Coaching, Interpreting and Motivating

In this post, I want to give some examples of jobs that teachers of the future might do in place of what we see as their primary role today. Looking into the future is like trying to look around a corner. So, I am not completely sure how this will turn out. But, I think I can give some examples of kind.

For the sake of simplicity, I am going to divide educational activities into two categories: there are things you just have to learn and things that change who you are as a person.  The things you just have to learn are things like grammar, math, science, foreign languages, interpreting essays, computer programming, vocations and the like. These are usually the things that are tested on objective tests and these are the things that should be automated.

There are also a lot of personal habits that you need to develop including figuring out how to get things done, figuring out how to make sense out of things, and figuring out how to get yourself going. These requirements give rise to new roles for teachers and mentors: Coaching, Interpreting, and Motivating.

Coaching: Do you need to get organized? Do you need to manage your time better? Do you need to figure out how to approach problems and tasks so that they do not seem overwhelming? Do you need to prioritize or just not forget important things in the chaos of daily life? Well, if the answer to any of these things is yes, you need a coach. A coach will help you develop a disciplined way to achieve your goals.

Interpreting: Are you wondering what it is all about? Is life not as satisfying as it should be? Do you wonder why good things that happen to you are not as good as things that happen to other people while the bad things that happen to you are worse? If so, you need someone to help give you perspective. You need an interpreter.   An interpreter will help you find ways to look at the events of your life so that they not only make sense but can be understood in the most positive way possible.

Motivating: Do you have trouble achieving your goals. Are you slow to get started in the morning due to lack of interest? Do you lack the discipline to do things that you feel are important to do? Do you need someone to light a fire under you or better yet ignite your inner fire? If so, you need a motivator. A motivator will help get you energized so that life is not a constant uphill battle and so that you can achieve things the make your life more satisfying.

These three examples are roles that cannot easily be done by automated educational software. They are roles that really do require a person. Teachers, generally, enjoy these aspects of teaching the most and most people, when looking nostalgically back on their favorite teacher are remembering him or her in one of these roles.

So, automating the less exciting aspects of education will free up teachers to address these more interesting and in many ways more important roles.