Opinion: Reflections of a 21st century facilitator
The first focus of the changing role of a teacher is that as a facilitator. After spending four decades in the classroom as a facilitator, one realises how much each of our students has contributed to enriching our understanding of what we discuss in our classrooms.
I always remember a message that greeted us when we entered our educational institution - 'Anyone who refuses to be a student refuses to be a teacher!’ A short sentence that succinctly captured the quintessence of the spirit of teaching and learning! In this third decade of the 21st century, celebrating Teachers' Day is an opportune moment to discuss the changing role of a teacher.
Context clearly overrides content. Four important realignments appear to have come to the fore in the teaching-learning process. Each of the four merits detailed elaboration.
The first focus of the changing role of a teacher is that as a facilitator. After spending four decades in the classroom as a facilitator, one realises how much each of our students has contributed to enriching our understanding of what we discuss in our classrooms. A facilitator, we all faculty, fundamentally are, especially in this 21st century classroom.
As that unbounded energy permeates a typical classroom, a teacher is one of the learners around. Their role is to channelise the knowledge and ideas among those in the class and help apply the same to a particular context.
Secondly, the 21st century faculty is essentially a guide. A guide in the true sense of the term, who is available for the students as and when they require any support, clarification or mentoring. A guide points out a world of possibilities and encourages each learner to discover, explore, and explain and understand reality in its mind-boggling diversity.
More often than not, as a facilitator, one is pleasantly amazed by the insights that the learner comes up with during this fascinating journey of discovery. It is sheer joy to watch this journey unfold as learners move forward and encounter an unexpected twist at one corner and an unanticipated insight at another.
Their interpretation of what they experience often brings a new dimension to the discussion. As a facilitator, one may need to respond to queries from the learner and, at times, collectively explore the possible answers.
The fact that the faculty could have the benefit of a little more experience helps them in this role as a guide. As a guide, the 21st century faculty is part of the journey involving the search for meaningful and convincing answers to interesting questions.
Two examples could help amplify the points made above. A few years ago, when introducing the concept of geopolitics and globalisation in an undergraduate classroom, one decided to use a crossword puzzle to uncover many facets of the topic under discussion. While working in competing teams, the learners were excited about discovering the terms the crossword required them to identify.
What was equally amazing and instructive was the de-briefing that followed the cracking of every clue to the wider meaning of the terms. As I reflected after the class, on the discussions we had and many learnings, I realised the contributions made by each learner in the de-briefing exercise.
I was merely there to nudge them on and possibly offer a clarification once in a while. Many of the students in this batch came back with feedback that at their workplace today, those intense deliberations in the de-briefing sessions have helped them participate more meaningfully in dialogues.
In another session, when a research methods class was unwrapping the many nuances of what constitutes a research culture, a three-minute brainstorming on the term led to us collectively identifying close to forty ideas connected to the concept.
The next 90 minutes saw animated dialogue on these forty ideas. Once again, when reflecting after the class, it became evident that it would have been impossible to explore the term in such sophisticated detail, if not for the brainstorming exercise. The learners took ownership of the perspectives they brought to the table and internalised the concept with greater ease.
A third dimension of the change in the role of the teacher involves the impact of technology on the teaching-learning process. We are 85 days away from celebrating one year of Chat GPT! Technology has become a key player in the teaching-learning process.
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) being so much talked about, let us never forget what the first word in AI stands for - Artificial! It is Artificial Intelligence grounded in Human Intelligence (HI) and based on Human Ingenuity. Faculty across education levels need to constantly remind themselves that technology is a platform for learning and NOT an alternative to the faculty. The goal of education is learning and not merely the use and spread of technology. Technology is a tool available to me as a facilitator. It surely is not an alternative to the facilitator.
Covid -19, the lockdown and online learning made us alive to one more reality. The emotional element is key to effective learning. This is for me, the fourth and final dimension, crucial to the 21st century learning process as well as the role of the faculty.
The emotional connection that a faculty has an opportunity to provide is the key to the success of learning. During the lockdown (and even now), we thoughtlessly used the term 'social distancing'. Think again, is that what we really wanted or want today? Or did the pandemic and lockdown require 'physical distancing'? Education and learning is about social bonding and not social distancing. Can we as facilitators strengthen that emotional bond? Could this be a Teachers’ Day resolution that we all commit ourselves to? Happy Teachers' day!
(Dr Sandeep Shastri is a keen student of politics for four decades and currently Director - Academics, NITTE Education Trust and National Coordinator, Lokniti Network. His last book was on Lal Bahadur Shastri - Power and Politics published by Rupa and Co.)
(Views expressed in this opinion piece are that of the author.)