February 5, 2015 Morning Fieldwork Experience Blog 5

What is the most important role a teacher plays?  Why?

     I think the most important role a teacher plays is building a foundation for success in students lives.  I have an idealistic perception of teachers.  I would like to think that teachers teach because they love what they do and they want their students to have a love of learning.  Teachers teach students to respect others and themselves.  They teach students about the rules of society and start building that foundation that will carry the students through the rest of their lives.  When children are young they learn so many fundamental things about life.  If there is someone there who genuinely cares about a students success then that person can achieve unbelievable things.When I spoke with some of the kindergarten and first grade teachers they told me that often times "exposure" is one of the key roles they play in a students success.  What they mean by this is that there are quite a few students who come into the school systems that haven't had exposure to literature, both reading and writing.  Many children grow up in homes where the parents don't take the time to read to their children, don't have the opportunities to do so, or lack the abilities.  When these students aren't getting that "exposure" to learning at home it makes it that much more important that they are receiving it in a school setting.
     Another important role a teacher plays is the protection of her students.  If they see that a student hasn't been eating at home and a child tells her they are hungry then the teacher can help make sure at least while they are at school that they can get two meals a day.  Teachers can look for signs of abuse and try to do what they can to get the students in a safe environment.  Sometimes, these kids come form less than ideal circumstances and school is the only place they can find kindness, experience friendships, and have people who care for them.  There is so much good that just one teacher can do and that is an idea that has endeared me to teaching.  If a student knows that someone is there for them and wants them to be happy and succeed then the sky really is the limit!