OP9 : "Teachers open the door. Students enter by themselves."

Ju-mi,Im Mon Jun 09 2008, 11:56

“Teachers open the door. Students enter by themselves.” It means teachers lead students to their goals helping them to achieve it by themselves, not doing everything for them.

I agree with it and it’s the true one that we have to pursue. The role of the teacher is that of facilitator and guide, not an all-knowing font of knowledge. The teacher is an empathetic coach who values the students’ development. Also students are encouraged to construct meaning through genuine interaction with other students and with the teacher. They are active participants in their own learning process having autonomy. As a result they can continue to learn what they got and studied beyond the classroom and the course.

Last year, I worked at SAS (School Age Service) in US army. I took care of children, helped them do homework and played together. One day one boy, Justin, studied math. When I taught him directly, one teacher said, “No, let him solve the question by himself. It’s much better for him. You don’t have to do everything for Justin.” At that time, I should have been facilitator or guide as I already said ahead.

In education, the genuine role of teacher is to cause students’ intrinsic motivation and active participation so that students’ inner ability and development are drawn outward.