The Changing Role of the Teacher in the 21st Century PDF

TOPIC 2 CONTINUED The Changing Role of the Teacher in the 21st Century Continued. Multicultural classrooms –this is another area of change which involve teaching in multicultural societies. In this global village, immigration and migration of peo...

TOPIC 2 CONTINUED The Changing Role of the Teacher in the 21st Century Continued. Multicultural classrooms –this is another area of change which involve teaching in multicultural societies. In this global village, immigration and migration of people to settle in countries will be a condition for schools to be transformed and the approaches to teaching would change so as to accommodate people/ learners from other cultures. Inclusive classroom –the introduction of inclusive education as opposed to special education also leads to a change. According to UNESCO (1994), schools should accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. Inclusive education is a process leading towards schools for all. Poverty and HIV/AIDS –the problem of poverty and HIV/AIDS- The problem of poverty worsened by HIV has led to many children becoming orphans and coming to school with hunger, and as orphans will cause the teacher to adopt new strategies and methods far beyond what they were required previously. Constructive learning –in the past, education was organised in such a manner that the teachers’ role was to transmit information or “the truth” as experts while learners remain passive listeners. Instead of viewing knowledge as being fixed, it is now believe that knowledge is personal and the meaning is to be constructed by learners through experience. Variety of knowledge basis –in the 21st century, teachers.are required to have a command of various knowledge basis..; experts in the subject matter, pedagogy  Characteristics of Effective Teacher in the 21st Century A caring attitude towards the learner. Break the cycle of failure that is built into the educational system by creating.communities that are democratic and just. Reassess interpersonal and group skills to create positive relationships with your students. Content knowledge of the subject you teach. Pedagogical content knowledge/ professional understanding. Knowledge of learners and their characteristics. General pedagogical knowledge –principles of classroom management and organisation strategies. Knowledge of educational context ranging from the school and the community. Curriculum knowledge of the subject/course he teaches. Knowledge of educational ends, purposes and values or knowledge of  Helping Learners in Diverse Classroom to Learn As teachers you must recognise the diversity among learners and understand how they learn among the challenges that you will face as teachers. Some of the challenges to be faced as teachers are; Gender equity: ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to learn, so encourage them. Equal treatment of all learners –no cultural, religious or sentiment of their social background. Learning abilities, styles and preferences- vary your instructional approaches and methods to accommodate all. Students exceptionalities: - identify those with disabilities in your class as well as the gifted ones and learn how to work with them. Religious diversity;- respect the freedom of worship among the students in the class / religious tolerance.  Learning Communities Learning Community- Learning community is an important factor of the social dimension of classroom life. Learning community refers to a setting in which individuals within the community have mutual goals, have common relationship and show concern for one another. Features of Learning Community Individuals and teachers share common goals. Learners see themselves as colleagues with high level of attraction for one another. Students and teachers reflect on past experiences and celebrate accomplishment as a group. Norms exist for helping and being helped. Norms, support open communication and dialogue. Norms exist for getting academic work done. As a group, norms exist so that everyone is expected to do their intellectual best.