EDUCATION: 21st Century Teacher || By Rahaman Onike

Teaching as a profession in the 21st Century puts enormous responsibilities on the teacher. A teacher that fits and worthy his salt must be computer literate and ready to explore at all times from digital space the abundant opportunities offered by the advent of information and communication technology (ICT).

Any teacher in this century should possess requisite knowledge,experience, skills and be productive and efficient. What this implies is that a teacher must show the grasp of his/her subject matter. This is a reason why it is emphasized in the nation’s philosophy of education that no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers.

Apart from teacher quality, motivation and job satisfaction also matter for enhanced productivity and performance of the 21st teachers.

Of equal importance is the condition of the school learning environment.Classrooms of modern day schools should be conducive in terms of aesthetics and ventilation.

Noise level should be controlled and class size moderate. Any good teacher in this century should get prepared to make effective use of instructional materials for teaching at all times apart from developing positive attitude towards the use of lesson plan and lesson note.

Lastly, any teacher in this century that does not have training in psychology of learning,test and measurements ,evaluation,philosophy of education,communication skills,guidance and counseling,teaching methods among others is bound to fail.

In my view, teaching in this century is not for quacks but the job for a professionals with adequate length of training, certification, relevant academic qualifications and experience.