When it comes to the many different roles of a teacher, I believe the three most important roles are motivator, perceiver (real word? who knows!), and of course educator.
A teacher that can motivate their students can accomplish most anything. I think of the parable of the teacher that kept pushing his students towards the edge of a cliff, and when he pushed them over the cliff, they flew. I know that most teachers I have met recently are really bogged down in the horrendous amount of testing that the students have to go through, and I agree that all of this testing takes away from learning but it doesn't have to take away a teacher's passion.
Teachers need to be very perceptive when it comes to the feel of a classroom, and just noticing the small details. If a lesson plan is not going as expected, or if the students are struggling, they need to be able to notice this and adapt. It's also important for the safety of our students. By seeing small personality changes, or even bruises and scratches, a teacher can prevent school disasters and familial abuse.
The word "educator" is usually synonymous with "teacher." Just by being hired at a school makes you an educator, it takes a special kind of educator to be a teacher. As mentioned in the reflection instructions, a teacher is many different things. An educator covers content and comprehension, which is an important role of a successful teacher.
I'm looking forward to getting to be in and have some control over an actual classroom this semester. It's finally time to be on the other side of the desk, and I hope my students can reach all of the goals we set not only for in the classroom, but outside as well.
