How many hats can one teacher wear?

There are few other professions where a person is required to wear as many hats as is in teaching. A teacher's responsibilities can appear straightforward from an outside perspective: take attendance, instruct lessons, grade work. What many people do not consider is that school is where students spend the majority of the hours in their day for most of the year. This means that a big part of their learning, socializing and personal development takes place under the watchful eye of their teachers. So, while teachers are taking attendance, instructing lessons and grading work, they are also observing their students moods, feelings, interactions, friendships and personalities. The way a student walks into the room at the beginning of the day can speak volumes to a teacher on how that particular student is feeling. 

For this reason, teachers wear many different hats over the course of a school day in order to provide the support and care that their students require. Here are a few examples:

1) Educator. The obvious hat is the one in which a teacher was hired for: education. Teachers must be familiar with their subject areas, as well as many ways to differentiate their teaching in order to reach all of their students.

2) Role model. Students often imitate or mimic the way their teachers speak, interact with others and the lifestyle choices they make. Teachers are always mindful of what they say or do around their students because they know their students are always listening and watching. Teachers have the ability to enlighten their students about positive habits and good choices.

3) Counsellor. While most schools have counsellors accessible or on site, teachers often wear this hat for every day occurrences like hurt feelings, mood swings or recess squabbles. More often than not, a teacher can cure a bad mood by checking in with a student who appears troubled. All children want to know is that they are loved and wanted, so a smile and kind words are often all that is needed.

4) Coach & Cheerleader. Teachers coach their students in academics, the arts or in sports. They help their students learn strategies to improve, cheer them on and encourage them to be confident and bolder in what they do. 

Teachers are uniquely qualified to identify when their students are happy, angry, scared, sad, shy, jealous or worried. And, more often than not, students will go to their teachers to express these emotions because they identity that their teachers are there to listen and care for them. Wearing these hats allows teachers to be effective both as educators and as caring adults.