Regardless of where you go in the world, teachers are the backbone of the education system. Without quality teachers, school districts cannot provide students with the skills that they need to be successful academically. Without teachers, the next generation will not be able to compete in the global economy. These are sureties, and you will find few people who would disagree.

If you have been studying the field of education closely, as we have, you know that it is undergoing a metamorphosis. Students no longer respond to the teacher-centered pedagogy that our forefathers did. No, today’s students are immersed in a technologically advanced world and possess attention spans that last only a few seconds.

Because of this, today’s teacher needs to add a new skill set to their repertoire to be successful. In this article, we will discuss the 11 key attributes that successful digital age teachers possess.

1. Digital age teachers don’t use expensive textbooks. Thanks to the internet, schools no longer must spend money each year on new textbooks. Information is readily available online, and it’s more up-to-date than with print books.
2. Digital age teachers prevent high tech cheating. Digital age teachers are aware of high tech cheating and stay abreast of the latest iterations of it. That way, when their students think they have a new method of academic dishonesty, digital age teachers can use their powers of discernment to stop it before it becomes a trend.
3. Digital age teachers are not afraid of technology. Digital age teachers are never afraid of learning something new, and this includes technology. If it’s been validated and helps them to be better educators, then they are all on board with it. After about a week of tinkering and playing around with the product, they know more about the product than its creators.
4. Digital age teachers are well versed in neuroscience. Neuroscience is the study of how human being learn. Digital age teachers use brain-based learning research to help their students reach their potential.
5. Digital age teachers learn new tech from a student’s perspective first. Whenever a digital age teacher is considering using a new tech tool in the classroom, they learn how to use it from a student’s perspective first. This gives them unique insights as to how they can use the tool or device to help their students grow academically.
6. Digital age teachers use the curriculum responsibly. While a school district may provide them with a set curriculum to teach, digital age teachers decide what is important, what digital tools to integrate it with, how to make it interesting and relevant, and how to measure the progress. Responsibility to the curriculum means that teachers actively make choices that allow them to meet the needs of the learners.
7. Digital age teachers cross their familiar barriers and beliefs to meet the needs of all learners. Digital age teachers must embrace diversity, including differences in ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, disability, and sexual orientation. They must take steps to ensure that they don’t marginalize or exclude any students because their beliefs differ from what you hold dear. They must also commit to bridging the gap, not just with all your students, but also with their families.
8. Digital age teachers are concerned with edtech interoperability. Digital age teachers are concerned with interoperability, the secure and seamless transfer of data and information between different applications and technologies. When considering adopting new digital apps or technologies, they check to make sure that it will “play nice” with their existing tools and platforms.
9. Digital age teachers are hopeful about the future of education. Digital age teachers don’t believe that the future of education is something to dread, they believe that it is to be embraced. They are excited to see what new possibilities the future will bring to the field of education. They can’t wait to see their wildest dreams become an absolute
10. Digital age teachers are resilient. In life, success is determined not so much by what happens to you, but how you react to it. Digital age teachers know this oh so well, and tackle adversity with willpower and resilience. They don’t let failures and mistakes stop them; they keep pressing on towards the mark. In doing so, their students learn perseverance and resilience.
11. Digital age teachers know how to relax. Teaching is an extremely stressful job. Over half of new teachers leave the field by their third year. Digital age teachers have learned how to avoid this, by finding time to destress and relax. They know how to unplug from the classroom and enjoy themselves.

Did we miss anything?

Click here to see all of the posts in our digital age teacher series.