The Role of the Teacher in Differentiated Classroom

3. Nurturing healthy curiosity in learners

The best teachers have mastered the art of nurturing healthy curiosity in their students. You should look for candidates who create participatory lesson plans that encompass a wide range of activities to support different learning styles. A teacher should consider themselves as a facilitator, guide, and co-learner in the education process. It’s the teacher’s responsibility to encourage students to take charge of their learning journey. This happens when they engage, rather than suppress, students’ natural curiosity. Look for candidates who can draw parallels between learning goals and lifetime value and design assessments that measure real accomplishments, rather than the ability to memorize subject matter.

4. Creating meaningful learning experiences

Students will be more cooperative if they have some say in the form and content of their curriculum. Teachers can guide students to create learning plans to achieve their goals. They can also help students decide how to demonstrate what they’ve learned. Consider avoiding hiring teachers who think of themselves as "all-knowing" instructors. You need teaching staff who can design engaging learning opportunities through various media. It’s the teacher’s job to curate and build meaningful experiences that allow students to solve everyday challenges in the real world. These experiences lend significance to the theoretical ideas learned in class. They also offer opportunities to nurture skills and mental and physical habits to help students achieve the stipulated educational goals. As a result, students no longer need to memorize abstract information from outdated textbooks. Now, they can apply the knowledge they’ve gained to real-world challenges and actively participate in spreading that knowledge to other learners.

5. Leveraging technology to support learning

New technology has changed every aspect of life, and education needs to reflect this to prepare students for the world outside school. The old method of teaching was necessary because information was scarce. Teachers immersed themselves in the material to instruct a large group simultaneously. Now, there’s a surplus of information from many sources. Modern teaching goals should be about helping students parse information, think critically, solve problems, query information sources, and make educated decisions. As a result of these changes, teachers can spend more time working in small groups or one-on-one with students to achieve these goals. Training can also help teachers understand how to use technology and devices to teach children.

6. Mediating and liaising

Teachers often have to liaise and mediate among the various stakeholders in the education landscape. For example, students may ask teachers to help them relay critical information to their parents or vice versa. Similarly, teachers can offer valuable insights when school boards and parents don’t agree on school policies or strategic decisions. Working directly with both the administrators and parents, they’re well-placed to act as mediators and represent learners’ best interests. In class, teachers can step in to resolve conflicts between students or act in cases where school regulations have been violated. It’s important to ask about each candidate’s position on critical school policies before hiring them. Asking about how they would handle various situations gives you some insight into their ability to mediate and liaise on the job.

7. Researching learning strategies

Teachers must take time to keep informed about changes that affect learning or education. The world is changing at a fast pace, and no teacher should be complacent about what they know, even in the subjects of their specialization. The overwhelming amount of information on all subjects escalates the pace of research and discovery. Teachers shouldn’t be caught off-guard, teaching outdated principles that the world has moved on from. Research can help teachers appreciate the different learning dynamics in the modern school environment. Armed with these insights, they can spend time mentoring new teachers to prepare them for the complexity of today’s learning environment.