Characteristics of 21st Century Teachers: What Do the Students Want From Me?

As I think back to the days when I was in school, I don’t think I ever remember any of my teachers asking me what I wanted from them. However, as the paradigm in education is consistently shifting, so should the way we approach our classrooms.

Back in the day you were either considered the smart kid, the average kid or the dumb kid. Teachers never took the time to get to know you as a learner or understand how you processed information; at least this was true in my case. My responsibility as a student was to walk in the room, sit in my seat, and listen to the teacher read. My job was to recite the information or so show competency through a written assessment. I call this the "read and recite," as all we did was read and recite, read and recite. The more information you retained, the better you did on your test and the smarter you appeared.

However, with thought leaders such as, Plato, Aristotle, Piaget and Dewey and the reimplementation of their theories such as PBL (Project-Based Learning), CBL (Challenge Based Learning), 1-to-1 instruction, etc., we know that we need to change the way we teach. This is primarily because the students have changed the way they learn.

Due to the ubiquitous access students have to technology, they have more information at their fingertips than we acquired in an entire school year. They no longer need to rely on their teachers (or an adult) to really learn something. Today it is as simple as Googling it, reading a blog, or watching a YouTube video. However, what they don’t know is how reliable that information is. For that reason, it is our job to help them facilitate their learning and provide “real world” projects that will assist in contextualizing the information.

If you think back to the caveman era, I doubt they had any formal learning center where students would learn how to hunt. I’m sure they just searched for the guys who knew how to hunt and followed them. These guys were often thought of as the leaders; the most respected and valued people in their village. However, as we think about our education system today, that is not often the case. Students no longer admire teachers just because they are their teachers. They want to know what you have done and what you can do for them. Thinking back to the caveman reference, how many boar have you killed and how did you do it? In fact, nowadays they would probably want to show you a better way to do it after you finish teaching them your method. I often think this is because the students are used to doing things to assist them in navigating a better path. Think about the Internet; it is hyperlinked! There is not just one way to get somewhere.

Oh and here is a news flash...students really don’t see the relevancy of standardized tests, and we will never really get them to care about the results. They have been inundated with this concept of, “you’ll be considered smart if you pass the tests” for years. And the response usually is, “and how does this help me in the future?” You see, this generation is about making a difference. They want to learn the things that will make them more successful and they want to know how your class is going to do it for them. They don’t want to hear that they are learning math so they can get into a higher level math class. They want to know how that math is really going to help them solve a “real world” situation.

Here is my advice: Let’s teach them slope by building a staircase; let’s teach them how to write so they can make a difference; let’s teach them science so they can cure cancer; and let’s make it all relevant.

To do this, get to know your students, teach to their strengths, encourage them to take (good) risks, provide them the opportunity to try and fail, and be there to help when needed. The students know they are our future ___________ (fill in the blank). I know I would feel better if they are confident in what they are doing because they were encouraged to be the best at what they wanted to become.