Role of the Teacher

[JohnC]

Out of curiousity, how would you define the role of the teacher? What exactly does a teacher do that adds value to the student / teacher relationship?

[JusticeZero]

Posesses information, and passes it on to the student through correction, lesson planning, discussion, action, and the like.

[bushido_man96]

The teacher should be able to prepare structured, focused classes that enable the student to learn in a progressive, effective manner. He/she should be able to answer questions that arise concerning curriculum. I think that the students should be able to trust the teacher to guide them the right way, and should be able to view the teacher as someone who is approachable and easy to talk to.

[sensei8]

Well...I totally agree with JusticeZero and Brian...100%! Expanding the knowledge base is paramount, not awarding rank/title!!!!! This is both the role and as to how a teacher adds value to the student/teacher relationship. Be consistent and never violate the maxims that protect both the students as well as the teacher.

[BDPulver]

yup, agree with above but I will add role model in there as well.

[tallgeese]

I'd say that at it's base level, the instructor is one who, in our cases, passes on combative knowledge. That's really the extent of his responsiblity.

Now, I can't honestly say that the realtionship ends there. I've had an insturctor or two that have had a profound impact on my life. One certainly that changed it's course and they both remain very good friends to this day.

But all that is an outgrowth of the first.

[JohnC]

Thanks for the responses. Based upon them,

Should the teacher be expected to develop content and / or customize (select / format / change) content based upon course goals, or should the teacher only teach the curriculum set out and approved by the organization?

When the teacher prepares classes, should the teacher customize the lesson plans based upon what the student wants to learn or what the teacher wants to teach (assuming they are not the same)? A different way of saying might be: if the student trusts the teacher to guide him / her to the right way, shouldn't the student's goals be considered / added to the selection of content / its presentation and sequencing?

Should the teacher be expected to not only have a broad and deep understanding of the subject, but also to have the same level of understanding of teaching / training / coaching theory (i.e. good practitioners don't necessarily make good teachers, and vice versa)? If so, should the teacher be tasked with using that knowledge to continually improve HOW the subject is taught?

[JusticeZero]

The teacher's goals affect what information the teacher has, and thus how the subject is taught. The teacher should teach to their own interests, but tey also should help their students achieve their personal goals with training, and should support them with the material they need to do that. IE, "I'm a big forms guy, so i'm going to be doing alot of detailed forms work. You're interested in self defense, so i'm going to make sure how to break that info out and teach you a few things to run with."

[joesteph]

Should the teacher be expected to develop content and / or customize (select / format / change) content based upon course goals, or should the teacher only teach the curriculum set out and approved by the organization?

Classroom teachers have found that the more teaching conforms to an organization's desires, the more creativity goes out the window. An example can be "teaching for the test" that the organization wants, but education (all that it implies) can suffer from a narrow focus; a stilted study can result. I can see creativity being applied in the martial arts by the teacher who will prepare students for testing, but also introduce that which is not organization-directed and yet has merit. This is the "truer" teacher.

When the teacher prepares classes, should the teacher customize the lesson plans based upon what the student wants to learn or what the teacher wants to teach (assuming they are not the same)?

Now that the most recent test is over, my teacher is more open to asking us individually what we would like to work on/emphasize. It may be that two students partner up and work on something together, while others focus on something different; it may be that a good idea comes up for the class to do for a certain amount of class time.

It doesn't mean that the teacher is foregoing what s/he wants to teach/what is expected to be taught in the art, but that there's room made for student interest and even students admitting personal weaknesses to be addressed. A recent example would be that my teacher wanted to use a technique from the defense against the wrist grab in a better self-defense manner (to redirect a middle punch). I felt my partner was too stiff doing it, but to make it work smoothly for me on him, I'd have to have applied more pressure against his shoulder joint, and he is sensitive regarding joint locks. Next class, I was permitted some time at my request with a dan member, and my application noticeably improved.

[tallgeese]

I'm pretty individualistic when it comes to this, probibly having come out of a small organization really impacted how I feel about these sorts of matters to a big degree.

First up, I think the teacher can and should develop his program to his specifications. It's up to everyone to decide it they are going to be part of an umbrella organization or not, but I'd never ask an instructor to sideline his own program for the sake of an organizations guidelines. If the two cannot be made to function within one another, then perhaps it's not a good fit and the instructor should find a different group.

And, I think that if the instructor should allow for some student directed progress during the course of his learning. By focusing on certain aspects that one might be physically and mentally more successful with, one can mold a student into a much more formidable fighter.

Lastly, yes, I think that teachers should be good at passing on their system. It's one thing to be good, it's another to teach others to be good.