What do you think is the most challenging role a teacher plays? Why?

Teachers have many challenging roles to play in the classroom; it's hard to pick just one.  The one that comes to mind first, is the Teacher/Parent Communicator.  It can be difficult to work with some parents throughout the year.  Making sure they understand the structure, rules and standards of your classroom could bring road blocks for parents throughout the year.  My mother-in-law was a teacher for 35 years, and when you ask her the hardest part about her job, she'll tell you that it's communicating with the parent and child, making sure everyone is on the same page.  Many parents don't want to hear that their child is struggling in class, or that they have missed multiple homework assignments.  Many parents expect teachers to bend over backwards for their child, which is impossible to do.  From a teachers point of view, each student is treated equally, and that standard must be maintained for a successful learning environment.

Another difficult role to play, is the disciplinarian.  It's a fine line, walking between "educator" and "parent" every day.  At some point, every teacher has to put their foot down, and hand out the discipline, otherwise classrooms would be chaotic.  At the same time, it's difficult to discipline someone else's child.  In my fieldwork, I have noticed that each teacher has a "Think Time" corner in their classroom.  If a child gets 3 strikes in a day, they automatically visit the Think Time desk, and a note gets recorded for the teacher, the principal, and the parent.  Not all discipline works for every student, but it's essential that in the classroom, each student receives the same reward/punishment consequence.