The Necessity of Globally Competent Teachers

Why is it important for you to become a "Global Educator"? What is your personal definition of "Global Competence"?

After reading Teacher Preparation in the Global Age, I can readily assert that I believe it is imperative to become a global educator.  As I enter the classroom, I am faced with the task of preparing students for a world in which all facets of our society are interwoven with that of innumerable other countries.  As the Ameri-centric perspective becomes more entwined with non-Western views, it is essential that students have a firm understanding of cultural, economic and governmental variances and their societal impacts.  In addition, a global educator must encourage growth within students of open-mindedness and empathy.  These are two essential characteristics which will set apart the globally educated student from the student merely taught to pass an End-of-Course Exam. 

The goal of educators must be to develop globally competent students.  Global competence is the inherent appreciation of diversity, thirst for knowledge and understanding of other cultures and an acknowledgement that different does not necessarily mean “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong.”  I hope that as a global educator I can impart to all my students the understanding that there are multiple ways of viewing any situation and that more often than not no one correct viewpoint exists, merely different opinions held to be truths in the eyes of the beholder.  Global competence is the understanding that differences are acceptable and in fact can be beneficial to societies worldwide.  I hope that my students will demonstrate an indelible appreciation of diversity and the desire to explore other cultures.  

In order to impart these qualities to our students and expand their repertoire of skills, it is first necessary for the teacher to possess these qualities and skills.  Therefore a global educator must epitomize the globally competent citizen and clearly demonstrate the importance of this to students. The global educator makes it a priority to gain pertinent knowledge in their field on a global scale, incorporating it into daily lessons and discussions. Students will appreciate the relevancy and novelty of such knowledge.