Teachers’ Day: How and why role of teachers has changed in recent years

In recent years, the role of a teacher has become more of a mentor and a facilitator. This change in role has been caused and also impacted by rapid transformation in pedagogies.

In recent years, the role of a teacher has become more of a mentor and a facilitator. This change in role has been caused and also impacted by rapid transformation in pedagogies. The teachers and mentors belong to older generations and the students are millennials. The meaning of discipline, work ethics, dependability, supervision and control have different meaning to people of these generations. Thus to strike balance among various generations requires a more amicable atmosphere to be creative, from command and control type of environment, academic institutions have to shift to more consensus and consultations based approach to managing academic institutions.

In recent years, the role of a teacher has become more of a mentor and a facilitator. This change in role has been caused and also impacted by rapid transformation in pedagogies. (PTI/file)

The newer career options need an environment wherein teachers have to guide students to make right choices. Therefore, the students have to clearly share their preferences, inhibitions and concerns with the teachers. This requires an environment of approachability and openness.

Institutions need to create a fearless environment wherein students become more interested in education process and can freely think of multitude of choices available to them. It has been experienced that in a fearless environment, the students are able to absorb and assimilate more information and process it well…

Administratively speaking, in conflicting situations, if there is a doubt, the benefit of doubt has to go to the student. This approach is almost mandatory to avoid conflicting situations among people of different generations.

Dr Prof Monica Chaudhry - Director, Sushant School of Health Sciences, Ansal University

Good teachers develop a positive relationship and bring out the best potential in students in their class. Positive environment created in the class builds confidence and sense of belonging in students. The feeling that teacher is always there for advice and guidance in itself brings out the best in them. This way they are motivated and achieve their goals.

Anamika Paul Dean, School of Engineering and Technology, Ansal University

A good teacher empowers the student with the desire for success greater than the fear of failure. An engaging environment for knowledge gain required for a successful life by mentoring him is what the a proficient teacher does. Educating the Engineer in the 21st century is focused more on learning by the student than teaching by the faculty. A good teacher instils in the student a lifelong sense of learning based on curiosity and ability to think on their own leading to a confident self to take on the world.

Dr. Vibhuti Sachdev, Dean, Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Ansal University

A teacher lights a lamp in your mind that helps you through the dark alleys of life with joy and confidence. As Radhakrishnan said ‘True teachers are those who help us think for ourselves’

(Author Professor Dr Raj Singh is Vice Chancellor, Ansal University. Views expressed here are personal.)