In this modern, digital age, multigrade teachers need to be flexible and be able to adapt to whatever is thrown their way. New technologies are developed every day that can change the way pupils learn, and the way teachers teach. Likewise, administrators are changing and updating expectations and learning standards. Being able to adapt is a skill that every modern teacher must have. If it is being able to adapt to the way students learn, the behavior their classroom exhibits, or their lesson plans, it is a definitely a trait that is a must-have.
According to Alpay (2019), a multigrade teacher in the multigrade classes could be classified as space-age teacher, innovative teacher, passionate teacher and HOTS teacher.
Space-Age Teacher
Space- Age teachers need to be competent not only in their basic skills, but also in their new skill. Teachers need to embrace change, move into their pupils’ worlds, and step outside their comfort zones. In a multigrade setting, learning should be a collaborative effort between the teachers and the pupils. Teachers should learn alongside their pupils and not be afraid to ask others for help. On the other side, pupils should take an active role in their learning.
Multigrade teachers are doing their best to give what is right and just for all the learners. Teachers are not just relying on the traditional way of teaching which is just using board and chalk instead they mostly use and integrate different ICT in their daily teaching to ensure that the children are learning and can cope up with the digitalized era.
Innovative Teacher
On the other hand, from the word “innovative” which means “creative”, multigrade teachers must be creative enough on finding ways on how they will guide their pupils with different activities that will enhance their capabilities. Being innovative does not only mean not trying new things, but questioning pupils, making real-world connections and cultivating a creative mindset. It is getting their pupils to take risks and having them learn collaboratively. Aside from relying on the technologies, teachers are also innovative, they know that their pupils have different needs and skills.
Differentiated activities more often than not are being utilized by the multigrade teachers because it can boost the skills of the learners. As it says, every learner has different learning styles; therefore, it should be matched with different teaching strategies. With different activities, children become more cooperative with their classmates and used their skills to cope with different activities.
Passionate Teacher
Every teacher could be a passionate teacher. A passionate teacher is the one who engages young pupils in the excitement of learning and ideas. The passionate teacher draws on the voices, stories, and success of teachers in multigrade classrooms to provide a guide of becoming, and remaining, a passionate teacher despite day-to-day obstacles.
It is a must that the teacher can get attention of every learner to boost their eagerness to learn day by day. Teachers’ skills in providing fun and enjoyable learning environment is very important so that the learners will not be bored in the class, instead they will always bear in mind that learning is fun and it will motivate them to come to school every day and at the end of the day, they will look forward on coming to school the next day with excitement.
HOTS Teacher
One of the main 21st century components that multigrade teachers want their pupils to use are higher-order thinking skills. This is when pupils use complex ways to think about what they are learning. Higher-order thinking takes thinking to a whole new level. Pupils using it are understanding higher levels rather than just memorizing facts. They would have to understand the facts, infer them, and connect them to other concepts.
Use of HOTS in teaching and learning process by the multigrade teachers are very evident and very helpful in both part of the teachers and the pupils as well because it enhances the teaching skills of the teachers and the thinking skills of the learners. Through HOTS it is not just the ability of the pupils to answer is being measured but the teachers’ capacity to form and use it in every lectures is also being assessed.