TEACHER’S PROFESSION

Text 1

Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.

Teaching is a very difficult job of great responsibility and most specific character. There is a wide variety of work in teaching. A good teacher is not only a communicator of knowledge but a model of competence. He forms attitudes to his subject and attitudes to learning, becoming himself a symbol of education process, a person who is learning as well as teaching. While communicating with children a teacher studies them closely to discover their interests, their strengths and weaknesses, their needs and abilities. Thus a good teacher always regards capacities his pupils have, trying to temper his teaching methods to children’s abilities and aptitudes. He builds his work upon what he learns about his children.

An environment should be created to stimulate children to develop their abilities and satisfy their interests. “Climate” of a classroom depends on the nature of personal relationships between a teacher and his pupils. These relationships should be founded on respect for a person. Thus a primary condition of creating a good atmosphere in class is that everybody in it respects everybody in it. Teacher’s authority will be ensured by respect of his pupils, because his knowledge and skill are greater and better coordinated and his thinking is at a higher level than that of his pupils. His commands are likely to be respected and obeyed then.

It is a purpose of education to liquidate ignorance. But it is also the function of education to help children to live in the community, to prepare them for real life situations. Social development is paid just as much attention to as intellectual development. School becomes a place of work and play, of living and learning. A teacher takes an active part in shaping of a child’s character, fostering honesty, kindness, loyalty, cooperation and respect for ideals.

Quintilian, the prominent Roman school master, wrote in his work published about 95 AD the following about a teacher and his work: “Let him adopt a parental attitude to his pupils. Let him be free from vice himself. Let him be strict but not austere, kind but not too familiar: for austerity will make him unpopular while familiarity breeds contempt. He must control his temper without shutting his eyes to faults requiring correction. His instruction must be free from affection, his industry great, his demands on class continuous, but not extravagant. He must be ready to answer questions and to put them unasked to those who sit silent. In praising the answers of his pupils he must be neither grudging nor over-generous. In correcting faults he must avoid sarcasm and above all abuse to discourage industry.”

Here is an exacting job, but those who are well equipped for it will have a happy and satisfying life.

Exercise 2. Give Russian equivalents to the following:

A wide variety of work, a model of competence, to study closely, to temper methods to children’s abilities, to form an attitude, the nature of personal relationships, his command are likely to be respected and obeyed, a primary condition, to create an environment, at a higher level, to foster honesty, to shape a child’s character, familiarity breeds contempt, continuous demands on class, he must be free from vice, neither grudging, nor over-generous, above all, to adopt an attitude, to discourage industry.

Exercise 3. Give English equivalents of:

Создать хорошую атмосферу, сформировать характер ребенка, трудолюбие, хвалить, способности, уважать, первостепенное условие, открывать, ликвидировать, на высоком уровне, личные взаимоотношения, окружающая среда, уважать, контролировать себя, прививать, учитывать.

Exercise 4. Complete the following sentences from the text.

1. Teaching is …

2. Thus a good teacher always regards …

3. “Climate” of a classroom …

4. Teacher’s authority …

5. A teacher takes an active part …

6. School becomes …

Exercise 5. Explain the meaning of:

A communicator of knowledge, to temper teaching methods to children’s capacities, climate of a classroom, social development, to be free from vice, familiarity breeds contempt, neither grudging nor over-generous, those who are well equipped for this job.

Exercise 6. Combine words into sentences and translate into Russian.

1. upbringing, a, should, children’s, all, regard, of, teacher, aspects.

2. is, respect, of, necessary, part, pupils, the, teacher, and, on.

3. development, and, provided, physical, for, social, the, conditions, full, psychological, are, child’s.

4. the, regarded, teacher, generally, and, treated, as, friend, a, is

5. discover, on, school, new, a, entering, children, world.

6. with, character,, child’s, growing up, of, along, shaping, his, goes.

7. helps, a, communicate, play, peers, child, his, with, to.

8. school, attitude, a, forms, in, positive, to, pupils, labour.

Exercise 7. Answer the following questions.

1. What can you say in general about teacher’s work?

2. A teacher forms attitudes to his subject and to learning, doesn’t he?

3. What does a teacher have to regard in his job?

4. Is it necessary for a teacher to know his pupils’ abilities and aptitudes? Why?

5. Why is it important to create a good atmosphere in class?

6. What does “climate” of a classroom depend on?

7. Should personal relationships between the teacher and pupils be founded on respect or fear?

8. What do children mostly respect their teacher for?

9. When are teacher’s commands likely to be obeyed?

10. What are the chief tasks of education?

11. Which qualities does the teacher foster in children?

12. Do you think that school should become a place of living and learning?

13. When does teaching bring satisfaction and happiness?

Exercise 8. Say whether you agree with Quintilian’s words about the teacher’s work. Prove your point.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-26