THE 21ST CENTURY TEACHERS

ARNIE S. SIMBILLO

Educators always play a vital role in education to make a child be ready in the realworld situation. Nowadays, a teacher must possess and be equipped with some skills to make the learning relevant and interesting to the learners. The 21st century skills can be categorized into four namely: 1) communication skills, 2) learning and innovative skills, 3) information, media and technology skills, and 4) life and career skills. A teacher must possess these skills in order to survive in this 21st century so that they can be able to produce and they can contribute to developed 21st century learners. Also, a 21st century educator must create a curriculum that connects learners to the world and be able to let the learners understand the issues that our world faces.

Schools in this generation will become a place wherein teachers and students are able to connect in their community. Today, teachers are also just facilitators of information, because experts believe that a child can share his/ her knowledge and turn it into wisdom. Likewise, learners are being prepared into complex life and making them ready in their future work environment. Therefore, a 21st century teacher is highly collaborative, a lifelong learner, is responsible and accountable for results and is information, media and technology literate. As John Dewey says, “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”

— oOo— The author is Secondary School Teacher III at Angeles City National High School, Division of Angeles City