Wednesday 29 February 2012

Role of 21st century teachers


“I am a teacher! What I do and say are being absorbed by young minds who will echo these images across the ages. My lessons will be immortal, affecting people yet unborn, people I will never see or know. The future of the world is in my classroom today, a future with the potential for good or bad. The pliable minds of tomorrow's leaders will be molded either artistically or grotesquely by what I do.
Several future presidents are learning from me today; so are the great writers of the next decades, and so are all the so-called ordinary people who will make the decisions in a democracy. I must never forget these same young people could be the thieves or murderers of the future.
Only a teacher? Thank God I have a calling to the greatest profession of all! I must be vigilant every day lest I lose one fragile opportunity to improve tomorrow.” - Ivan Welton Fitzwater

Schools in the 21st century are laced with a curriculum for life aimed at engaging students in addressing real-world problems, issues important to humanity, and questions that matter. In the 21st Century classroom, teachers need to be facilitators of student learning and creators of productive classroom environments.
The focus of the 21st Century classroom is on students experiencing the environment and challenges they will face when they enter the global world market as workers. The present curriculum used in this classroom aims to develop their higher order thinking skills, effective communication skills, and knowledge of technology that students will need in their workplace. This in turn sets the challenge for the teachers to embrace new teaching strategies.
It is said that teaching as a profession makes other profession. Teachers play a unique role of preparing students to become worthy members of all professions of the world. They therefore shoulder a responsibility and opportunity to mould future generations.

Need of the hour-Change in Teacher’s attitude

Just as the classroom is changing, so must the teacher adapt their roles and responsibilities? Teachers are no longer teaching in isolation. They now co-teach, team teach, and collaborate with other department members. The revised Blooms Taxonomy wants teachers to be creators of knowledge and thinking professionals (earlier the continuum of thinking skill would start from knowledge and ends at evaluation; but as per the changing times, the revised version starts from remembering and ends at creating)
With globalization we see an emerging ‘global society’ driven by technology and communication developments. This ‘global society’ is shaping the students as ‘global citizens’ and intelligent persons with multi-skills and knowledge to apply to the competitive and information-based society. Teachers today find themselves in an education system in which they are no longer the sole ‘fountain of information’ but the facilitators and pointers towards information. In view of these changing facts, we need teachers who can survive moreover excel in the present times.

In the present times, we need teachers who:
  • Create strategic readers.
  • Create strategic writers.
  • Create independent thinkers.
  • Create problem solvers.
  • Give students the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to become independent learners.
  • Induce  Critical Thinking and Problem Solving attitude

Needed traits of the 21st Century Teacher
  1. Driven to Learn - teachers must be driven to learn in order to teach effectively in the 21st Century.  It is no longer acceptable to teach only from a textbook, to rely on the same worksheets and methods year after year without at least questioning them and researching why they are the best resource available.  There is simply too much new information, too many new strategies, and new learning available to us to ignore the implications it may have for students in our classes.
  2. A Media Creation Expert - Whether posted online or simply used in the classroom, our materials must be highly engaging and effective.  PowerPoint and Word are becoming antiquated as newer and more powerful presentation and editing suites become available to teachers.  It is our responsibility to compete (where necessary) with the quality of video games and media construction in order to hook students into great learning.  As media conscious teachers, we can win student attention by working with them, not against them, for their learning
  3.  An Empathetic Mentor – “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings.”Gone are the days when teachers dole out assignments and send students on their merry way.  A modern educator realizes the plethora of factors impacting students in our current world, and strives to tailor learning where possible toward individualized needs and interests.  This student-centered focus also creates learning opportunities for the teacher to learn with students, developing their teaching and collaborative skills.
  4. Reflective teachers - with the ability to comprehend the applied nature of education, and utilize the knowledge gained.
  5. Encourage students’ curiosity and intrinsic motivation to learn- The teacher helps students become independent, creative, and critical thinkers by providing experiences that develop his/her students’ independent, critical and creative thinking and problem solving skills. Students are actively involved in their own learning within a climate that respects their unique developmental needs and fosters positive expectations and mutual respect.
  6. Effective communication skills- We need teachers who has agility and adaptability, effective oral and written communication. We need teachers who can use language to foster self-expression, identity development, and learning in her students.
  1. Recognize and respect the individual differences- In schools, a teacher has to perform multifarious tasks for all round development of the children. Besides the normal day to day activities, it is their responsibility to handle children with special needs effectively in classroom as well as outside the classroom. These children may act and behave differently. They exhibit some special characteristics, which may be different from their normal counterparts. Therefore, the successful inclusion of children with special needs into the regular school setting is largely dependent on the attitudes of teachers and their recognition of the child’s right to participation.
Conclusion:



To face the challenge of present times, our
teachers need to keep abreast of what is happening in their field. As lifelong learners, they need to be active participants in their own learning and incorporate the traits needed to compete in present globalized world. 

24 comments:

  1. The title of the blog crsinquitiveminds is very appropriate.Informations about the role of teacher in 21st century are valuable for student teachers, in service teachers and teacher educators.Since the ancient time the role of teacher has been very important in restructuring the society.In the modern age of science and technology teacher's role has become more challenging and comprehensive to meet the demands of globalization. The blog is good effort in the direction of defining the role of teachers in 21st century.
    With best wishes
    Sukirti Goel

    ReplyDelete
  2. In mordern socity teacher is not only a teacher but also plays a role of counsellor. In this mordern society students are scientifically very strong by which sometimes knowledge transformation is going on both the way from teacher to student and viceversa. Teacher's role is very important to reframe the student to meet challenges of society.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The achievement and aspiration of a nation clearly shows the potential of their teacher as the people of a country are their enlarged replica. The teacher is a dynamic force without him a school is like a body without soul, a skeleton without flesh and blood, a shadow without substance. There is no greater need for the cause of education today than the need for strong manly men and motherly women as teacher for the young. As social engineers, the teachers can socialize and humanize the young by their man-like qualities.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 21st century is to prepare teacher candidates with the pedagogical knowledge and skills/strong subject matter knowledge to make sure that no child is left behind.

    Thanks!

    Regards,
    Shailesh Gupta

    ReplyDelete
  5. preethi gopinath13 March 2012 at 18:28

    Teachers – Makers or Breakers of the Society

    It is true that the future of children is in the hands of teachers. The way they teach and with the interest towards the subject matters a lot for a student when he chooses his stream for further studies. If Chemistry is taught as a torture in childhood then he will never become a scientist although he wishes to be one.
    The need of the 21st century teachers is updation. Gone are the days when students followed their teachers irrespective of being right or wrong. As in every court of law, proof is demanded to accept any fact, so is the case with children nowadays. They also need examples from real life to make their understanding more practical and implementable.
    It is rightly said by our great philosophers that children learn by doing things on their own. If they experience themselves with their sensory organs then there is no need for mugging up and it will be in their minds forever. With the change in the field of Information Technology, it is comparatively easy for the teachers now to deal with the students.
    Inquisitive Minds is a very appropriate caption for budding teachers. Teachers are the guiding force in nurturing children. Therefore the guide himself has to be inquisitive in nature to understand the curiosity of the students.

    "Ideal teachers are those who use themselves asbridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfullycollapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own."
    - Nikos Kazantzakis

    ReplyDelete
  6. myself vandana shankhwar!i think its a wonderful thought and step for encouraging young students and make them to think about their future n respective teachers!! now a days in 21 century students don't take their teachers and teaching profession seriously!! but still i think being in b.ed course i will try my best to change the youngsters mind and myself to!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Harendra

    We have reviewed and Seeing the above your Blog is very good according to 21st century teachers

    ReplyDelete
  8. myself somya shukla i think teacher's role is very important to reframe the students to meet challenges of society teacher are achievement and aspiration of nation clearly shows the potential of their teacher as the people of a country are their enlarged replica.

    ReplyDelete
  9. First of all I am very thankful to my teacher for sharing this informative and motivational blog.

    Though I have noticed that in our society the teaching as a profession is not very respectful but it is needless to say that as a teacher, we have an amount of trust placed on our shoulders that is incomparable to any other professional. A teacher was once known to have rightly claimed, "Give me a child for seven years, afterwards, let the God or the devil take the child, they cannot change the child." Such is the power, we have in our hands. Our former president Sh A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has also said "I believe there is no other profession in the world that is more important to society than that of a teacher."

    Just as the classroom is changing, so as a teacher we must be ready for adapting new challenges. To face the challenge of present times, we need to keep abreast of what is happening in our field. As lifelong learners, we have to be active participants in our own learning and incorporate the traits needed to compete in present globalized world.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The good initiative has been taken by the CRS teachers who are giving guidelines for developing our bright future.
    In my opinion the direction in which education starts, a man will determine his future life.So the purpose of 21st century teacher's should not to create students in his own image but to develop students who can create their own image. The World's spiritual tradition teach us that change in society begins at the individual level

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. By ARVIND KUMAR BHARDWAJ

    I'm very much agree with the views written in the main text but there is a lot to be added. There are so many traits a teacher must have. A person having only seven traits, mentioned in the text, doesn't promise that he/she could be a good teacher. In 21st century, as we all know, globalization, is impacting the educational system, development and life style of individual. These factors and other advancements are laying a ground of necessity of the traits a teacher must possess.
    Education is all about acquiring skills that is why it becomes very crucial for a teacher to become skilled. There are three important attributes a teacher must has....
    1.Teachers should command respect but not fear.
    2.Teachers should be patient, almost to a saint like level.
    3.Teachers need to be able to explain the subject(s) that they are teaching. (having the knowledge of the subject doesn't certify a person that he/she can explain it). Teachers must be able to manage students’ multiple personalities and organize their subject matters so that a maximum number of students benefits from their presentations.

    Some important qualities/abilities/traits/attributes a teacher must possess are (other than mentioned in the main text above)..

    1.Patience
    2.Intellectual curiosity
    3.Compassion
    4.Achievement
    5.Planning
    6.Awareness
    7.Maturity
    8.Community involvement
    9.Enthusiasm
    10.Positive Mental Attitude
    11.Open to Change
    12.Confidence
    13.The ability to look at life in a different way and to explain a topic in a different way.
    14.Dedication to excellence
    15.Unwavering support
    16.Willingness to help student achieve
    17.Knowledge of the subject matter.

    Arvind K. Bhardwaj

    ReplyDelete
  14. Now a days Teachers have many responsibilities such as to give Students knowledge about modern society ,culture,technology,inventions and current affairs.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am strongly agree with this views, according to me teacher is the best profession on the earth. A Teacher teach and make future of his students and generate a creative society, that's why our former president A. P. J. Abdul kalam said that "I believe there is no other profession in the world that is more important to society than that of a teacher."

    ReplyDelete
  16. A well educated teacher make the good nation........

    Arvind Kumar

    ReplyDelete
  17. I realy thanksfull to all my teacher who has started this blog.. it is very informative blog which realy help for our carrier .
    teacher is like candle ..." who burns but to give the light to other"......

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi, my self Ravi Shanker tiwari,
    I have read this, i think it is very import and a new concept for me. I have never participated in this type of argument.
    I think in this blog almost all quality is covered of a good teacher, in my opinion knowledge is very important in teaching and learning process but awareness is very-very import. A teacher must have to be aware that what is happening in his society and how his knowledge stands in present. So it is for a teacher to create such students who know how he can use their knowledge in this age. If one have a good knowledge of a subject but he does not know what is happening in society, what is useful reforms our society need.

    ReplyDelete
  19. hi
    my self neelesh kumar.
    1st of all the above blog in very apriciable.
    me yahan pehle hi bata dun i am not so experienced to say any thing so kuch galti ho to sorry.
    in my opinion its very tipical to understand it for hindi medium students.so plz issue a hindi version and every thing lacks of real examples if you explain it with real example it make it more atteractive.also you can find all this happen in metropolis. only making teaching effective by ideas is not sufficient, question is also how to implement all this. explain me if u r in a village were there is no road, no electricity and you to dont want to go there to teach and students have to go for work at field and even u dont get pay for 6 months from govt.and many more then is it possible that we aply our new technologies. and you also wont deny this fact that you have you govern your family too.thats y many students now a days do bed only for job which give them time to do another bussines and salary too from govt. and you also know govt job is the safest one for ur future. ye baten bahut lambi hen ap khud samajhdar ho sb jante bhi ho. so use ur 6th sence.
    Now
    i am not against the standerization of education. but we must have some solution for these problems
    there is remidies
    if colleges like chet ram sarma college, students were make there mind to inovate new ideas or research new techniques which solve above mentioned problems by me. and prepare them self to give there life for education or make there mind to live in any adverse condition. tab hi sayad kuch ho.
    at last i want to say that
    mene teaching kabhi nahi ki i dont know a b c d of this but i have the confidence ki me teacher ban k jahan bhi jaunga ya jis bhi school me jaunga. us school k students innovative, life me perfect, and india ko ek nayi disa me lejayenge.god bless me .

    thanks
    with regards
    Neelesh kumar

    ReplyDelete
  20. This blog is very useful for us.Teachers are entrusted with mastering these skills as well & with modeling these skills in the classroom. Teachers should not just transmit knowledge to students, they should instill in them a sense of their place in the larger world and urge them to be active participants in it.

    thanks

    anjula

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is an appreciable work to show intrest towards this topic by this blog. this is an important new concept in education because by time duration literacy is always changing and with that you need to adapt to new methods of teaching. instead of just teaching students how to read and write, you need to besure they are literate in technology as well.
    day by day as per the time requirement it is must to aware the students about science and technology. as educators shift from the traditional school methods to using computer to take notes instead of using paper is no different.
    the interlocking support systems of education-standards,assessments,curriculum and instruction, professional, development and learning envirnments- all have to shift together to provide a solid infrastructure for 21st century learning.

    ReplyDelete
  22. First of all i would like to acknowledge our teachers who gave this wonderful opportunity to us to share our views regarding teaching proffession
    I am very much agree with the concept of this blog that teacher's role is changing day by day.Now he has to perform multiple task to develope overall personality of the students.knowledge and skill both are required to become a good teacher..
    The information given by this blog is really helpful for we b.ed students to set our goals and to guide our would be students.

    ReplyDelete
  23. यह लेख कफी जानकारीयो से भरी है। भारत के निर्माण में यह लेख काफी सहयोगी सिद्ध हो सकती है क्योकि इस लेख मे बतायी गयी कर्तव्यो से 21 वी सदी के शिक्षको की गुनवत्ता मे सुधार आयेगी।

    ReplyDelete
  24. There might be a lot of teachers who already did that kind of idea and technique into their own work. At least, those teachers who may be blinded from this would know due to the help of this blog.

    ReplyDelete