The Role of the Teacher
What are considered some of the most important roles of the teacher of an accelerated education program for the gifted students?
In one study, six principal qualities were ranked as the most essential out of a total seventy-two as the sort of values that a teacher of gifted children ought to possess. The first was that the teacher has the ability to make gifted pupils aware of the sense of social responsibility. It was considered important that the teacher encourages children to be aware of the necessity of their serving society, as well as aware of the innate worth of others. The second was that the teacher has an ability to make the classroom a welcoming environment, in which children could participate actively and with efficiency in group discussion and normal social interactions. The third was that the teacher be able to create an environment in the classroom that was conducive to the mental health and security of the students. The fourth was that the teacher has the ability to teach the children in the program the problem-solving approach to learning. It was felt important that the teacher be able to encourage the students to apply the problem-solving approach to independent study and forms of research, and ideally to use it to evaluate their own progress. The fifth necessity was believe to be a general knowledge and comprehension of the perceived social and or potential emotional difficulties that might be encountered by the gifted pupil due to his or her accelerated mental and academic development. The sixth and final quality considered most necessary for a teacher of students in an accelerated learning program for the gifted was the ability to promote a curriculum that was flexible and enriched in content as well as being individualized and therefore suited to the demands of the individual gifted student, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of setting up the stereotyped demands so common in the standard school system.
What is the role of a teacher in any classroom, whether accelerated learning-based or more traditional?
Certainly one of the most basic roles of any teacher, whether of “average” students, gifted or remedial, is his or her ability to motivate the students toward achievement. Without the ability to foster a desire for learning in the student, any teacher is doomed to fail in promoting education since unmotivated students, no matter how brilliant they may be, are not destined to succeed. Therefore it is absolutely vital that educators understand their role not only as imparters of knowledge but also as motivators; as encouragers of children in all fields in order to further engage them in the material at hand.
What can educators and administrators learn from this list of qualities, as they can apply to an accelerated learning program for students of all abilities?
What is perhaps most remarkable about these qualities is how many of them can apply to teachers of any accelerated learning program, not just a program for gifted students. Perhaps the most relevant quality, however, is the ability of teachers of an accelerated learning program to promote an enriching and flexible curriculum that does not fall prey to the traditional learning stereotypes found in most conventional classrooms. This quality is doubtless one of the most essential for a teacher to possess if any accelerated learning program is to succeed, since by its very nature the program of accelerated learning must not focus on the students as a whole but rather work to understand their individual learning strengths and create material that is engaging and inspiring no matter what the student’s perceived academic abilities.
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