How To Become An Educator

                                                How  To Become An Educator
That Saves The Young                                                                                                       
by  Ronilo D. Perez


Man is a complex being.  A multi-faceted being comprising of physical-emotional-mental-spiritual aspects. As complex as he/she is, educating Man is a complicated process. It usually requires the skill of a master of a multi-faceted craft or skill. No less than a masterful display of talents/abilities could do the job.  Educating Man while he/she is at a tender age would do the trick . Just like a bamboo tree as pliant as it is, so it is with the process of educating Man while he/she is still at  a young age.  Experience tells us that it is easy to teach a youngster many lessons in life compared to an adult who cannot easily adapt to new things, especially when it requires a dramatic change in lifestyle.


Who then can be identified as an 'educator.'  An educator is more than a teacher, instructor, mentor, adviser, coach. Having said that, who can be considered an 'educator?'  An educator is a professional, skilled in the science and art of educating someone, especially a youngster. He/she plays multi-faceted roles. He/she is a master who possesses many talents/abilities.  A professional who has the passion of educating the young, he/she plays multi-faceted roles of a father-mother, best friend-confidant, teacher-instructor, mentor-coach-adviser rolled into one.


The young is exposed to many negative forces that bring about negative values.  Youngsters are bombarded by media with values that tend to degrade his character/attitude, transforming personalities into beast-like behaviour.  For instance, as simple an act as playing video games, could change the mindset of the young. Constant exposure to internet and movies that promote 'sex and violence' could turn our youngsters into a race who develops predisposition to do harm than do good to society.  Technological changes could prod our young to an inordinate desire or cravings to possess all these latest 'tech-goods' if I may coin that word.  This predilection leads to crass materialism. Thus we see the prevalence of consumerism. That philosophy upholding the supremacy of material things over spiritual/filial values dehumanizes our young.  This culture has the tendency to downplay the importance of instilling in our young  positive, morally-uplifting values such as honesty, sincerity, truthfulness and the like. Hence, our young develops leanings towards the negative facets of life rather than accentuating or subscribing to what are considered as morally-sound upright values.


Given these bleak scenario, what should be done then? What is the recommended course of action to  reverse this dire situation such that it would have a positive impact on the young? If the young is being bombarded with negative values from all sides of the media world,  morally-upright people should spearhead the campaign to bombard the young with positive values thru the very same media that those unscrupulous people use to inculcate those diabolical values.  A relentless campaign to instill positive values such as honesty, sincerity, charity, truthfulness and suchlike on the youth should be done without any let up to stem the outrageous culture of sex, violence and crass materialism.


Who should spearhead this campaign?  We should develop "educators" who will cleanse society of this menace and exercise leadership over our young to make a positive impact on their hearts and minds.  No less than a paradigm shift is called for among our school authorities business-political leaders, and all those who are in  authority and  exercising some kind of clout or leverage over the young in our society, to make a dent on their lives.  Authorities, both political and business leaders alike, should vouch for and introduce so-called 'Educators' curriculum/curricula to our schools and universities to raise up groups of leaders who will transform the hearts and minds of the young in particular and thus society, in general.


A synergistic/holistic/comprehensive approach must be implemented to come up with a curriculum for the 'Educator' as a professional who has the combined expertise of a teacher-instructor, mentor-coach, best friend-confidant, parent-guardian all rolled into one.  This new profession should develop the skills to help mould the cognitive/psychic/physique/spiritual nature of the young and inculcate in them a new mind-set to help them develop a new outlook-perspective in life. The Educator should have the know-how to enable them to goad and to stir the young to have a 'paradigm shift' of their own in order to make a considerable impact on their behavioural traits.


The 'Educator' Curriculum is envisioned to be five-year course, where completion of this degree plus the passing of its board exam would qualify the candidate to acquire a professional title aptly called 'Certified Public Educator(CPE).'      A  CPE could specialize in the teaching of math or science or other subjects but has the added skill of an adviser-mentor with a fatherly or motherly concern for his/her students. A CPE could assume the role of a math teacher but in the same breath play the role of a close friend-confidant-mentor and so on....and so forth.


The revolutionary process would help them to become 'catalyst' in their own right and thus we will see our societies changed for the better in the years to come through its implementation.  In no time we will witness a considerable transformative effect on the values of the young if this 'breakthrough' program would materialize.


I  enjoin you to participate in this quest and help revolutionize the world of our youngsters.