Teachers` Roles and Their Emotional Impact upon Students’ Learning Process

张云萍

Abstract: Teacher is an indispensable role in students` learning process. For the students, teacher is the guider and the promoter of their learning. As the development of the times and society, teachers role is also changing and the importance of teacher`s role is becoming more and more obvious. Teachers` emotionality is the teachers` taste of his or her attitude to the job and the education object; and it is one of the physical qualities of teachers. This paper studies teachers` emotional impact upon students and the matters which influent teachers` expression of the emotions toward students. In the classroom teaching, teachers` emotionality is expressed by teacher`s language, gestures, facial expressions and body languages.

Keywords: Teachers` roles； teachers` emotionality； impact一、 Introduction

1. BackgroundWhat is teacher? The answer to this question may change according to the time. In the past, the definition of a teacher is only a person who teaches students knowledge. Hanyu (in Tang Dynasty), a great author in Chinese history says “Teacher is who preaches, teaches and dispels doubt.” In 21st century, as the pushing forward of the new course reform, teachers roles also changed. “The roles of teacher have changed from initiator of knowledge and technique to promoter of meaning construction and character development; from supervisor to vindicator of students` mental health and leaning fellow; from a loyal executant of the teaching material to investigator and developer of course recourses and students` guider when using the course recourses (Yuan Caichu 2004;4)”. However, no matter how it changes, teacher is forever a very important role in the teaching activities. He or she has the closest relationship with students in the teaching process and impacts the students greatly. Being a student for almost 16 years, I have the deep and true feeling for that. It is common to see students become interested in a subject because of a teacher they like; in contrast, some may lose the interest for that the teacher cannot attract them. This phenomenon may sound stupid, because as a student, the main task is to learn knowledge. However, view from the teachers point; it is worthwhile for us to study on the phenomenon. What is the reason for that? It seems that well-learned and professional knowledge are not enough for the teacher in classroom teaching. Teachers` roles do have great impact on students` learning process; and their emotional presentation in class dramatically affects students` learning.

2. Necessities Being a student for more than 16 years, I have many teachers. Some I have already forgotten, but some I always remember. Coincidently, for the teachers I still remember, I did very well in the subjects they taught. This phenomenon widely exists among the students. Students don`t always learn well under a well-learned teacher; but students may make progress in a subject because of a teacher they like. It seems to me that besides the professional knowledge, teacher should have more things to help their teaching and to enrich the teachers` roles. So, this paper will try to find out the factors which influence teachers` teaching effect and give suggestions about how to use these factors efficiently.

3. Significance Nowadays, schools compare with each other only by students` marks in the examination and the rate of entering higher school. Most teachers are still examination-oriented. The only aim in their class is to make the students get the high scores and the other aspects, like students` interests are not considered. In this system, teacher is just an emotionless machine whose only function is to export knowledge. Students are tied of this learning mode. They feel boring and are lacking of the passion for study. How to activate them and make them “work”? This is teachers task. The emotion of the teacher in the teaching process will affect the students profoundly. Thus, the study of the teachers` emotional impact has much significance.

①“Further improvement of teaching theory system (Zhao Yuying).” Teacher plays an important role in the teaching activities. More and more specialists and scholars become aware of that and pay more attention to the study of teacher, though it still needs to be enriched. The study of this paper can be a complimentary to the study of teaching theory. ②“Raise teachers` understanding about the importance of auto emotion (Zhao Yuying).” In spite that most teachers become conscious about the importance of emotional affect in the teaching process, they seldom carry it out in teaching practice. ③“Promote teachers` pursue of the unification of science and art in teaching, and optimize the teaching result (Zhao Yuying).” Teaching is an art. If a teacher can “perform” well in the classroom teaching with scientific methods, the result will absolutely be good. Emotional presentation is a pivotal part in the “performance”. It can mobilize students` emotion and thus enhance the study efficiency. ④“Provide a basis for the training of teachers (Zhao Yuying).” The traditional training for the teachers focus mainly on the training of professional knowledge and teaching skills, while the training of teachers` emotion is neglected. The study of this paper will try to find out the tremendous significance of teachers emotional impact on students` learning process and offer guidelines for the training of teacher.

The teachers` emotional teaching has many obvious effects: ①“ Raise students` attention.” A steady attention will promote students` learning efficiency. ②“Increase students` interests in study.” “Interest is the best teacher.” Teachers ` emotional presentation will in a certain degree arouse students` interests. With the help of other teaching methods, students` interests will be transformed into the promotion for study.③“ Help the students to get a better understanding of the teaching content.” If the students can identify with the teacher, they will easily follow the teachers` steps. ④“Arouse the students to joint in the class actively.” In the traditional class, teacher is the leading role; But as the pushing forward of the new course reform, students become the center of the class, and the teaching mode is becoming an interactive one. ⑤ “Promote the relationship between teacher and students.” A harmonious relationship will help the teacher to teach freely and the students will also learn more attentively. ⑥ “ Make the students love the subject.” Many facts and teaching experiences showed that if a student like the teacher, he or she will like the subject the teacher teaches. ⑦ “ Students will gain a permanent motive for study.” If the student accepts the teacher, he or she will form a steady interest in the subject the teacher teaches.⑧ “Improve students` performance.” If the student is interested in the subject, his or her scores in the subject will be higher naturally

4. Organization This paper has five parts. The first part is introduction, which consists of the background of the study, the purpose and significances of the study. The second part is literature review. In this part some elementary terms and concepts will be presented. What has been done in this aspect and some experts theory will also be showed in this part. The third part is the investigation. In this part, the problem - what is the teacher expected to be like, will be investigated. In the fourth part, the ways of how to use emotional impact to affect students` study will be analyzed. The last part is a conclusion about the whole paper. The limitation of the study and some suggestions for future study will be stated.

二、 Investigation

This paper studies the teachers` roles and their emotional impact on students` learning process mainly through dramatic number of works and materials; through summarizing existing theories and thoughts to get the recognition to the function of teachers` emotion and the emotional teaching. In order to get a clearer concept of the function of teachers` emotional presentation in teaching activities, this paper conducted a sampled questionnaire survey.

1. Sample of the study Objects:

Teachers: gender, age, age of teaching, academic qualification, subject

Students: gender, grade,

2. The facility of the studyThis paper cited the questionnaires of “Investigation of teachers` emotional expression in classroom teaching (for teachers)” and “Investigation of teachers` emotional expression in classroom teaching (for students)”.

3. Study procedure First, in order to know more deeply about teachers` emotional impact upon students and its effect in the classroom teaching, the study widely consults some related literatures and theories. Then use the questionnaires to investigate more particularly about the factors which influence teachers` emotionality presentation. At last, the investigator analyzes the data from the questionnaires.

4. Analyses for the result of the investigation

The factors which influence teachers` emotional presentation:

Teachers` personal habit is an important factor in emotional presentation. These habits are formed gradually in the process of teaching. Here habit may also refer to peoples nature.

The preparation for the class. A good preparation of the lesson will lead teachers to present their emotion actively. They will feel more confident.

The mood of the teacher. Mood can influence peoples actions. Good mood will certainly promote the working efficiency. If the teacher has a good mood, students will absolutely feel happy in the learning process.

Teachers` state of health. If the teacher doesnt feel good, he cannot work well. Bad health may also influence the teachers mood, voice and body languages.

Student is also an influential factor in teachers` emotional presentation. Their state of listening can influence the teacher greatly. If a student dose not listen to the teacher carefully or even dose other things in class, the teachers enthusiasm in class will be weaken.

The circumstance of the classroom is an objective influence to teachers` emotional presentation. A pleasant and neat classroom will give teacher good mood. It has some invisible but important impact on the teacher and students.

三、 The ways of using emotional impact to affect students

As a teacher, we should not only “play” the role of teacher, but also control, arrange and use our emotion. Teachers` emotion is also a teaching strategy. Its function is as important as language teaching. Judging and recognizing students` emotion state is also a task for teachers in the emotional teaching. Emotion can be communicated and conducted. Only by knowing the emotions of the students clearly and correctly, can the teacher react efficiently. Touch the students with emotion; let the students follow teachers` emotion. When the students identify with teachers` emotion, it will be much easy for them to understand the teaching content. Stimulate students` emotion and lead it to a more beneficial situation.

The internal personality force of a teacher exerts a subtle influence on students. The internal personality force includes being devoted, optimistic, confident and intelligent. “Teachers` personality is everything in teaching (Worsens).”

Teachers` emotions in classroom teaching express through language, facial expressions, and body language and so on. Language is the most basic way to deliver information; and language is in the form of intonation, speed and volume. Teachers` intonation in classroom teaching should be rich in variations. As the different presentations of emotion, teachers should speak with rising and falling pitch so that the students` emotion will be aroused. Speaking speed in the teaching process should change according to the situation. The normal speed in classroom teaching should be 200 to 250 words per hour. The volume should be controlled in a right degree, so that all the students can hear the teacher easily. Teachers` facial expression in class mainly lays in smile and exchanging in eyesight. Smile represents the teachers` good emotion. It can make the students feel sweet and friendly; thus students will feel like to get close to the teacher. “Eyes are the represent of ones mind.” The process of exchanging eyesight is also a process of delivering teaching information. So the eyesight of the teacher is an important way to communicate with students. Body language is a complement of oral language. It is also the expression of emotions. The use of body language can enrich the liveliness in class. The gesture of the hands is the most vivid body language. Students may get a better understanding through the gesture of hands than a sentence. Walking is also a necessary part in body languages. Teachers` walking in the classroom can catch students` attention and arouse their emotions. The distance between teacher and students in class has magic power. Distance can show teachers` emotion to the students. The right distance can affect the communication between teacher and students,

四、Conclusion

Teacher plays an important role in the classroom teaching, and his or her emotionality in teaching process is a powerful matter which influences students` learning. However, teachers` emotional presentation in class is as hurtful as healthful. We should take hold of the best to server our teaching. Emotion is closely related to psychology. Though many educators and scholars have become conscious about it, scientific study and theories are still lacking in this area.

1. LimitationsAs the psychologist of Denmark C.G, Lang (C.G, Lang; 1914) says “The status of emotion in psychology is like the Cinderella … if we try to collect the works about emotion, we will get a woefully inadequate number.” The lack of the study in teachers` emotion is a limitation of this paper. There is no scientific and systemic study in this area. Another difficulty is that emotion can be influenced by the circumstances, even if the teacher can successfully control his or her emotion, it cannot be voided that the process will be interrupted by objective factors. So, how to create a suitable circumstance to reduce the adverse condition for the teacher is still an area which needs to be further exploited. The third limitation is the limitation of the objects. So this study needs further perfection.

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