Я-учитель 21 века
материал по английскому языку на тему

Natalia Derevyanko

What am I going to do as an English teacher to engage with the 21st century skills?

      I remember the 1st of September in 1991 when I conducted my first lesson. That was long ago. Much has happened since. Much has changed since. There is no doubt that the modern society is not the same as 25 years ago. The changes that took place in the society have changed the roles of teachers, too.

      The 21st century is an age of easily accessible and easily digestible material because of all of the electronic media available to students. Teachers in the 21st century face challenges that our predecessors did not. Teachers are no more the people who come to the class, give lectures and walk out. Teachers must prepare students to enter a global economy.

      What am I going to do as an English teacher to engage with the 21st century skills?

I think there are some aspects of teaching will remain constant until the end of time. Classroom management is one of them. Students must feel they are in a safe and secure environment. Classroom management is essential for student learning.

      There is no doubt that open and clear communication is the key to develop a friendly atmosphere inside the class. So my task is to build a rapport with my students and feel their needs.

      Anatole France said that nine-tenth of education is encouragement. I never forget about publicly praise. There are simple words such as “ Good job”, ‘Excellent” which can mean the whole world to a student.

      Also I’d like to say that there is nothing as challenging as getting students engaged. They can easily get bored and therefore disconnected. Having students engage in the learning experience is necessary that they will learn the new objectives presented to them. The challenge for me today is to make lessons relevant to students’ everyday lives. No two teachers are alike and every teacher has his/her unique style of teaching. To engage students begins with selecting style that works best for gifted students as well as slow-learning children.

      In my opinion speaking about the 21st century I cannot help saying about critical thinking because with each passing year the world becomes more complex. Developing critical thinking skills now is crucial. I help my students develop critical thinking skills and retain knowledge that leads to self-actualization.

      My duty is not only to teach but also to motivate my students. Motivation is a primordial key to learning. Students will be more motivated when they see that the teacher has taken into consideration their needs and interests and have included them somehow in the lesson. I try to maintain their interest by making exercises more challenging so students do not grow complacent and bored.

       The 21st century is the age of digital technologies. Today’s students are the generation to grow up with computers, the Internet, cell phones and other electronic devices. Our students are Digital Natives as opposite to me. But I do try to go with the times.

      And one more thing I’d like to mention. I strongly believe that a teacher can never stop learning. Being an effective teacher involves staying current on new issues and developments in the field.

       How time flies! I have been working as a teacher for 24 years already. Today my former students are doctors, engineers, workers, teachers. No matter what job they have I am sure they are good citizens of our great country. I’d like to believe that I also left a silent impact on them.

      References

1. http://festivals.ilovendia.com
2. http://www.myenglishpages.com/ 
3. http://www.ehow.com/info 
4. http://busyteacher.org/