The 5 Ultimate Need of the 21st Century African teacher

     

Being a 21^st century educator is a big challenge on its own; being a 21^st century African teacher is a challenge too big that if left unattended to, could lead to a catastrophe.

The education of the 21^st century and the years ahead is so challenging because of its drastic shift from the conventional educational system. What used to work before is no more working- a lot of things have changed…

-         Our tutees

-         Our techniques

-         Our learning tools

-         Our technology developmental level

-         Our target audience

-         Our reporting time frame and all that.

A lot has really changed! And changed, so quickly!

Today’s educators are now running against time to meet up with the phenomenal changes in order to remain relevant.

Where are the African teachers in the scheme of things as regards these changes?

Africa as a continent is bedeviled with a lot of poor policy framework, being the result of non-visionary and corrupt leadership (no apology to this). This scenario consequently affects every aspect of the socio-economic, educational and political interactions of the people.

And no sector has suffered this backlash more than the educational sector.

Simply put, African teachers are cultivating on a rocky soil.

Read: The 6 Reasons Why Teaching in Africa is a Hard Nut to Crack.

What then should be the response?

Quit the profession?

No!

Only 5 things are needed to turn things around, not just for ourselves, but for our dear continent and her children.

African teachers of today need personal and professional development to be their best in their career path.

It must sink deep into our sub-conscious minds as teachers here in Africa that gone are days when our efforts as teachers are measured only within that geographical African setting. Every African teacher today should see himself as a global teacher.

Then if you are, really, you need continuous personal and professional development.

The best investment a teacher can make is an investment of self-improvement. 

This is because, when you improve, your status improve, your opportunities increase, your network enlarges…

And your income and ‘wealth-being’ will definitely improve.

…Read books on personal and professional development

…Attend conferences and workshops

…Learn skills relevant to your professional calling, and even beyond.

            Just do everything within your legitimate reach to develop yourself.

African teachers of today should collaborate with other teachers around the world for profitable networking.

One of the greatest gains 21^st century handed to us is the breaking of the inter- racial and inter-cultural barriers that once existed.

Today, it’s very easy and common to see professional collaborating with colleagues from different part of the world. Social media, technology and the digital space have all contributed immensely to make this achievable.

African teachers must leverage this to fly higher. There are no more excuses on the indifference of African political leaders. We now have more and better resources than the continent can afford us through collaboration and profitable networking with our peers from the other parts of the world.

All we need to do is join an online community of educators- interact, share ideas, ask questions. Just be an active member of such community and you will definitely find answers to your questions for professional success.

In my next post, I will be sharing some online communities that profit African teachers.

African Teachers have a lot of message for the world; they should go out there and trade their knowledge for money.

One of the greatest challenges of the average African teacher is poor remuneration. And the second is a place low societal relevance. Teachers have no voice in Africa.

But the good news is that they can manufacture a voice for themselves, and even make much money doing so.

I have always challenged African teachers to create a platform that help them reach out to their world.

The most talented set of people on earth are teachers, but how many of them remain voiceless, hiding at the background is both shocking and ridiculous.

With the wealth of classroom experience, teachers over the years have mastered and can as well teach confidently on management, child psychology, mentoring, career development, success strategy, academic subjects and all that.

Coincidentally, the world out there are in need of these experience. Teachers should find a way to communicate these message to their world.

I charge every African teacher to go into blogging.

Blogging would be so good for teachers, as it remains the best platform to find a voice to speak to their worlds and at the same time create a lifetime wealth.

With blogging, every teacher can find a voice to correct the ills of the society.

African teachers of today should create a brand visibility for themselves.

There are many expert and committed teachers across Africa and other parts of the world whose works are unknown, unrecognized and unrewarded. And it is bound to remain so for the rest of their lifetime.

But just a simple tweak- and all of that is changed.

How?

Teachers should create a brand visibility for themselves.

Thank goodness, to do this is no more a rocket science. The emergence of the Social Media has made it very easy for teachers to create an engaging brand for themselves.

Think of these powerful Social Media tools and platforms:

                        … Facebook Fan Page

                        … Twitter Handle

                        … LinkedIn Professional profile

                        … Instagram Page

                        … Google Plus

                        … Pinterest etc.

Fellow professional are already creating personal brands to make themselves visible and relevant to their world. Every teacher should do just that.

Let the world know that there is an expert tutor in that back side of the desert, whose works can profit the world.

The African teachers of today should embrace technology.

This is no more optional; it is now mandatory.

In the next couple of years, it would be a lost cause for a 21^st century educator to be tech-novice.

Technology is now the in-thing.

Read: 3 Reasons Why 21st CenturyEducators without a Tech Knowledge are in a Big Mess

The only way to position oneself as a 21^st century educator is to be tech savvy. 

Every teacher must train on and master various 21^st century skills, especially ones that have to do with education.

I will have to say here that embracing technology as a tool for education is the most ultimate need for 21^st century educators; hence, being indifferent to it is at best, colossal.

It’s only unfortunate many teachers, especially here in Africa, are still in the dark. And our learners, who are of digital natives, are just enduring us.

Our utmost interest is to see African teachers arise to resuscitate the dwindling fortunes of African education, in order to create a desirably bright future for our children.

We run the #EduTEaCHAfrica and #TeacherTeachTech campaigns to help sensitize as well as train African teachers on the use of these basic tech educational tools for maximum impact.

You can always contact us for training whether as individual teacher or a school.

Feel free to share your thought on the comment box.

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