As a teacher, the notion of being replaced by robots and AI is somewhat annoying, and it casts a cloud of doubt on the future of education and my role in it. While the introduction of technological innovation has undoubtedly improved different spheres of professions, teaching inclusively to a substantial level, the idea of it taking sole control of my role in this field poses a high level of intimidation and surrealism.
Like I said in this article last week, I'm a teacher by profession, and I do love my job. When it comes to teaching, the role of humans in impacting knowledge is second to none. Aside from this, our empathetic traits give us an edge over machines, who are mostly automatic. The human connections I made with students gave me the ability to understand them better and then guide and mentor them in not just acquiring knowledge but also brooding their morals, character, and values as individuals.
It's understandable that even though machines haven't taken full control of the education industry, we've seen their impact in the way knowledge is impacted on students, which has made it seamless and easy to understand. Educational apps that provide interactive lessons and assessments are amazing and help students stay close to education tools wherever they find themselves.
The idea of robots taking over my job and being said to be better than I'm as a teacher is a notion I totally disagree with because, even though technology innovation has improved education and would keep on evolving, I doubt it'll ever have the kind of human touch we teachers showcase to our students in the classroom.
The ability to diagnose the problems of each child and mentor them to be better is something robots can't ever attain because they don't have what it takes to be human, so as a teacher, I would impact these students in a more proficient way that makes them not only academically sound but also a vast and well-rounded individual fit enough to dominate our evolving world.
If robots were to take full control of the education industry today, it'd be a very difficult transition, especially for us humans in this field, and that's because our years of dedication and impact in improving the teaching and learning interactions between students and teachers have all gone to waste, and our time and skills invested in a job we're passionate about would no longer be in demand, leaving us with a requirement to seek refuge in other professions that machines can most likely not take over.
For me personally, life won't be the same, although I know I do complain about how stressful teaching is in the public school where I teach. Aside from this, there's this joy I derive from impacting knowledge into these young minds; their faces on a daily basis bring joy to my heart, and having to let go of all of that in a world where machines take over my duties would require a high level of resilience and adaptation to sail through.
The reality of being obsolete in a profession of my dreams can be very hard to take in. For some, it might be easy if they've got other skills that's valuable and can be implemented elsewhere, while for others who have no other skills, life could be a bit difficult and getting another job is like an impossible task. This could lead to depression and a lack of zeal to move on with life because the number of years invested in your passion has been deemed abortive, and you're more like an obsolete and unwanted person in what you love doing.
But then, when it comes to how I'll survive as a teacher who has been deemed obsolete, personally, I won't find it so hard to evolve, and that's because I've invested in myself to the point where I've acquired multiple skills that make me not just a teacher, counselor, and important factor to society in the area of education; I've acquired skills outside this profession that can put me in high demand and be important to my world in my little way.
Like I once said in one of my articles, I've been privileged to learn about tailoring, decoration, shoemaking, and hair styling to a substantial level, and all of this put together could be a survival mechanism for me in a time when artificial intelligence takes over my first and major profession as a teacher, though evolving into that would require some time and a need to acquire more knowledge in this new field so as to stay relevant and up-to-date with the latest styles of sewing and dressings.
And with time, I'll be better and start making waves in my new profession and making something meaningful to my life in it, hoping the technology revolution won't take over it as it does to teaching.
But that's just all a fantasy that I believe can't happen, and so there's no need to fear. Instead, as teachers, in order to stay relevant, we must always acquire more knowledge, especially in the field of technology, so we can use its tools to aid our teaching and, in the end, get better results.
That's about it for now. I hope you enjoyed the read. Do have a wonderful day and stay blessed.
Thumbnail designed on canva