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| Ivan Dumace Chihale |
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The society in which we live is profoundly permeated by the knowledge and abilities elaborated through the formal schooling processes. And the school, whilst being a modern institution, is therefore co-responsible for the shaping of individuals, acting together with other universal institutions such as the family and religion (church), in this task of conveying education to people. Education is at the heart of human progress. The very best educational systems have as their own “purpose of education which is to prepare people to be successful, productive, and engaged members of society, and in so doing, shape sustainable societies, enhance economies, and improve lives” (Cisco).
Education has been fundamental for development in any society, and the teacher ought to be a promoter and mediator of the learning process. In Mozambique and elsewhere, in order for this task to be successfully undertaken, it is important that the curriculum be designed with relevant and practical subjects. Curriculum should enable and stimulate a practical learning process in order to produce thinkers who aim to produce knowledge and followers. “Today, education is undergoing change at an unprecedented rate. Today’s students need new skills, taught in new ways. Teachers need to develop new material and deliver it differently” (Libane). Which means learning in new ways: solving real problems, using multiple disciplines, etc. Countries that fail to invest in education and their students (or invest in the wrong areas) will be left behind. Being an effective new generation educator, one has to believe, receive, and have the Holy Spirit as the dependable helper. The Holy Spirit teaches, inspires, guides, and gives wisdom. Being an effective new generation educator also means:
Becoming more a researcher than transmitter: “A true teacher is the one who, amongst other aspects, knows how to, listen, to observe, to reflect and to prospect always” (Labaneo). As once was said, “Each classroom is a research project” (Pitzl). In so being, becoming an effective new generation educator means also that, the educator has to know how to equate the subjects and activities, analyze mistakes, make suitable questions, formulate hypothesis, systematize contents, output information and evaluate the learning process. The educator today is not only the one who educates, but one who also learns continually, in a horizontal, human and reciprocal educator-learner relationship. No one is born a master, but masters are made. “A professional is not who knows everything, but he who masters one knowledge” (Rivers).
Human nature Comprehension: Everyone who deals with human nature has to know something about what he deals with; and in knowing the human nature it is important to state that the most important element in order to become an effective educator is to know what the educator is, in himself. All will agree that an example is worth more than merely words, and Jesus gave us the example on this. That is why is said of Him, “He was the greatest educator in the history. He transformed the dry ground of human personality in a garden of dreams” (Cury). John 2:25 says, “And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (KJV). “Jesus, having this comprehension of the human nature, could unmask the abilities of His learners, as well as their needs, attitudes, and motives, and taught them in the light of what they knew” (Price).
Willingness to serve and believe in the transforming power of teaching (Price): This also goes together with preparing the individual to deal the uncertainty, with the complexity in decision making, and being responsible for that decision: To be an effective educator in our world today, it means to prepare the society to live together in a changing world, where things and people move quickly, knowledge is renewed daily, and distances shorten rapidly. The Master was not teaching the truth only, but He was teaching people, and the Scriptures and other materials were just the means to get this goal achieved. Even the Bible highlights that, those are not an end, but they, as it states in 2 Tim 3:16,17 “Are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”(Bible)
Be more reflexive than “a memorizer: This means have the ability to face the unforeseen, know how to live and be sociable, being able to create, criticize, question and learn in a significant way, also considering diverse points of view for problem solving. “Add value to each individual’s ideas” (Pitzl).
Conclusion: “Today's economic and social realities require changes to the ways education is delivered, and today's educators must be able to use technology to facilitate learning and help students excel in the global community” (Cisco). The main goal of an effective educator is not only to convey knowledge, because these are available and easily accessible by the learners; the objective now is to develop competencies and abilities, and produce thinkers. The major challenges for today’s educators are to teach students how to become learners, develop competencies and prepare them for a world in constant transformation. “Truth in the tomb helps no one; truth in the womb gives birth” (Rivers). As professional educators and instructors we must produce professional results and know that we are called to challenge and encourage each single individual to give birth to the truth and gifts hidden inside each man. As it is said in 2 Tim 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (KJV).
REFERENCES:
CURY, Augusto, O MESTRE INESQUECÍVEL. São Paulo: Academia de Inteligência, 2003.220p.
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le21/downloads/689/educause.pdf
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le21/downloads/689/educause.pdf
KING JAMES VERSION, Bible
LIBANEO, José Carlos. DIDACTICS, Cortez Publisher, 1994
PITZL, Professor Michal P.
