The duties of a teacher extend much further beyond standing at the front of a classroom and delivering lessons.
Behind the scenes, a lot of work goes into planning and preparing for lessons and providing additional support to students.
A good teacher may also make a positive impact on students, often becoming a source of inspiration and motivation.
If you’re considering a career in teaching, then you should first find out a little more about the role and responsibilities of a teacher to ensure that this career path is a good fit for you.
The role of a teacher
Teachers use a variety of teaching methods and materials to educate students about a particular subject area, providing specialist knowledge on this topic.
A good teacher will support students individually as well as providing engaging lessons that bring their subject to life, to inspire and motivate their students to do well.
The responsibilities of a teacher
Teachers put in a lot of work outside of lessons to ensure that they are providing an engaging learning environment and supporting students.
The responsibilities of a teacher will vary slightly depending on the level that they’re teaching at, the subject they’re teaching, and the educational setting that they’re teaching in.
However, some key responsibilities of a teacher include:
Planning and preparing lessons
This can include a lot of work, especially if you’re new to the role and haven’t taught the subject or students before. A good place to start when planning or preparing for a lesson is to get to know your students and their preferred learning styles and find out how much they already know about the subject. This will help to guide you when deciding the aim and objectives of each lesson and the best activities and resources to use.
Encouraging student participation
Students tend to become more engaged and learn more during lessons when participation is actively encouraged. Teachers should incorporate different techniques into lessons to help create a learning environment that encourages students to have a voice and participate.
Researching and developing new teaching materials
As well as planning lessons, teachers are required to research and source appropriate teaching materials to complement the contents of the lesson. This includes both materials that will be used during the lesson and information to take home and revise from.
Research and implementing new teaching methods
Choosing the right teaching methods is key to effective teaching. When selecting a teaching method, the factors that you should consider are:
- Class size
- Teaching objectives
- Your audience
- Subject matter
- Student’s background knowledge
Marking student work and recording performance
Teachers should keep a record of student grades so that they have some indication of what level they’re working at and the progress of their performance over time. Keeping track of student performance can also help teachers to improve their teaching by indicating which methods of teaching have been most effective and where further time and resources need to be invested.
Setting assessments and overseeing examinations
Assessments and exams monitor student performance and assess what they have learnt. Exams can prove a student’s level of competence in any given subject and also show teachers which areas students are finding most difficult to understand.
Providing learners with one-to-one support
As well as teaching full classes, teachers are also responsible for providing one-to-one support to students when required. This could involve acting as your students’ personal tutor or helping students to arrange any additional support they may require with their learning.
Open days or other events
Depending on the kind of educational organisation that you work for, you may occasionally be required to represent the organisation or your department at open days for prospective students or trade events.
Furthering your own learning and professional development
New teaching methods and techniques are being created all the time and it’s a teacher’s responsibility to stay up-to-date with the most effective resources and techniques available to help them deliver engaging lessons.
Communicating effectively with other teachers and educational organisations
Being able to communicate effectively with other teachers and educational organisations can help teachers to work together and collaborate to provide a more joined-up, engaging, and effective learning environment for students.
Administrative tasks
As with most jobs, teaching doesn’t come without admin. Some of the administrative tasks you may be required to complete regularly include:
- Printing or photocopying resources for lessons.
- Word processing documents for lessons.
- Setting up IT equipment.
- Ordering equipment and resources.
- Keeping and filing records.
This list of responsibilities is in no way exhaustive as teaching is such a multifaceted role. It’s also worth noting that there are key differences in the responsibilities of a teacher depending on whether they are teaching in a school or a higher education setting.
Level 3 teaching qualifications
Completing a level 3 teaching qualification will provide you with further knowledge about the role and responsibilities of a teacher and equip you with all the basic skills you require for the job.
What is a level 3 teaching qualification? Find out more here.
Ready to book your place on a level 3 teaching qualification? Here at Care Business Associate Training (CBAT), we offer a popular Qualsafe level 3 course in education and training.
The course is suitable for anyone who would like to work as a teacher or trainer in a higher education setting and can either be taken in-person or online in a virtual classroom.
Browse our full range of courses online or book your place on the course today by giving our team a call on 01772 816 922 or emailing admin@cba-training.co.uk.
