I Care About Personality Not Looks

I have been thinking lately that I could be replaced by any other teacher doing my job, and nobody would notice the difference. And if I think about the cashier in the supermarket, or the driver in the bus where I am writing this, it would be like that too. Is this progress, being so easily replaceable? Is this really a good thing, being just cogs in the machinery? I don't think so.

Personality must be our resistance. Showing who we are doing our work. Not being workers. Being Mr.X or Mrs.Y at work.

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novembermoon · 51-55

I don't think teachers can ever be replaced by robots. I correct myself. It should be 'I don't think good teachers can ever be replaced by robots'. If a teacher's job is simply to follow a lesson plan, go into class and deliver the plan, come out and grade pupils' assignments, then maybe a robot can do that better and more efficiently.

But for a teacher who sees teaching as an extension of himself or herself, I don't think this can be replicated by a machine. More and more, we see automation at work. But it is my firm belief that one who gives his unique self at work can never be replaced.

It is true that as society progresses, there is greater mass production of ideas and even teaching methods. All that hype about 'learning styles' or 'thinking protocols' or ' cooperative learning'. It is the teacher who makes classes come alive for learners, not methods or plans.

And teachers have feelings. If we ignore the teacher as a human, everything goes down the gutter.

You are a great teacher and you know you can never be replaced. Anyone who tries to do that will find they have huge shoes to fill. And they cannot do it.

Cierzo · M

I agree totally with the paragraph before the last one.It does not apply only to teachers, but to every single work.
Good teachers cannot be replaced by robots...in a system where we want to make good persons out of our students. If the aim of the system is just to produce efficient workers, or have kids guarded while their parents are at work, a robot can do it 😞

novembermoon · 51-55

@Cierzo: yes. Exactly. It has to start with the leaders. I don't know about elsewhere but where I am, I feel people are passive, just clocking the hours and not thinking much or voicing much.

I enjoy working with leaders who dares to put a personal stamp on school policies, according to their beliefs of how education should be done, not some compliant follower who takes ministry instruction and parrots some propaganda words. It makes a great difference to the work environment.

Cierzo · M

@novembermoon: So true. Of course it is easier to be the compliant servant just following orders from above. Those leaders you talk about are rare. First concern is to avoid trouble

novembermoon · 51-55

@Cierzo: yes. Sad but true. We see it every day.