Though we talk often about learners and their roles, it’s just as important to pay attention to the teachers themselves. According to Hoyle’s and Harmer’s lists, there are a number of roles ascribed to the teacher in a general educational setting:

• A representative of society (teachers morals)
• A judge (gives marks)
• A resource (conveys knowledge)
• A helper (provides guidance for student difficulties)
• A referee (resolves conflicts)
• A detective (catches rule breakers)
• An object of identification (has traits that students imitate)
• A limiter of anxiety (helps students with impulses)
• An ego-supporter (helps with students’ self-confidence)
• A group leader (establishes group climate
• A parents surrogate (acts as object of bids for attention)

Knowing one’s role can be very motivational as a teacher, which is why it’s important to be familiar with these kinds of lists.

Source: Peter Medgyes, “Teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches”, The Non-Native Teacher