Teachers serves as instructional leaders to their students. In this role, teachers are responsible for imparting knowledge. Teachers also have an obligation to motivate students and inspire them to strive to be the best they can be. Teachers, along with parents, are responsible for instilling in students skills that they will need to be successful in life. Developing a work ethic and dedication to a goal are two of the most important life skills teachers endeavor to develop in their students. However, students have the responsibility to be open to learning and to take a proactive role in their education.
Some teachers serve as coaches because they enjoy that type of activity and others serve as coaches to supplement their incomes. No matter the motivation, a coach operates in a more informal environment than the classroom teacher. Coaches have the opportunity to get a little closer to students than the classroom teacher and often form very strong ties with students. It is easier for a coach to get the student to share a common goal -- winning -- than it is for the classroom teacher to get students to see academic performance as a common goal.
Much in the same way as a coach works with a student, a club sponsor has the opportunity to establish a more informal relationship with a student. Students see club sponsors as working toward a common goal along with them, and therefore, perceive their relationship as an alliance. Club sponsors also have the opportunity to inspire students, build confidence and develop life skills. The club sponsor/student relationship and the coach/student relationship also tend to strengthen the teacher/student relationship.
Some teachers are called upon to be counselors to their students. A special relationship may develop between a teacher and a student in which the student feels that she can confide in the teacher. Sometimes it is a relationship born out of the need to confide in someone and sometimes it is the result of a serendipitous happening. A teacher may show a special interest in a student and a relationship grows from that point. Other times, a teacher provides a much-needed ear and shoulder for a student in difficult circumstances.