Learning institutions play an integral role in ensuring that people from all walks are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills that would make them become productive individuals in the society. In order to realize this goal, these institutes employ instructors who have been broadly categorized into two groups, namely career technical instructor (CTI) and academic instructors. CTI’s take students through technical and vocational oriented courses like agriculture, automobile repairs, and culinary arts (National Board, 2014). These teachers, particularly give the students a theoretical and practical insight into the course content that is essential in their respective fields of the profession (Bureau of Labor, 2016). CTI’s mold the learners so that they can be fit for a particular occupation.
In an effort to ensure that the students gain such skills, CTI’s often devise diverse teaching methodologies that are particular to a given occupation. They practically demonstrate activities, methodologies, and show tools that are necessary for a given job. At some point, they may opt to assign the learners hands-on activities like land cultivation using a tractor, microscopy, or taking and recording temperatures of patients. In most cases CTI’s will supervise these assignments in farms, workshops or laboratories to ensure that the students follow the procedures that were taught in class (Bureau of Labor, 2016). Some teachers may feel philanthropic enough to establish connections with local businesses and NGO’s to equip his/her students with practical skills. While working in these businesses, the learners engage in vast dynamic projects, which are challenging and force them to become critical thinkers and professionals. In addition, they may also play the advisory part to students who take part in exhibitions that are skills oriented.
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Nevertheless, the duties of CTI’s exhibit diversity in relation to the level and the courses they teach. In middle-level schools and secondary institutions, they equip the learners with general concepts through various class work and practical activities in workshops and experiments in laboratories. In tertiary institutions, CTI’s tend to be career specific. They impart skills that aid students to graduate at various levels, such as a certificate, diploma or a degree and make them become competitive for a particular job category. CTI’s in the welding field, for example, will always want to ensure that their learners are well informed on diverse welding methodologies coupled with the measures that will ensure their safety at the workplace. They will also study how their students fare on with the use of tools and equipment while performing their tasks. The teachers normally make the students practice some procedures repeatedly so that they can meet certain standards that are required in that field (National Board, 2014).
CTI’s in middle and secondary schools normally pick on one subject among the 16 known career Clusters and expound on it. A good example is in the field of architecture. The instructor might decide to focus on one field such as building, planning, structure maintenance or designing. Instructors in agriculture and food industry might focus on agricultural production, food systems or veterinary science among others. The instructors may also instill learners with skills that will enable them to work as technicians and assistants like research assistants and field technicians in the agricultural sector (Bureau of Labor, 2016). CTI’s in the field of hospitality and tourism industries might opt to pick on a subject such as nutrition or hotel lodging. Often, the teacher will instruct and oversee the learners in creating menus as well as food preparation. The instructors may also instill learners with skills that will enable them to work as technicians and assistants like research assistants and field technicians in the agricultural sector.
Technical instructors are vital in our states because the world presently requires individuals who are well informed and skilled in their relevant fields. In order for nations to sustain productivity and become competitive globally, they need a task force that is productive in terms of innovativeness. In the past decade, most countries were having a big crisis in relation to finding expertise that possesses robust problem-solving abilities. Nonetheless, the skills that are instilled by CTI’s tend to address most of the hurdles being faced in this 21st century in diverse fields such as agriculture and business (National Board, 2014). As aforementioned, CTI’s provide their learners with expertise that is applicable in the real world and that makes them develop superior careers. They not only focus on knowing their students’ needs, rather they help them to know themselves much better.
The CTI’s, on the other hand, need to be updated with the various ever changing trends in our complex world and establish how they can be overcome. This would require them to maintain touch with their outside environment. In fact, this will act as a rostrum for them to build novel opportunities that would make their students become competitive after their course work. A suture CTI is one who embraces reflection. They analyze to gauge the effects of their instructions before, during and after a learning activity (National Board, 2014). These teachers scrutinize the conclusions driven from their learning surroundings and certain practices in order for them to take a clear and purposeful action that would have a significant impact on their learners. Sometimes their actions may backfire; however, they will be required to scrutinize the situation further while establishing contact with their external environment before they resume their deliberations. CTI’s can use journals to provide an insight on the happenings before and provide information on how it ought to change. Through a keen examination of their students and holding a belief on what they can be in the end acts as an impetus that motivates CTI’s to devise strategies that ensure continued student development (National Board, 2014).
Unlike the CTI’s, the Academic instructors often focus on imparting theoretical knowledge. They mainly encourage their students to be extensive readers. Learners in such instances are made to believe that information is power and will spend most of their time in books and journals. On most occasions, this category of teachers worked on an already set syllabus thus they tend to be focusing more on syllabus completion. Learners of these instructors will have a theoretical know how, but lack the hands-on experience part of it. This trait renders them unfit to address global crisis practically. In summary, the CTI’s have an upper hand when it comes to training individuals who would be well placed to deal with the economic and industrial challenges that the world if facing today.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2016). Career and Technical Education Teachers: Occupational Handbook. 2016-17 Edition. Department of Labor, U.S. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/career-and-technical-education-teachers.htm
National Board. (2014). Career and Technical Education Standards. 2nd edition. National Board Certification . Retrieved from http://boardcertifiedteachers.org/sites/default/files/EAYA-CTE.pdf
