I wrote this here in 2008:
I believe the prime responsibility of a teacher is to convey a sense of happiness, of lightness, to their students. In my opinion, a lot of Joe Neilson’s genius lies in this quality of fun that he naturally brings to his students.
No kid wants to offer cute ideas to a grump. Teachers seem to become grumps when they think that what they are teaching is more important than whom they are teaching.
What are a few other responsibilities of teachers?
One is to back off on all the planning. How is a good story going to fly if all the creativity is limited to the teacher? The last thing kids want to hear is a one man band kind of teacher.
Another is to assure personalization, which is necessary for TPRS to work. Just keep trying until you know what it means to bring kids into the classroom process. It is not easy, but it is a responsibility. How many kids want to be ignored in class, as if they are not there?
Also, teachers must learn how to enforce the no English rules. If they don’t fulfill that responsibility, they will lose control of their class. How many kids choose to behave when the rules are not enforced with consistency?