Unit 30 - Teacher roles

What are teacher roles?

Teachers need to behave in different ways at different stages of a lesson to manage the classroom and to successfully guide learners through the lesson. These different ways of behaving in and managing the class are called teacher roles.

Role	The teacher:
1. Planner	Prepares and reflects on the lesson before teaching, anticipates problems and selects designs and adapts materials.
2. Manager	Organizes the learning space, makes sure everything in the classroom is running smoothly and sets up rules and routines (i.e. things which are done regularly) for behaviour and interaction.
3. Monitor/ Observer	Goes around the class during individual, pair and group work activities, checking learning and providing support as necessary.
4. Facilitator	Provides opportunities for learning, helps learners to access resources and develop learner autonomy.
5. Diagnostician	Works out the causes of learners’ difficulties.
6. Language resource	Can be used by the learners for help and advice about language.
7. Assessor	Evaluates the language level and attitudes of the learners by using different means of informal and formal assessment.
8. Rapport builder	Tries to create a good relationship with and between learners.

Reference:

Spratt, M., Pulverness, A., & Williams, M. (2012). The TKT Teaching Knowledge Test Course Modules 1,2 and 3 (Vol. Second edition). United Kingdom: Cambridge English.