Education has been a part of our lives from an early age. Throughout our lifetimes it has changed in small and great ways. Education is growth. Taking what we can acquire and applying it to our lives is one of the main functions in life. Education comes from information either ourselves or someone else helps us to locate or discover. Education is possibilities, without education our possibilities, our choices are limited and so is our potential. Growing in knowledge and opportunities are interlocked with how much information we can possess and how we choose to use it. Decisions come from what we know and what we are willing to learn. Learning comes from many directions and people.
Educators are responsible for creating a positive, safe and equal learning atmosphere. They will treat each student with respect and have high expectations and use motivating, encouraging, constructive feedback to communicate those expectations. They will make students the center of the classroom and provide and/or advocate for access to education. In order to best serve students, the educator needs to have a variety of strategies, techniques, and technology, so that each student has the ability to learn. It is the educator's role to help ALL students grow individually, think for themselves, and value their unique ideas/perspectives.
Another role of thet eductor is to help ALL students learn to interact with others who are culturally, ethnically, and socially different then what they know or see. Students need to be encouraged to work together to learn and develop values such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. The educator must provide flexible and meaningful academic learning opportunities that allow students the ability to think creatively and outside of the box. These type of activities will provide the frame work for students to become intelligent creative problem-solvers who will take the skills they learned in the classroom and apply them in the real world.
The first step in fulfilling their role is to set an example. The educator should be seen as a resource and professional in all academic and social school environments. The educator will have open and honest relationship with parents, staff, and community to establish trust and better serve the students. Communication also needs to be open and honest, while also remaining compassionate, empathetic, and caring. In order to be truly be compassionate and caring, the educator must be aware of the parent's goals, dreams, and fears for their children. The educator must also have postive professional interactions and relationships with other school staff members. Teachers and school staff must work together towards meeting goals and educating students. The educator should also be involved outside the classroom with the community. It is key to changing perspectives and mindsets that involve the educational system as a whole, but especially special education. To help the students achieve outside the classroom the parents and the community need to be educated about what is going on in the current classroom, education, and how to use it at home/in the community.
The educator also needs to have an interest in the subject and/or grade level that are teaching. Which will be displayed by having energy and enthusiasm in the classroom. The role of the educator should include being understanding, in that students differ in the way they learn and interact with teachers. The educator should also know how to manage their classroom, by using motivating, encouraging, and constructive teaching strategies to communicate feedback.
Finally, each student has a role in their education. Their role is key to achieving individual academic and social goals. Their role in the class directly relates to how much they will take away from classroom experiences. The role should be to be respectful to others (students and staff), participate, listen, and retain information that will benefit their daily lives.