Reflection Paper 10

The teacher being the gatekeeper refers to the teacher controlling the time spent during class. A teacher could be considered as “Father Time” of the class room. Everything that goes on during a class period is controlled by the teacher; the amount of time teaching, asking and answering questions, activities etc. It is an extremely important role for the teacher to have and also very critical. For example, after the lesson a teacher usually asks are there any questions? A number of hands fly into the air waiting to be called upon. The instructor knows that sometimes not all of the questions the students have could be answered within the time limit. In that case some of the students might feel hurt or neglected which could cause the said students to feel less inclined to participate or have a negative outlook for the next class. Time management is very important but so are the students, if that were to happen the teacher could simply say write down your question and ask it in the next session to make sure the students who weren’t called on don’t feel like they are being ignored. The “gatekeeper” also controls the amount of time each student has for speaking and who does the speaking. A teacher shouldn’t cut the speaker off too soon or let them continue on for too long but those, as gatekeepers, control that time. I think the gatekeeper should manage time to what is important but also to the students. Some teachers spend most of the class time talking and don’t have enough time to listen to their students or they chose not to. In some classes teachers expect the students to sit and listen not to participate or ask any questions. I believe that is wrong. The gatekeeper manages time for a reason and that is to cater to the lesson but also the students as well. Time should be made for asking and answering questions if possible because not all pupils are able to comprehend right away and might need clarification. The cause of not managing time properly as the gatekeeper could result in poor performance, backlash, etc. It is important that there is communication in both directions between teachers and student, to make learning more efficient and to benefit as well as satisfy both parties.