Arun Bangotra
The world is changing day by day and today’s young generation is facing a world in which communication and information revolution has led to changes in all spheres i.e scientific, technological, political, economic, social and cultural. With these changes, new expectations have appeared towards our schools and teachers. In the past, teachers used to be the major source of knowledge, the leader and educator of their student’s school life. They used to be the authority in the class and often took over the role of parents. Examination preparation was important which still is important, but now a days the concept of learning to learn has slowly become a very important element of teachers’ job. Nowadays teachers need to teach their students how to gain information and how to select and use them. Nowadays, teachers provide information and show their students how to use that information to tackle problems. Although they are still considered to be a kind of leader in the class, they can be thought of as facilitators in the learning process. They are supporters rather than educators and also advisors towards parents. Also now days parents are also involved in decision-making and they take part in the life of the school. It is no longer enough to send the kids to school in the morning, pick them up in the afternoon. Parents have to have a view of what is happening in the educational institution. So in order to prepare our young generation to face the future with confidence and responsibility, the role of teachers in modern time has changed and become crucial.
Education system has changed completely nowdays and being teacher does not mean only being a helper in difficult process of getting education; it means being creative and highly talented “guide”, which accompanies a student in all way of studying. Teachers should pay more attention to new methods of teaching, which will make studying more enjoyable. New demands are often placed on the schools in addition to the existing ones, to be equipped with current knowledge and modern methods of acquiring new knowledge. The most modern concept that has popped up in the schools is “Flipped class rooms”, where students watch teachers lectures at home and do what otherwise called homework in classrooms. The teachers record lessons which students watch on their smart phones, home laptops or at lunch breaks in the school libraries. In class they do projects exercises or lab work or case studies in small groups while the teachers are just the facilitators. In no time this will be a trend in most of the Indian schools also. Such flipped classrooms can only be achieved when teachers are committed, motivated, and are willing to perform for the benefit of the learners, community and the society and schools are equipped with modern equipments, computers projectors, internet, audio-video aids and smart classrooms etc.
In India online education is also booming where one can learn any subject in free through Massive online courses (MOOC) which are available online. The online courses can make high quality online education available to anyone for the price of an internet connection.
Every country develops its system of education to express and promote its unique socio-cultural identity and also to meet the challenges of time. The National Policy on Education is going to be revised this year to give direction to Indian Education System. The Government will review the policy every five years to study the progress made in Education system and recommend guidelines for further development. The new Education policy has to look into the changes that are taking place in schools and also devise the role and status of the teacher which reflects the socio-cultural ethos of a society. The Government and the community should endeavour to create condition which will motivate and inspire teachers on constructive and creative lines. Teachers should have the freedom to innovate, to devise appropriate methods of communication and activities relevant to the needs and capabilities and the concerns of the community.
Curriculum design is a task teachers have to be prepared for, although the present generation of teachers has been growing into making up syllabi for years. Another difference between the past and present tasks of teachers is represented by the technical background they need to be able to use and handle effectively computer, power point, projectors, etc. Instead of teaching chalk face, they need to be an information technology expert, a technical master. One of the biggest challenges for teachers is that their role in the school management has also changed. The school needs them as individuals, who can make decisions and cope with the stress of the changing world of schools. At the same time teachers need to be able to work in teams, co-operate with colleagues and parents. A teacher has to generate that energy in oneself and handle it in one’s work of educating children. A teacher has not only to instruct but also to inspire the students. So becoming teacher is not just a profession to earn livelihood but a passion.
While the process of learning is expected to evolve with the changing times due to communication and information revolution, teachers in the government schools of India are stuck with the archaic methods. It is sad that many teachers still do not know how to use the teaching-learning materials. Interestingly, most of the students in these schools are asked to “read loudly” the chapters discussed on the previous day. Teachers reportedly ask students to mark the answers to the questions of back exercises in the book itself. Many dedicated and brilliant school teachers are serving in various schools of the state. They limit their lives in the remote isolated village having no road connectivity and short of all modern amenities. Because of these teachers, our society survives and is progressing. However, we can’t deny the fact that with passing of time such dedicated, determined and sincere teachers are diminishing who are performing their duties with little or no basic amenities. Worst features of dilution of quality teachers are that many of school teachers in our country are unable to speak and write single correct English sentences.
It would be worth experimenting with modular approach of teaching combined with interventions of realistic nature by way of field trips, visit to museums, zoo, educational excursions, visit to mountains, forests, interventions with real life situations and through audio-video devices, wherever possible. Teaching in teacher training institutions be directed towards empowering prospective teachers to enable to use their experiences in actual work places for enhancing growth and development of young children. There is to be a planned amalgam of theory and practice in a way that these two constitute a continuum of experiences. The teaching of theoretical components, in addition to what has been elaborated above, will combine various methods and approaches like lecturing, tutorials, seminars, term-papers, groups discussion, gaming, role planning, etc. So in order to prepare our young generation to face the future with confidence and responsibility, the role of teachers in modern time has now changed and become very crucial.
Late Abdul Kalam ji has rightly quoted “If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” Teachers are the custodian of future of our generation. Modern teacher has an important role to play to shape of the future of the country. They are the one who show the right path as someone has rightly said “Teacher is just like a lamp, who burns itself to light others”.
(The author is Principal Government Polytechnic Kathua)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel