Are teachers becoming less influential than before?

With advanced technology and new way of parenting, some people believe that nowadays teachers exert less impact on students than before. From my perspective, teachers are more influential than they were in the past. A mediocre teacher imparts knowledge, but a more influential teacher helps students shape outlook on life and values.

Technology advances, the Internet in particular, enable students to get information they want by simply searching through keywords. Students can enjoy learning in a fast and funny manner. However, surfing the web sometimes teaches less self-disciplined students wrong lessons and bad habits. It is teachers’ role to provide guidance. When doing a project, for instance, students are likely to merely present a list of numbers without in-depth analysis. Teachers not only direct them to interpret the data in a synthetic way, but also offer personal advice on body language and teamwork, which is hardly learned online.

It seems that parents today are no longer the same as they used to be. Expecting high of their children, parents are willing to invest in education. So they are always busy at work even in the evenings. Teachers, by contrast, have more opportunities to interact with their students during the days, which makes it clear that they have an edge when it comes to developing a student’s mind. Some well-educated parents tend to homeschool their children for general education. But school teachers give students a systematic and better way to approach a particular subject. And classroom environment is a powerful place to encourage active learning in the form of group discussion, which is not always present in a child’s home. And the relationship between teacher and student grows more equal these days. Students with strong individuality may challenge teachers directly in class. Teaching strategies should be constantly revised to keep pace with the time.

After looking at the above, it can be seen that nowadays teachers are becoming more influential than before.