OP9 : The motto ; teacher opens the door. Students enter by themselves

[OP9]

A noted professor of English Education in Korea uses this motto in his email signatures: “Teachers open the door. Students enter by themselves.”

What do you think is meant by this? Do you agree or disagree with it? Use reasons and examples to support your opinion.


The sentence "Teachers open the door, Students enter by themselves" means teachers are guidence who give students right direction. They help students to understand difficult contents with easy explanation, but they cannot affect remarkable influence of student's attitude or passion for studying. However passionate teachers devoted themselves to make students study hard, everything is up to students. I totally agree with this saying. Beause Teachers are helper meaningful to the students who are eager to study harder. There aren't many things teachers can do for the students who lost their interest to study.

Actually, the students who get good grades at school are not satisfied with the contents taught in class. They want to know more about complicated topic and try to know profound knowledge of it. To that kinds of students, teachers can be a wonderful assistant for their academic success. In this case, we can say using the sentence of noted professor, teachers open the door for students. I'd like to call the door as the door toward knowledge. Teachers give extra explanation on the request of passionate students. They are always prepared to give a lecture whenever students ask for it. The people who request and demand the further information is definitely the students. This kind of process is that they enter by themselves. This is the reason why I support the professor's motto.

On the contrast, for the students who already lost their interest or need to study, teachers are nothing but incompetent assistants regardless of their teaching skills. Because those kinds of students locked their mind, so they won't accept any knowledge however teachers try to explain easily. Teachers cannot make students study for they move by their will only. This is the case that teacher already opened the door for students but students are indifferent. Like some scientist said, human has a great power that making everything they dreamed comes true. There is a book called "Secret" which explained the power of thinking positively. I think all of these examples show the importance of attitude. The same truth is appled to learning situation. Teacher has no power to control students' behavior. Of course in some cases thanks to teachers touching lesson, students could be changed in different way. However it is not common case.

In the end, teacher is a great helper whenever students are enthusiastic. Thus I support the professor's motto. Actually I was influenced a lot by an English teacher who taught me at middle school. She always helped me to understand what I couldn't understand. Of course that was done by my request. I went to teacher's room in break time or lunch time. If I didn't do that, maybe I learned less knowledge from her. Consequently, teachers can't make students intellegent. They just help them to be. After all, the one who decide to accept teachers' lecture and advance forward is a STUDENT.