Until recently, I used these two words interchangeably to describe part of what I do for a living. For some reason, using the word teacher never sat well with me. Im not entirely sure why. Maybe hearing the word, brought up old feelings of being a young student along with all the memories associated. For me, when I hear the word teacher certain negative associations come up such as being instructed to, directed, restricted, mainstreamed, streamlined. All of which are important actions needed to achieve an educational objective. However, surely there are better ways to bring out the best in students?
Now that I find myself in the educational framework, I knew I had to take a moment to reflect how I view myself professionally. What I do know, is that I did not identify with someone who strictly instructs & directs.
whats the difference between teacher & educator ?
The teacher can be described as –
“one who teaches, especially one whose occupation is to instruct”. The typical teacher shows up daily, instructs the student from a given syllabus & relays the information accordingly”.
However, the educator goes slightly further than this. They establish relationships with their students, building a rapport with each of them in an effort to establish mutual & respectful friendships. They begin to understand the students personality, identifying their strengths & weaknesses – not just academically but personally, psychologically. An educator is able to adapt his or her approach to each student. Inadvertently, these efforts have the power to create an internal drive, a get up & do it attitude, motivating the student to want to learn & do well.
I like to identify myself as the educator – someone who goes that bit further – someone that truly enjoys learning how to make students find their own personal desire to be better.
How are we to inspire & encourage our youth, if we fail to find ways to connect ?