Эссе «If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it»

Эссе

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it

I came to teach,

To see what I could find . . .

Different people have different ideas about teaching and teachers. They think, some teaсhers are helpful and understanding, others are overly demanding and unсompromising. Some give you invaluable life lessons, and others do more harm than good. And yet, even the latter ones faсilitate your learning process, albeit in their own сonvoluted way. Teachers are supposed to help us learn certain subjects, but they often do more than that. They give us an idea of what the real world would be like. They prepare us for the big life. Good teachers do that consciously, while bad teachers do that involuntarily. I always think about it not to make any mistakes in my job.

In my opinion, not every person who wants to be a teacher should be a teacher. Some people list teaching as one of easiest professions, they often thing to change their own professions with teaching profession. These people think that the process of teaching is very easy, with no difficulties and they think that teachers do not have a lot of things to do, but for sure it's not true.

I asked my students and fellow teachers to list the qualities of a good teacher of English. Those who were involved in the informal brainstorming sessions had listed a number of characteristics an English language teacher should have. Students’ desire of a good teacher: imagination, independent thinking, innovativeness, interaction, interdependence, imagination.

I would like to be a teacher that inspires students to love learning, explore new fields of study, and miss the school, not the other one who does just the opposite. Of course I would like to be defined as a good teacher, and as a good teacher I would like let my students know that I am the one who pushes them to do their best and at the same time I'll try to make learning interesting as well as creative. I would like my students to be open with me, to discuss things with me. I'll be there to help them. I would like to encourage my students to be not just good students, but to be good people too. I don't want them to be good memorizers of texts. I want them to learn and be able to apply what they learned, not just to pass the tests. I don't want to stop teaching when the bell rings. I am going to hold extra sessions for them if it is necessary. Some students need extra attention. I'll take my job seriously because one day I would like to be proud with my students. Expect these things good teachers should know well how to talk to their students.

Of course, we cannot expect the student to be motivated if we are not motivated ourselves. If we want to stay in front of a motivated class we have to be motivated on our own. There is a psychological law which describes that we adapt our mood to the environment. So if there stayed a bored teacher in front of me I would not be motivated as a student as well. As a teacher we have to be motivated in teaching English. But what if we are not motivated? What if we have a lot of problems with our class? I would say that motivation is not something you can fake over a longer period. Either you are or you are not. If you do not like to teach English then you should probably change your job. If you had problems with your class then you should work on it. Face the problem, talk to your class or set up rules.

There are so many things that could influence the student’s motivation. On one hand, there are some aspects we cannot chance. On the other hand, we can do something to change the students’ motivation; by paying attention on positive feedback, difficulty and the topic of the task, we can change the motivation of the class. It is important not to take all things personally as a teacher. Students are in a difficult age and we have to live with it. The most important thing is, that we like English and that we feel good by teaching students new things. Many teachers base their lessons on a mixture of methods and approaches to meet the different needs of learners and the different aims of lessons or courses. Factors in deciding how to teach include the age and experience of learners, lesson and course objectives, expectations and resources.

I will organize the class and the time in that way that my role to be just as an assistant, I'll just give instructions to students in the beginning and then I'll let them work in groups or other methods, but I'll assist them every time they need my help. So by this I think they will be more independent. Another important point is the way we organize our lectures. We have to choose different styles of teaching. Teachers especially at elementary level, need to be very creative with their teaching style, because not every child learns the same way, nor are they interested in same things.

It is good to know that there is a child that adores and loves you. And I'll be more satisfied when I'll know that they are learning things from me. I do not like to be adorable from my students just because I'm their teacher, but I would like them to value my work. I think that I have sufficient reasons to become a teacher. I hope one day to be the most successful teacher. Above all, I take it upon myself to create a morally-upright individual who can be relied upon to take our nation to the next level.

I want to finish my essay with wonderful words of A.P.J.Abdul Kalam «Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me».