In the past, teachers just simply impart knowledge, give exams and based the student’s capabilities on the result of the exams. However, as several reforms on education arise, the roles of teachers were also modified.
What are the roles of educators before?
Basically, teachers just provided knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Before, teachers just feed students with a lot of information and it’s up to the students to absorb what they could. After that, teachers will administer exams to evaluate students. Teachers before just teach the topics presented in the curriculum. Checking the students’ understanding solely relied on the exams.
Studying before was merely focused on just making sure that students past the tests and graduate. In short, the way educators teach was not holistic.
What changed?
With all the developments in education made in the past decades, the roles of teachers have been modified. It is no longer confined with just providing information as this can be done by the students themselves. Teachers now have deeper roles. Experts have identified that students have different learning styles, needs and patterns. Students nowadays are complex and teaching is not simply imparting knowledge.
Teachers have now understood that to promote learning, teachers have to consider the overall development of students. The following are the major roles of teachers today:
- Teachers should ensure that students will develop a high order thinking skills.
- Teachers should make sure that students will have effective communication skills. It is important that students know how to interact or relate with their peers. If students fail to do so, it will greatly affect their life when they enter the workplace.
- Teachers should properly assess students’ learning needs. Failing an exam does not necessarily mean that the student is incapable of learning. Teachers now are aware that there are several factors affecting the way students learn.
- Teachers should be an effective resource person. Students are always curious and have a lot of questions. Teachers should always be available to students when needed. Otherwise, students would feel neglected and could affect their learning.
Results?
The changes in the roles of teachers have indeed improved students’ learning. The various needs of students are addressed. This is true for kids with special needs. Before, they were not adequately taught due to lack of assessment. Special education has been developed to make sure that special children will be able to learn what they need.
Furthermore, modern teachers now are more focused on determining if students are indeed learning. Several teaching methodologies are available for them to use so that every student can learn at optimum level. Teachers now are giving importance on the students’ future career rather than what they should teach. The over-all development of students is more prioritized compared before.
