The paper presents a functional-role model of the distance learning (DL) teacher working in the system of distance education technologies (DET). A teacher is regarded as a person possessing multidimensional qualities as this person is to organize, implement, motivate and control intensive purposeful independent cognitive, research and professional practical activity of the students online, i.e. in conditions of practically complete absence of direct communication and personal contact. From the point of view of the role concept, the DL teacher performs a set of roles, from the operator of didactic means to the author of a course. The essence of the major functional components of the teaching activities (functions of the design process of training, support and development of learners, management, control, diagnostic, informative, motivational, organizational, consultative, communicative, reflective) is defined and discussed in the paper.