I am the teacher
“Those who can, DO. Those who can teach, CHANGE THE WORLD.”
Yesterday we all have celebrated the occasion of teacher’s day, we paid our gratitude to this noble profession and the fraternity. Teachers are the biggest change makers who can transform the individuals, and ultimately our societies, nations and the world.
However, we are living in the most challenging time of the history and hence it is time to pause, think and take a count of what is happening around us. How the world is changing and why education needs to change, how teachers need to change. Hope you will find this read helpful.
A teacher wants to prepare their students to succeed in life. However, what was considered a good education so far, is no longer adequate for success in college, career, and citizenship in the 21st-century world.
We are witnessing a huge disruption due to the industrial revolution in 4.0. Advent in the field of robotics, big data analytics, and deep learning has created a huge acceleration. The change management (an ability to cope with these changes and take advantage) is becoming more complex. Machines are becoming more intelligent and would replace anything which is repetitive and low skilled.
Disruption is not limited to only technology but it is impacting all spheres of our life. In a way creating an irreversible change the way we interact, learn, work, play, travel, worship and do business.
Simultaneously, we are witnessing an absolutely new set of business models and economies emerging. Companies like Uber, Ola, Flipkart, Alibaba, Airbnb have changed the whole definition of business.
The change in the digital world has a combinatorial effect. And therefore, it is demanding whole new skill sets and competencies for the future. Many research studies are confirming that by 2025 almost 65% of the jobs which exist today will no longer be available. And 65% of children joining a primary education in 2016 will eventually end up working in a completely new job that does not even exist today1[1]. New jobs will emerge and these new jobs will demand a very different level of skill sets.
Creating a future workforce with relevant skills is the foundation job of the education system of any country. And hence, our education system the way it is structured needs to undergo a huge transformation. We need new perspectives on teaching and learning. It is now necessary to open a new window for thinking about how 21st-century skills and standards would impact. World Economic Forum[2] in their report advocates that the future job market would expect individuals with skills sets (21st Century Skills) like critical thinking and complex problem solving (as we expect more ambiguous and uncertain challenges and environment as we go forward in the 21st century), creativity and innovation (we have a long way to go on this front, we as a nation have remained consumer of innovation and technologies, on the global level we rank 66th among 127 countries[3]), communication, emotional intelligence, collaboration, character, as well as the establishment of lifelong learning habits such as ability to learn-how-to-learn with technology as the central roles in the new picture of teacher effectiveness. etc.
In this new demand of education system, the way we teach and learn will no longer work or will not be effective. Regular cognitive skills can be easily replaced by technologies. Technological platforms like Khan Academy have proved that learning can happen despite the traditional schooling system. The rise in the home-schooling in America is a great case study for us to ponder upon. And we are also witnessing the noticeable movement on home-schooling in many towns and cities in our own country.
The way I look at it, teachers can play a critical role in the education transformation by upgrading their capacities. Educational institutes need to adopt a futuristic view and create an environment which facilitates this change and empowers teachers to play a new role.
We need to create a learning environment which showcases great empathy and interpersonal abilities. Adapting to student-centric, inclusive, and experiential learning environment is a need of an hour. The teacher needs to play a role of a facilitator, collaborator, coach, mentor, co-learner, co-creator. They should create an environment wherein they together can challenge statuesque, brainstorm, take risks, ask and solve difficult questions. Most importantly develop conceptual and applied knowledge.
It is undoubtedly a challenging time but at the same time it is also offering a huge growth opportunity for leadership development for teachers. Teachers must embrace this change more proactively.
I would like to end this blog by wishing the entire teaching fraternity the very best and offer an anthem (curated from Article published by Ashoka Foundation) which can continuously motivate them and keep hopeful in this exciting journey… “I am a teacher. I look at my classroom and I see the next generation of astronauts and inventors, healers and artists, mothers and fathers, thinkers and dreamers. My students will make discoveries, both big and small. They will shape the marketplace, influence culture, improve lives. And I will help them. I will help them know themselves, other people, and the world around them. I will help them become kind, collaborative, and selfless changemakers. I will help them because I am their teacher. My students will change the world. Because I will change theirs.”
©Vijay Sonawane, 9920204727
“The author is passionate about this topic and welcome comments, & thoughts from the readers.
[1] Future of jobs and its implications on Indian higher education November 2016, FICCI+EY Study
[2] Future of Job Report, World Economic Forum
[3] Global Innovation Index 2017