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• Ability to be a role model: Teachers must have in mind that the students have the possibility of copying their speech and actions and therefore have to walk the talk.
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• Communication across generations and cultures: Teachers need the skill of effective communication in order to professionally communicate with students, colleagues and superiors from diverse cultural backgrounds.
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• Willingness to put in more effort: Teachers would have to demonstrate effort or care, for students to learn from.

The Changing Role of a Teacher – evolving trend

According to Core Education (2019), most of the roles that teachers play guarantee the efficient transfer of the process of knowledge.  The argument further emphasized that the fundamental principle of teachers being a ‘tool of knowledge’ is no longer applicable. Now,  clichés like shifting from “sage on the stage” (lecturer) to “guide on the side”  (facilitator) have become obvious to demonstrate the awareness of the changes going on, concentrating on the role of a teacher as more of a facilitator and adapting to both pedagogical or andragogical practices where applicable.  Teachers of today are required to meet the social and emotional needs of students.  Another area worth considering is to help learners discover knowledge through critical thinking and guidance to achieve a specific goal.

Johnson and McElroy (2012), reiterate that the changing role of the teacher involves reaching beyond the walls of the school. Education in the 21^st century should be a community endeavor, involving experts in industries, employing different sources of knowledge by creating networks through technology and social media. The teacher must develop a solid relationship with stakeholders in the community and be able to engage them in the educational process to the benefit of learners.

An enabling environment must be created where teaching and learning would be more practical, flexible, conducive and easily adaptable to the world of work.  The expectation of a teacher to be well vexed in digital teaching methodology and learning management information systems to be able to handle teaching and learning are minimum requirements in the 21^st century.

21^st century teaching

The 21^st century teacher requires critical thinking and easily adaptable skills, ability to combine and assess real-life situations and infuse it into the teaching experience.  It demands taking the lead in actively looking out for new ways of teaching and learning and keeping in touch with world within and outside the educational system.  A teacher in the 21^st century should have the capacity to guide, motivate and create a sense of purpose in students/learners to achieve meaningful lives that would impact on societies and future generations.

References:

Core Education (2019). Changing roles of teachers – Ten Trends, available at [https://core-ed.org/research-and-innovation/ten-trends/2019/changing-role-of-teachers/]

The University of the People, (2020). Why teachers are important in society – Why teachers matter available at [ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/the-importance-of-teachers/]

Johnson, B. and McElroy, T.M., (2012). The changing role of the teacher in the 21st century. Teachers Net Gazzette, 9(10), pp.1-6.

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