Teacher Job Description & Roles and Responsibilities

A teacher is a professional who teaches, guides, and instructs students. The teacher transfers knowledge to children through academic learning and educational upbringing. He or she helps students to grow personally and intellectually. A teacher acts as a guide, mentor, and motivator for the students. A teacher helps in national development by imparting knowledge to students who are the future of the country.

Job Description of a Teacher

A teacher aims at the educational development of the children. Apart from giving academic lessons, a teacher also helps in mental and physical growth of students through engaging in extracurricular activities. The teacher uses a variety of teaching methods and techniques to ensure an effective and inclusive learning environment of the classroom.

A teacher prepares an academic curriculum and imparts all the necessary knowledge to students. The teacher maintains a supporting and affectionate environment to make education more of a life lesson than just an academic achievement. A teacher also provides feedback to students to help them understand their true potential and work on weaknesses.

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What are the Job Roles and Responsibilities of a Teacher

The roles and responsibilities of a teacher are diverse than just giving academic lessons. A teacher aims to develop a student on both personal and professional level. The key role of a teacher includes establishing a strong educational base of children and teaching him good ethics and life lessons. Here are some of the roles and responsibilities that a teacher is committed to:

Designing Curriculum: A teacher is responsible for designing a curriculum that involves all the necessary lessons to be taught in the classroom. It is a crucial role that needs to be fulfilled with utmost attention as imparting appropriate knowledge at an appropriate level is very important for the effective learning of the students.

Teaching methodologies: A teacher should use effective teaching methods to give lessons. An inclusive and interesting classroom helps the students to engage more in studies. A teacher should also introduce ways like storytelling, art, and visuals along with the latest technology to improve learning.

Mentoring and counselling: A teacher acts as a mentor and counsellor for the students. Students seek help from a teacher whenever they need advice, guidance and support in academic as well as personal life. A teacher motivates the students and helps them to navigate the challenges they face.

Analysing and Evaluation: A teacher should know how to evaluate the students and give feedback to them so that they can improve their performance. Correct evaluation and analysis of a student is very important to help them learn from their mistakes and grow.

A teacher should be committed to her ethics and motivate students through constant evaluation rather criticising poor performance of a student.

Continuous learner: A teacher not only guides a student in learning but also works on self by continuously learning and enhancing skills. A teacher can do this by attending workshops, opting for further education and even by participating in professional programmes. Learning is not only possible through professional courses but also from fellow mates and even students.

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Career Progression of Teachers

The career as a teacher may progress on various levels depending on factors like expertise and experience. The role of a teacher advances with improvement in her knowledge and managerial and leadership skills. Here are some of the common roles played by a teacher in the career path:

Entry-level Teachers: Fresh graduate students are usually hired at entry-level positions like substitute teachers, assistant teachers or full-time teachers to lower grades. Their roles and responsibilities may remain the same as senior teachers except for taking managerial decisions. They generally work on the implementation of strategies made by the senior teachers or HODs.

High-school Teachers: After gaining experience with classroom management skills and advanced knowledge of their subjects, primary teachers are promoted to teach higher grades. They may also assist new trainee teachers and participate in activities like designing curriculum. High-school teachers usually focus on the subject of their expertise instead of teaching all the subjects to the class like a primary-school teacher.

Head Of Department: Teachers may progress to become the Head Of Department of their expertised subject after gaining relevant experience and leadership skills. They are then responsible for all the plans and strategies being built regarding their subject or department. The HODs manage a team of teachers under them.

Principal: A teacher after possessing great experience and managerial skills is often promoted to the post of principal. He or she is responsible for managing operations of the entire school. The principal ensures a positive learning environment in the school, supports teachers and shapes the academic experience of students.

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Qualifications Required to Become a Teacher

Qualifications of a teacher involve several dimensions. While the minimum requirements include completing 10+2 from a recognised board, graduation in any discipline which can be followed by masters, PhDs and professional examinations. Here is a list of some common entrance examinations, UG and PG courses along with professional courses that a teacher might pursue:

Bachelor Programmes:

• B.A. (Bachelor of Arts)
• B.Sc (Bachelor of Science)
• B.Com. (Bachelor of Commerce)
• B.Tech. (Bachelor of Technology)

Professional examinations:

• CTET
• UPTET
• APTET
• TSTET
• OSSTET

Professional Courses:

• B.El.Ed. (Bachelor of Elementary Education)
• D.El.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education)
• E.T.T. (Elementary Teacher Training)
• B.T.C. (Basic Training Certificate)

What are the Skills Required to Become a Teacher?

A teacher must have a variety of skills like great educational knowledge, good communication skills, and empathy. A teacher must also have excellent organisational skills to plan teaching strategies. A teacher must know how to adapt to changing trends in the educational sector. Here are some more skills a teacher should have:

• Problem-solving capabilities
• Communication skills
• Creativity
• Empathy
• Commitment to passion of teaching
• Classroom management

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Top Recruiters of Teachers

Teaching careers mainly attract jobs under schools and other educational institutions like coaching centres. A teacher may also work as a tutor to guide students outside the classroom. All the educational institutes require teachers in the frontline of their workforce. Here are some of the top recruiters of teachers:

• Government Schools
• Delhi Public School
• DAV Public School
• Unacademy
• Udemy

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Salary of Teachers in Popular Companies

The average salary of a teacher in India ranges between Rs. 0.5 Lakhs to Rs. 5.5 Lakhs. It depends on various factors like experience, expertise and size and location of the institution. Here is a list of salary of top recruiters in India:

Conclusion

A teacher is a professional who teaches, guides, motivates and evaluates students for their academic and personal development. He or she is responsible for strengthening the roots of knowledge and intelligence to develop a strong future for children. A Teacher should be passionate and committed to their work for effective teaching and learning. A career as a teacher attracts a good reputation and a decent salary.