Does the Word ‘Teacher’ Still Describe What Educators Do in the Classroom?

An article that popped up on my alerts this week really sparked my attention.  It is entitled Does the Word ‘Teacher’ Still Describe What Educators Do in the Classroom?  Just the title alone got me thinking about how many roles the teacher does, in fact, play in the classroom.  Lately, I have heard the term “classroom facilitator” be used a lot when it comes to teachers.  Yes, we teach our students but we are also facilitating while they explore with technology or other resources, in a way teaching themselves. 

            The article mentions an author by the name of Heidi Williams who states, “teaching practice has changed and the expectations put on teachers are vast, noting that they are expected to pre-assess to gauge where students are beginning from, learn multiple technology tools, differentiate their instruction, finding out students’ interests and habits, personalize their instruction and ensure continued growth (Abamu 2017).” I obviously know the demands that a teacher faces because I am a teacher.  It is challenging because when your class, you have to find a way to teach every student in that class and meet each of them at whatever level they are on.

            I started to reflect on how we have to alter our teaching methods and strategies to meet out ELL students.  When we have them use all of this wonderful technology and resources that we are learning about, part of our job is in fact facilitating and monitoring their usage and progress.  There is no doubt in my mind that as time goes on and we have more exposure to different tools, our roles as teachers will continue to change.

Does the Word ‘Teacher’ Still Describe What Educators Do in the Classroom?