TEACHERS IN THE MILLENIAL WORLD
ARLENE D. VALIENTE
We are living in a new world today. We, as teachers must cope with the fast changing educational trends otherwise we will be caught confused or unaware. Our knowledge as teachers may become obsolete if we cannot keep abreast with the millennial world. Almost everything is different from the time we were young: the kinds of music our students listen to and dance to, the instruments they are playing, the technology that creates and produces those kinds of music, the television that our students patronize, and the gadgets they play and perhaps even the values they ignored.
Really, the world today is largely technology-driven, where instead of being the creator of this civilization; we now become slaves of this technology. One danger that technology poses is that as teachers, may dim our very purpose by those fast foods, microwaves, quick downloads, conferences, computer-aid designs, internet, ATM banking, and other technological conveniences. We may lose sight of human interactions and disciplines.
We believe that every person is unique. This uniqueness should be taken into consideration when teaching our students in the millennial world. Uniform and unvarying teaching styles are obsolete and boring to millennial. A new teaching model, however takes into consideration all the different learning styles of the students. The needs of the particular clientele were given due consideration in the classroom to make learning more attractive to students. It is now more student centered rather than teacher centered. The Multiple Intelligences is a quick survey of this breakthrough theory. Teachers who care deeply for their students and earnestly wants to make a difference in their teaching profession must throw out the traditional teaching style and adhere to the present teaching style.
Knowing our students’individual strengths and weaknesses may help us to teach according to their strengths thus avoiding the crucial yet common mistake of teaching our students’weaknesses. We, as teachers are committed to make the most out of our clientele and make them learn with a positive learning environment in our respective classroom. Though it may seem very obscure and dim, as teachers we are envisioned to fulfill our mission and vision in the present world.
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The author is Teacher III (Social Studies Dept.) at Pampanga High School,City of San Fernando (Pampanga)