Teacher vs Educator – Which One Are You?

The question doesn’t often really make the topic of conversation whether there is a difference between being a teacher or an educator, since the terms mean exactly the same for the common folk. It would however, be safe to say that teachers themselves don’t really know the difference, since the main objective these days is to stand in front of a classroom, teach/educate, or be eaten alive by the 21^st century wisecracks that know more about technology at the age of 2 than we will ever know during our life expectancy of at least 72.

Let’s go back to the books and first define these two terms: an educator is a person who teaches, informs or inspires others, while a teacher is someone who helps others learn new things. When looking at these definitions, there is not a mind-altering difference between the two, is there?

But think about it this way – how often do we meet people who leave a lasting impression? How many of those people have spent time helping to sculpt us into the people we are today? If we have to redefine, a teacher is someone who shows up for a teaching job every day. He or she knows the content and likely teaching like a job. Whereas an educator is one of those people who goes farther than what is expected. It’s the teacher who makes relationships with students more important than the content, but because of those relationships, the content comes alive.

Educator and teacher are two words that are often interchanged wrongly. There is some difference between the two words for that matter. The word ‘educator’ is used in the sense of ‘mentor’. On the other hand, the word ‘teacher’ is used in the sense of ‘trainer’ or ‘preceptor’. In fact, the word ‘educator’ is used in the special sense of ‘mentor’. This is the main difference between the two words.

The word ‘educator’ is used mainly as a noun. An educator leaves a permanent impression upon the taught. Many a time the taught considers such a persona that has left a permanent impression upon him as his mentor or ‘educator’. It is thus, understood that not all teachers can be called educators. Only such of those teachers who leave a permanent mark in the hearts of the students alone can be called as educators.

On the other hand, a teacher is appointed by the management of a school or a college to teach the lessons that form part of the syllabus for the students of a particular class. He or she is supposed to ward off the doubts in the minds of the students regarding the theory in a particular subject or an art. A teacher works for a salary at the end of the month.

A teacher alone can turn out to be an educator. On the other hand, all educators are natural teachers.

So, which one are you? Do you merely slap on a smile in the morning and work for a salary or do you strive to educate the leaders of tomorrow and leave a lasting mark in the heart of learners where they can one day say: “My teacher said I could be anything I wanted to and know I am. They believed in me and made my imagination come alive with the things they taught me.”

We all need to eat and pay bills and tremendous amounts of tax at the end of every month, but if you don’t love what you do and your passion revolves around getting home and reading the latest edition of the Huisgenoot, you’re not doing it right. Two words that can look so similar on paper, are so uniquely different and when you have decided which category you fall in, then only you can make the conscious decision if you really want to make a change in the world.