The Teacher As A Leader And Mentor

Teachers have great influence on the students they see each day. The responsibilities and the associated influence are great and involve such things as grades, ethics, fostering learning, mentoring, and other facets of student’s lives. Students ask that teachers have character, competence and compassion in dealing with everyday classroom situations. They expect to be treated as adults, and to be respected as they respect the teachers. This relationship, based upon respect, places the teacher in a position of power, and with this power comes the responsibility to exercise the power fairly. Inherent in this discussion is the fact that teachers are now leaders and mentors of their students. Some would say that this is not the place of a teacher at the University; others understand that this is a natural extension of the position called teacher. It is necessary for teachers to establish standards, standards used in assessment of both the course and the students. It is important that teachers make the classroom a place that provides the optimum learning environment. To some the responsibilities of the job of teacher are already overwhelming. This paper will address aspects of the teacher as a leader, the teacher as a mentor, and the teacher in the role of friend and counselor when necessary. It is important that teachers determine who they are as teachers and where they are going as they develop the skills of students necessary for success in the professional world. Teachers are in fact the leaders that students meet today so that they may prepare themselves for employment in their future. Although some believe that this influence is excessive, it is in fact real. How teachers teach students to survive in college will help them survive after graduation.