ROLES OF A TEACHER IN ACHIEVING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AMONG NIGERIA STUDENTS


INTRODUCTION
In Nigeria today, majority of the corps members are posted to schools with the aim of passing knowledge to the students of those schools so as to ensure there is adequate improvement in our educational sector all over the country. This singular fact made me and my colleagues choose this topic for our group presentation so as to enlighten our fellow corps members here on what is expected of them in their various Places of Primary Assignment [secondary schools].

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This presentation will be limited to the primary and secondary schools as well as their respective teachers.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
TEACHER: According to the Longman English dictionary, a teacher is a person who makes teaching as his/her job. These are the people that pass knowledge from one generation to another.
STUDENT: This can be simply defined as someone that studies in an institution of leaning. While
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE is a state of being extremely good in the field of study.
In order to achieve this so called academic excellence among our students, there are some roles that need to be performed by their teachers. And such roles include but not limited to:
1. Acquiring teaching skill: The first role that needs to be performed by a potential teacher is to attend teachers college or university so as to acquire relevant skill that will be needed in performing their professional duties.
2. He must be very good at the subject he will be taking in the classroom.
3. The teacher must be fully prepared and ready to go to class and teach the students regularly.
4. Maintaining a two way communication with his students in class: Communication with students in class should be based on two directions. Teacher should always seek the opinion of the students on the topic he/she will be discussing with them instead of him/her being the only one talking in the classroom.
5. Teacher should give assignment and classwork to the students regularly. This will serve as a means of testing the level of their understanding of what you have been teaching them.
6. Establish good relationship with the students: this will enable the students to communicate freely with their teachers without fears of being reprimanded. And mind you, this should not lead to revealing of confidential information to the students.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD TEACHER
1. A good teacher must have passion for teaching.
2. A good teacher must be dedicated: He needs to be showing up every day and spending necessary time to provide his students with the best education.
3. He must be forgiving: A good teacher should try and quickly put incidence with his students or other teachers behind so as not to allow it to affect his teaching in classroom.
4. A good teacher must be joyful: This has to do with coming to class each day in a good mood and be very happy about doing his job.
5. A good teacher must be accountable: This has to do with holding yourself to the same expectations and standard as you hold your students.
6. A good teacher must be compassionate: That is recognizing that your students have problems outside of school, and making the necessary adjustment to help them through those issues.
7. A good teacher must be trustworthy: this is the ability to get other people around you to believe in you and what you are doing. A good teacher must gain the trust of both their students and the parents. Any distrust will negatively impact the classroom teaching.
8. A good teacher must possess organization and communication skills.

Written and presented by
GBADEGESIN KAZEEM Artix Mentor

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