The world’s pace is fast—or is it really? Time has changed from the discovery of fire to igniting fire in our minds. They say the world is changing; people are rushing every day in subways, streets, and stairways to reach their destinations. When the pandemic struck the Philippines, it seemed like everything stopped. There was a reset. But the reset was not about going back to the primitive world; rather, it became a gateway to a world we have no choice but to embrace—to adapt to.

As a teacher, one of the most cliché statements I hear every day is, “The kids of today are far different from the kids before.” Yes, this is definitely true. When you talk to kids, or when a child approaches you, they would say, “Teacher, I saw your post,” or “Teacher, I followed you on social media.” What do these words imply? To put it simply—technology.

We are in an era where technology runs our everyday lives, not just for students but for us as well. We live in a time when it feels like everyone knows a lot because information is at the tip of our fingertips. Everything is easy, accessible, and often free. We no longer have to run to our local libraries for information. We do not have to go to internet cafés just to search for information.

If resources are so easy to access, how are we, as educators, living in these “interesting times”?

Personally, I find it convenient to teach and impart knowledge to my students. Some are participative and even share information that I failed to find. However, there are also some who show little interest in the lessons we teach - distracted and unfocused. Students today need to be stimulated with different strategies and teaching methods because most of them are more auditory and visual learners. As teachers, we no longer have to be resourceful alone—we must also be innovative. Getting students’ interest is challenging because of the technologies they encounter every day.

As an English teacher, you can no longer simply read to them or let them read literary texts—you have to be creative in how you present them. It has become a requirement for every teacher to integrate technology and be more creative in its utilization. Thus, as educators, we need to evolve with time and remain interesting in order to meet the needs of our learners.

Update #1: Being an Educator in "Interesting Time"