1.

Assignment 2- Individual Essay: The role of the teacher

in a primary classroom

Mia Rose Bucher

S00154313

To ensure students learn to their full potential what is involved in the

role of the teacher in a primary school classroom?

All different types of factors are involved in the role of a teacher

when managing a primary school classroom. The role of the teacher
is essential to ensure that students learn and gain new knowledge
to their full potential. Behaviour management is a key skill teachers
need to adapt to in order for students to perform to the best of their
ability. This also relates to how effectively the teacher manages the
classroom, creating a safe learning environment where students feel
comfortable to express their own knowledge and are able to get
assistants when required. For teachers to be able to identify a childs
learning ability and give the correct assistants, assessment is
absolutely necessary. How teachers assess their students is vital as
their future of learning is in their hands. Using effective
communication in the primary setting benefits both for the teacher
and student as it develops a good relationship as the teacher and
student can understand each other by expressing how they are
feeling in the learning environment. By having good relationships
with other teachers, students and parents allow communication to
build, enabling a problem to be solved and to work as a team to
support the learning and the future of students.

Role of the teacher in a primary classroom

There are so many aspects of teaching that need to be considered
and taken on within the professional role of being a teacher.
Teachers are required to meet the Australian professional standards,
these standards are what teachers should know and put into place
in the classroom. Under the Australian professional standards there
are three domains knowledge, practice and engagement that

Page 1.
Mia Rose Bucher
S00154313
expand on what is expected from teachers. This gives an insight of
all the areas that are important in the role of the teacher such as
having an understanding of relevant curriculum knowledge, knowing
the students and how they learn and know the content and how to
teach it. Practice allows teachers to plan and to fulfill effective
teaching and learning. It also implies teachers should create a safe,
supportive leaning environment in the classroom. It is encouraged
that the teacher demonstrates engagement with colleagues,
parents or carers and the community to help build a good network
connection in the teaching environment.

During my time on placement I came to the realization that a

teacher is just not a teacher, they take on many roles such as a
mentor, a carer, a nurse, a counselor, decorator, detective and even
a comedian. My associate teacher took on all of these roles this
allowed the students to feel comfortable to talk to the teacher if
they were upset, had a problem or were struggling with their work.
The teacher had the respect from the students and she had respect
for the students. I learnt to take on these roles and as a result the
students felt comfortable to come to me with an issue or any
questions instead of going to their regular teacher. As I was not their
regular teacher I also learned that I had to gain the students respect
and not allow them to walk all over me and give them the same
respect back. This meant managing the classroom efficiently and
professionally.

Classroom management
Classroom management involves creating a classroom environment
where the teacher sets expectations, which the students are
required to meet. A classroom that lacks structure and boundaries
can stop students from paying attention in the class as they may be
distracted or interrupted by others due to the teacher not controlling
the class as well as they could. During my placement my associate
teacher managed the class effectively as she used different
strategies to engage the students and capture their attention when
needed.
Page 2.
Mia Rose Bucher
S00154313
When teaching my lessons to the class at the start I struggled to
think of different ways to manage the classroom and get the
attention from students my associate teacher taught me different
strategies I could use to help accomplish a well manage classroom.
By implying these strategies while teaching made me feel
comfortable in the teacher role. I found some strategies would work
better than others, in some cases using a certain strategy to
manage the class would backfire. Koenig (2000) states, The
underlying problem is that sometimes the methods can both
severely damage our relations with the child and even cause further
acting out. (P. 10). When observing the strategies my associate
teacher would use I discovered positive reinforcement of good
behaviour worked in order of getting the class to settle. Instead of
the teacher yelling at the students who were not doing what they
were supposed to be doing, she would praise the students who
would be doing the right thing. The other students who were
misbehaving would then suddenly mimic the well-behaved students,
as they wanted to be praised as well. As a consequence of the
positive reinforcement this would benefit the students and teacher
as the classroom was well managed as well as the behaviour of the
students.
Behaviour management
For a teacher to be able to manage the classroom they have to be
able to manage the behaviour of students. By dealing and
understanding behaviour problems, using effective techniques and
professional advice, helps the class stay on task and allows the
classroom to operate constantly without too many interruptions. The
issues or problems that arise should be dealt with in an appropriate
manner. The teacher needs to investigate what techniques and
strategies that work best with the whole class and individual
students who may have behaviour problems. Giving the teacher a
way to be able to deal with difficult situations and manage the
behaviour of the class. Studies have shown positive reinforcement
of good behaviour has worked on students who normally misbehave
in the classroom as it is giving them the attention they are striving
for.
Page 3.
Mia Rose Bucher
S00154313
Instead of in a negative way focusing on all the wrong things they
do the teacher gives them praises on the correct and good things
they do, turning their behavior into a more of a positive thing giving
them a good attitude towards school and their learning. Fields
(2012) states, In SWPBS significant efforts are made to swing the
acknowledgement-correction balance in favour of acknowledgement
(praise and reward). (p.25). The School Wide Positive Behaviour
Support (SWPBS) believe that teachers shouldnt focus on the
inappropriate behaviour they should focus more on the appropriate
behaviour of students. For the teacher to be able to acknowledge
and teach good behaviour students then will develop and exceed in
their schoolwork. Choy, Chong, Lim, & Wong, (2013) states,
classroom and behaviour management was rated as one of the most
important characteristics of effective teachers. (p.70). I learnt very
quickly classroom and behaviour management were the things you
as a teacher had to do and put in place right from the word go in
order to achieve a successful teaching and learning environment.
While observing different teachers I noticed that the praises they
gave to the children worked in terms of getting the class to settle or
do what they were expected to do. And the teachers that focused on
the students who were not doing what they were supposed to do
struggled to manage and control the classroom. A discipline
strategy that I learnt to do when trying to get the attention from the
whole class while they were sitting on the floor was to praise the
students who were doing the right thing then they others would
then copy what they were doing as they wanted to be praised for
doing the right thing.

Discipline
To be able to manage the behaviour of students teachers need to
use suitable disciple in the classroom. If there is no discipline, there
is no structure in the classroom, as expectations would not be met.
Retaliation can occur against the teacher when discipline is given so
it is important for teachers to take on a role that makes students
feel comfortable with them but they understand that the
Page 4.
Mia Rose Bucher
S00154313
teacher is in charge. Koenig (2000) states For discipline to work in
the classroom a well-thought-out system of rules and consequences
must be in place. (p.13). A system of rules needs to cater for all
different types of students, from students who struggle with their
work, have a disability or behaviour problems because teachers
need to be mindful on how strict they need to be and what different
strategies to use when given a difficult problem. Danyluk (2012)
states, Effective discipline happens when you have a connection
with your students, they need to know your goal is to help them
achieve their potential
Although teachers need to taken on a role that may not make them
that popular in the classroom they need to let their students know
that they only have their best interest and that they are not an
enemy.

Assessment for learning

Assessing students on their learning gives insight of a students

learning progress and what level they are at. A teacher has to also
take on a role of an assessor to be able to provide advice and
feedback to students and their parents. This gives students support
and an opportunity to flourish in their learning. Masters (2013)
states, There is considerable research evidence that learning is
most likely when students are given challenging tasks just beyond
their comfort zone (p.1.). Due to the knowledge of how each
students learns and what they are capable by assessing their
learning behaviours and academic skills teachers then can give
tasks where they can develop their skills to the best of their ability.
Hattie (2013), states The aim of using assessment to help
understand where in the progression the student is such that
appropriate interventions can take place. (p.32). It is up to the
teacher to use the correct approaches in order to help their students
succeed.

Page 5.
Mia Rose Bucher
S00154313
Conclusion
The roles teachers take on are essential to help secure students
learning ability, gaining new knowledge to their full potential in the
classroom. Behaviour management is a key strategy teachers need
to adopt in order for students to accomplish set tasks to the best of
their ability. Classroom and behaviour management are the most
vital things teachers have to take on to be able to teach effectively.
A classroom that is not organized or have boundaries can prevent
students from paying attention in the class as they may be
incapable of behaving or interrupted by others due to the teacher
not having command over the class as well as they should. Teachers
need to be able to deal and understanding behaviour problems,
using effective techniques and professional advice. Using the correct
discipline in the classroom set expectations for students to meet
during the time they are as school. This helps the class stay on track
and allows the classroom to function regularly without many
interruptions.
Having the understanding of how each students learns and what
they are capable of through assessment on their learning
behaviours and academic skills teachers can give suitable tasks
where they can improve on their skills to their full capacity helping
them give a bright future ahead.
 Page 6.

Mia Rose Bucher

S00154313

References

Choy, D., Chong, S., Lim, K., & Wong, A. (2013). Beginning Teachers
Perceptions of their Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills in Teaching: A
Three Year Study. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(5), 68-
79. Retrieved from
http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2013v38n5.6

Danyluk, P. (2012). Preparing Student Teachers to Be Educators of

Children and Youth: Perspectives of Associate Teachers.
doi:10.1080/01626620.2012.729478.

Fields, B. (2012). Getting the balance right : the challenge of balancing

praise and correction for early school years children who exhibit
oppositional and defiant behaviour. Australasian Journal of Early
Childhood, 37(4), 24-28. Retrieved from
http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=194948;res=AEIPT

Hattie, J. (2013). Understanding Learning: Lessons for Learning,

teaching And research. Retrieved September 2, 2014, from
http://research.acer.edu.au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi
?article=1207&context=research_conference

Koenig, L. (2000). Smart Discipline for the Classroom: Respect and

cooperation Restored. (3rd ed.). California: Corwin Press.

Masters, G. N. (2013, October 14). Towards a growth mindset in

assessment. Retrieved September 2, 2014, from
http://research.acer.edu.au/ar_misc/17

Page 7.