions today and discuss in detail the role of a teacher in a student’s life.
Who is a Teacher?
First of all, we need to know who is a teacher. In general, the definition of teacher goes like, a person who teaches pupils in schools, colleges, or private and imparts knowledge on specific subjects, checks the homework, and provides feedback.
Well, that’s a common definition but the term ‘teacher’ is something more than this. Being a teacher is something much more than only giving away knowledge, lectures, and attending back-to-back classes. A teacher is the one who makes a significant impact in their students’ lives. He/she inspires them to be a better version of themselves and achieve something significant in life.
Teachers educate the candidates on unique qualities like fellow feeling, brotherhood, kindness, and simplicity. Teachers never collide with the same type of students everywhere, rather the types are varied. Today they can meet someone with high ambition and readily give them suitable advice. The real challenge is meeting aimless individuals with zero seriousness and influencing them to become a better version of themselves. So a teacher’s duty isn’t restricted to attending lectures and sending notes. It is something beyond it and has a vital significance in their student’s life.
Significant Characteristics of a Teacher
Being a teacher isn’t easy and they need to deal with a lot throughout their career. Certain features mark the difference between a commoner and a great. The case with teachers isn’t an exception either. The teachers need to be the ideals of the candidates, they must look upon them with massive respect. It is only then we can make sure the students are following in their footsteps as shown by his teacher.
The following characteristic attributes make the biggest difference between a good and an outstanding teacher:
- Compassionate: Being a skilled teacher needs the person to be very compassionate not only towards the students but to his colleagues, staff, and parents.
- Passionate towards Learning: Establishing a successful teaching career, needs the teacher to be a passionate learner. He must have a supreme interest in unfolding innovative topics and always be a dedicated learner.
- In-depth Understanding Capacity: Being a teacher requires the person to have a strong understanding capacity to analyze the distinct problems faced by the students.
- Patience: Patience is the key to success in the teaching domain. The teachers need to be super patient while dealing with candidates, the school system, curriculum, and the parents and handle any issues peacefully.
- Being a Good Follower of Own Words: If the teacher is educating the students to be a good person and follow all the fine qualities, they need to be a staunch follower of the same. They need to be the ones imparting the education not just by telling but by proving it with his activities too.
- Great Communicator: Outstanding teachers are superb communicators and they can talk afresh with the students and analyze the issues they might go through. They can provide them with the support they need.
- Great at Putting Efforts: The teacher should put effort. The ones with a ‘don’t care’ attitude really can’t make it far in the teaching line. To differ from others and to stand out from the crowd, influential teachers always put extra effort into the classroom and students to help them get better.
Now that we know the qualities of a brilliant teacher, let us look at how a teacher can influence a student’s life towards something positive.
Role of a Teacher in a Student’s Life
There are many significant ways through which teachers have a remarkable impact on the student’s life. They not only are the role models but help the pupils with the right guidance to move their heads towards a better future. Let’s dive into detail and discuss.
Provide Right Guidance
Teachers evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their students and guide them to follow the best practices. They not only bring out the best from the students but teach them valuable life skills too like communication, compassion, organization, and presentation. Teachers are the ones who motivate the students to do better in every domain and help them achieve life goals. Through their guidance, the students know to differentiate between right and wrong.
- Act as Role Models
Teachers are the ultimate role models in a student’s life. In their academic life, students come across different types of teachers. A great teacher is always supportive and compassionate towards his students and appreciates their achievements in every field. They have a precious connection with the students and always encourage them to do better. Teachers are their role models who always hold a positive attitude in life and so help their students to follow the same.
- Shape the Society
Teachers are dedicated learners who can not only teach but listen to the students problems and try mentoring them to the best of their ability. Skilled teachers handle things patiently and can shape the academic goals of the youths. They rarely do it for recognition rather they follow their heart! The concept of powerful education and teaching students valuable skills are directly proportional. Teachers know the cause and contribute towards shopping for a better tomorrow.
- Change Lives for Better
Its not always the “good” students that teachers cross paths with. Rather there are many aimless pupils too who are careless about life and least bothered about academics. A brilliant teacher is equally compassionate to them and helps them change for the better. They even encourage students to be full of spirit during their lows and these are responsible to change the lives of the students for the better.
How to be a Teacher?
Becoming a teacher in India will need you to follow a particular process. Besides the qualification, you must have the qualities discussed above to be a great teacher. Even if you are low on anything, you will learn that in the process. The most common types of teachers in India are:
- Pre-primary School Teachers
- Primary School Teachers
- Secondary School Teachers
- Senior-secondary School teachers
- Special Educators
What’s important is that you are dedicated and love your work. Here’s a brief guide on how to be a teacher in India.
Step 1: First, you need to set your goal and be sure of the subject teacher you want to be.
Step 2: Bachelor’s degree is necessary to be a schoolteacher. Further, you can complete your Masters in the relevant subject too.
Step 3: Teaching the lower grade candidates like in the pre-primary or primary will require you to have a B.Ed or equivalent degree. Taking higher classes requires you to pursue M.Ed or equivalent.
Step 4: Then comes the critical phase of entrance examinations. After you are done pursuing B.Ed or M.Ed, you can sit for examinations like TET/CTET/STET. Cracking these coveted examinations will help you apply to different Indian schools with the scores.
Step 5: Last but not least! Exams were taken and cracked, schools applied and got the chance! Kick start your beautiful teaching journey with the most lovely pupils around you.
These steps are just a simplified way to understanding you path to becoming a teacher. If you are serious about becoming a teacher and want to know more about this career, then read "How to become a teacher in India".
Want to know if teaching is the right career choice for you? Then try the teacher career suitability test.
The Bottom Line
After parents, the teachers are the biggest well-wishers in any student’s life and they can cross every extent to help them succeed in life! They are one of the best human beings one will even cross paths with, so make sure to obey them always. Pupils should always consider listening to their valuable suggestions and applying them in their lives. It will change for the better. Teaching is a noble profession and takes years of hard work to be an eminent face in the domain. When students grow up to be excellent and successful human beings and take your example, thats where true success lies. I hope I am clear with my message in this blog! See you in the next one.
