Teachers’ role is thought to be no longer necessary in today’s education because students can search information from a wider range of source and gain knowledge without teacher. In my opinion, I partly disagree with this viewpoint due to some reasons I will analyze in this essay.
The amount of data provided by the Internet and books may be more precise and much more than that provided by teachers, but it also has drawbacks. Firstly, reading books gives learners an access to an abundant and useful knowledge, helping them to become knowledgeable and improve their imagination as well as the ability to memorize. Despite its advantages, it may take students a lot of time in the library to find appropriate books to read. Instead, teachers can make the information in books become more concise and easier to understand, saving time for their students. Secondly, it is undeniable that the Internet and AI are becoming more and more common thanks to their convenience and versatility. Just by typing a question, learners can easily search the data they need immediately, by many ways including images and texts. AI websites such as ChatGPT and Gemini have varied potential abilities, from analyzing and summarizing the data to creating images and contents, which is believed to replace many human tasks. However, the information provided by AI is not always precise; it is even mechanical because it is just algorithms, leading to a lack of learning motivation in students, which can be solved by teachers.
Although teachers are no longer the main source of information nowadays, they still play a crucial role as mentors and influencers. This is because teachers are trained to not only provide knowledge appropriately but also instruct their students to learn in a right and effective way. On the other hand, it is quite challenging for students to study by themselves without instruction, especially preschool and primary school children, potentially leading to some lack of understanding or even misunderstanding. Moreover, teachers can inspire their students with a motivation to learn harder and become better because of their dedication and spirit, which AI and books do not have. Therefore, they can boost their students’ academic performance. Besides, teachers also have an impact on students’ personality. The best teachers are not necessarily those who have the best students, but the ones who are kind, intelligent, and confident.
In conclusion, the emergence of different sources of information are beneficial to students, but it does not mean that the role of teachers is no longer essential in education. Because materials are just only part of learning process, understanding them is more important and it is best supported by a teacher.