The Role of the 21st Century Teacher

Education change, whether cause by economic, social, or any other means, always places the teacher in a new role. In this the 21st century, where the pursuit of learning is valued both by the individual and authorities, much would be expected, and much would be demanded of teachers.

In this technology driven era, teachers have an awesome responsibility to prepare our young people not only to face the future with confidence but to build it with purpose and responsibility. This requires a paradigm shift in teaching practices. The old model of pedagogy teacher-focused, one way, one size fits all, which places the teacher in the role of a dispenser of knowledge cannot adequately address the needs of the learner in a digital world. The new role places less emphasis on the teacher and more on the student, so the teacher is no longer the ‘sage on the stage” but a “guide on the side.” In this new facilitative role, the teacher acts as a guide, resource and a coach. Such a teacher would have to be able to set clear expectations for learners, create a climate of collaboration reflective of the real world, provide “just in time” support that is customized and individualized, motivate, direct, model, clarify and so on and so forth. 

This would be challenging to say the least because by nature most of us resist change for one reason or the other. Principals, therefore, have a very important role to play in helping to bring about the desired change in teachers attitude and teaching practices as we seek to integrate technology in the curriculum. Teachers must be encouraged and supported in their professional development as they seek to adopt and adapt teaching practices in the classroom using available technology. Much will be expected, and much will be demanded of teachers in the 21^st century