An Authentic Teacher.

I think that as future teachers, the issue of authenticity is very relevant.  As I was thinking about this topic, I came to the conclusion that authenticity can be seen in many levels; it has a sort of spectrum.  A teacher with very little authenticity is the teacher who is overly nice in the classroom.  This teacher is usually very enthusiastic, bubbly, and really cares for his or her students - so much so that in fact, instead of correcting the students if one of them gets a problem wrong, the teacher will say they are correct to avoid hurting the child's feelings.  Obviously, this teacher has very little authenticity because he or she is not teaching the students anything by telling them that every answer they give is the right answer.  This teacher may come across as being an excellent teacher, very kind and comforting, when in reality, he or she is just hurting the students.  On the other hand, a teacher on the other side of the authenticity continuum is the teacher who students dread to have.  This teacher usually comes across as being harsh, and not very compassionate.  This teacher does the opposite of the teacher with little authenticity.  This teacher will not acknowledge any wrong answers, and let the students know directly that they are wrong.  A teacher such as this may come across as being too hard on students.  I think as future teachers we need to be somewhere in the middle of the authenticity spectrum.  It is important to tell our students when they are right or wrong, but it is also important to be aware of their feelings, and take them into consideration as well.  I believe that authenticity is not only something we as future teachers will have someday in the classroom, but also something that is a part of our personality today.  If someone is very fake, they are obviously not very authentic - and this can translate in the classroom.