Roles of a Teacher

The different roles of a teacher
#011010 Asako Araki
Definition
‘teaching’ means to give (someone) knowledge or to instruct or ‘train (someone).’
--the Cambridge International Dictionary of English
‘teaching’ means to ‘show somebody how to do something’ or to ‘change somebody’s ideas.’
--Longman dictionary of Contemporary English

Introduction
There are 8 different roles that teachers can adopt. They are Cotroller, Organizer, Monitor/Assessor,
Prompter, Participant, Resource, Tutor, and Observer.

1. Controller
At this time, teachers are in charge of the class and the activity as controllers.

why
to manage the students and class, and keep control.

when
announcements need to be made
order has to be restored
explanations are given
the teacher is leading a question and answer session

e.g.
controllers take the role, tell students things.
organize drills, read alou

2. Organizer
They organize students and tell them what to do, give them information, tell what they are going to do,
put them into pairs/groups, close things down etc.

why
to give instruction to students

when
get students involved, engaged and ready
give any necessary instructions such as what students should do first, next
stop the activity

e.g.
tell students how much time they have got and exactly when they should start.
Tell students how to put their.

3. Monitor/ Assessor
They offer feedback, and correction and grade students in various ways.
They just listen and then find problems that students have.

why
to allow the teachers to know where students are having problems with their learning.

when
Teachers assess when the students are able to understand something or when they can use a language
point well.

e.g.
When teachers find that students have problems with something, they point it, maybe at that time,
especially when the students are focused on accuracy, or maybe later, for example in a fluency activity.

4. Prompter
They allow students to work on their fluency. That is to say, they leave students and let them work
things out for themselves.

why
To encourage the students to think independently.

when
Students lose the thread of what is going on.

e.g.
Teachers want students to work out for themselves, so they do not tell the answer and put out students’
knowledge by using questions.

5. Participant
The teacher actually joins the students in an activity not as a teacher but also as a participant.

why
To do things better from inside instead of always having to prompt or organize from outside the group.

when
Students have discussions, role-play or group decision-making activities.

e.g.
When students have discussions or games, teachers join it not to dominate them. Teachers help
students to research.

6. Resource
Passive-- wait for students to ask
Active—giving information to teachers
Teachers do not control or prompt the students, but they help the students when they ask them.

why
Students do not need teachers much when they write something or prepare for a presentation.
However, they do not know everything so they need the teacher’s help as a resource like grammar or
vocabulary then.

when
When students need teachers’ help.

e.g.
Teachers give information, such as teaching grammar, explaining vocabulary and showing how to
write essay.

7. Tutor
A tutor combines the role of prompter and resource. It is a closer relationship than that of a controller,
and personal.

why
To give personal instruction.(not to a class)
when
It is based on individual need.

e.g.
When students are working in small groups or in pairs, teachers can go round the class, and teachers
stay with a particular groups or individual for a while and offer the sort of general guidance.

8. Observer
Teachers observe what students do so that they can give them useful group and individual information.

why
to assess learning
to give feedback
to judge the success of the different materials and activities that They take into lessons so that they can,
if necessary, make change in the future.

when
They should observe students when they have oral communicative activities.

e.g.
When we have free conversation time in Oral Communication class, teachers become observers and
listen to what students say to assess their ability, for later teaching.

Conclusion
As we saw, teachers do not play only one role, but do any of these 8 roles depending on situation and
the aim. Teachers need to think what role they have to adopt when students do something or need
their help.

The different roles of a teacher
#011010 Asako Araki
Definition
‘teaching’ means to give (someone) knowledge or to instruct or ‘train (someone)’
-----the Cambridge International Dictionary of English
‘teaching’ means to ‘show somebody how to do something’ or to ‘change somebody’s ideas’
-----Longman dictionary of Contemporary English

There are 8 teacher’s roles to teach students.
role why when e.g.
１Controller
to manage the
students and class,
and keep control.
announcements need
to be made,
explanations are given
controllers take the role, tell
students things

２Organizer
to give instruction to
students
get students involved,
engaged and ready
tell students how much time
they have got and exactly they
should start
３Monitor/
Assessor
to allow the teachers
to know where
students are having
problems with their
learning
Teachers assess when
the students are able
to understand
something or when
they can use a
language point well.

When teachers find that
students have problems with
something, they point it, maybe
at that time, especially when the
students are focused on
accuracy, or maybe later, for
example in a fluency activity.
４Prompter
to encourage the
students to think
independently

students lose the
thread of what is
going on

Teachers want students to
work out for themselves, so
they do not tell the answer and
put out students’ knowledge by
using questions.

５Participant
to do things better
from inside instead of
always having to
prompt or organize
from out side the
group
Students have
discussions, role-play
or group
decision-making
activities

When students have
discussions or games, teachers
join it not to dominate them.
６Resource
Students do not know
everything so they
need the teacher’s
help as a resource like
grammar or
vocabulary then
When students need
teachers’ help.

Teachers give information, such
as teaching grammar,
explaining vocabulary and
showing how to write essay.

７Tutor
To give personal
instruction.(not to a
class)


It is based on
individual need.

When students are working in
small groups or in pairs,
teachers can go round the class,
and teachers stay with a
particular groups or individual
for a while and offer the sort of
general guidance.
８Observer
to give feedback

They should observe
students when they
have oral
communicative
activities.

When we have free
conversation time in Oral
Communication class, teachers
become observers and listen to
what students say to assess their
ability.


Let’s check your understanding!!
Q: What’s the teacher’s main role in these situations?
1. Helping students individually with their work.
2. Walking round the class in discussion time to see how students are getting on with
the task.
3. Joining the students in a game or discussion.
4. Teaching something, or giving information.
5. Telling students how to play a game, or what to do for homework.
6. Encouraging the students to work out problems by themselves, and to suggest way
to help them do this.
7, Deciding how well the students can perform a task.
(e.g. a grammar activity or a speaking activity)
8. Telling students where to sit, how to make groups and so on.
Please answer the below chart.
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8