ARE WE READY TO BE TEACHERS FOR GEN Z STUDENTS?

Many parents and teachers complain that students at present no longer focus on studying.
They are busy with gadgets and no more interested to do homework or other school
assignments. They are too lazy to take notes or find the answer from books but depend too
much on google instead. Quite often, parents have a “quarrel” with their children about this.
They want their children study hard just like when they were young, but the children consider
what the parents think out of date.
Actually, we cannot force our learning style to our children or students. There is so much
difference in mental background between parents/teachers and children of present age. We, as
parents and teachers, must realize that there is a decline in our children’s mental condition.
There is a theory stated by Graeme Codrington & Sue Grant-Marshall about the kinds of
generations. The theory is called Generation Theory. It says that after World War II,
generations are divided into:
(1) The Baby Boomer Generation, born 1946-1964;
(2) Generation X, born 1965-1980;
(3) Generation Y, born 1981-1994, often called millennial generation;
(4)Generation Z, born 1995-2010 (also called iGeneration,NetGeneration, InternetGeneration).
(5) Alpha Generation, born 2011-2025.
The five generations have different growth personality development.
According to Generation Theory, Baby Boomer (BB) generation born 1946-1964 and now
in their 50s is a generation with a more responsible person. In reality from small they have been
given responsibilities such as keeping a sister, cooking water, cleaning the house and so forth.
As a result, they always work with full responsibility. But in the eyes of the younger generation
today, they are seen as a person who has a waiting nature of command, must all be in
accordance with the rules, sensitive, irritable, forgetful, nagging and stuttering technology.
The next generation of Generation X (Gen-X), born from 1965-1980 and now aged 35-
40s. This generation is often seen to have a personality of hard work, obedient to parents,
respect for seniors, have a social life, not wasteful, never give up. Judging from the year of
their birth, they have parents who belong to Generation BB. Patterns of children education are
still similar with the generation of BB, that is with harsh discipline. With such education, their
children also have an attitude of responsibility. When they are assigned any task, they will do
it.

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 Generation Y (Gen-Y) was born from 1981 to 1994 and is now 23-30s years old. The
economic condition of their parents is better. Both parents work outdoors. Children born this
year are often labeled as ego-high, individual, dislike to lecture, like to delay work, when
needing to be done, hurrying, ignorant, emphasizing ego, lack of discipline, wasteful, earning
income more than hobby, want to be free from parents and like to choose (compare). Generally,
children of Y generation lack the responsibility training that results in their lack of
responsibility, like anything instant and practical.
Generation Z (Gen Z), born 1995-2010 and now aged 7-20 years. They are often called
iGeneration, Generation Net, Generation Internet.Their parents are generation X and Y.
Alpha Generation (Gen-A), born in 2011-2025 and are now children. Generation Alpha
have parents of the Z generation, whose lifestyle is already influenced by technological
advances (gadgets). Parenting is assisted by household assistants. The impact is that children
often have to ask for help, almost never get the practice of responsibility. The personality of
Alpha generation is formed into spoiled children, less fighting power, easily give up.

Knowing The Characters of Our Students

So, what are the relevancies of knowing the theory to our attitudes in dealing with
students of this digital era? We have to realize it because since childhood they have been
familiar with technology and familiar with advanced gadgets, it will indirectly affect their
mindset, personality, and lifestyle. This is also obvious when they sit in school or college, so
sometimes, the teacher/lecturer, often compare present students with students in the past time
when they were young. That is why, we as teachers need to respond the phenomenon with
wiser attitudes. Since our students are all the Gen Z, we, as teachers and also parents have to
understand the characteristics of these Gen Z children.

Akhmad Sudrajat, an educational expert, said in an article that the generation of the
Internet has characteristics of behavior and personality different from previous generations,
including:
 First, fluent technology. They are the "digital generation" who are proficient and
passionate about information technology and various computer applications. They can
access the various information they need easily and quickly, both for the benefit of
education and the interests of daily life.
 Second, very intense communication and interact with all circles, especially with peers
through various networking sites, such as: FB, twitter, or via SMS. Through this medium,

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 they can express what they perceive and think spontaneously. They also tend to be tolerant
of cultural differences and are very concerned with the environment.
 Third, multitasking. They are accustomed to various activities at one time at a time. They
can read, talk, watch, or listen to music at the same time. They want things to be done and
run fast.
Such rapid technological advances will also impact on the learning process in the
classroom. Z-generation learning style tends to show a lazy attitude when asked to record the
material, or when the teacher explained the lesson. Writing or summarizing lessons for them is
also very burdensome. They prefer to find material on the internet, can copy-paste in a short
time. Whereas it might be possible that there are students who do not read the contents of the
writing of the task they make.
In classroom lessons, they tend to be noisy and less attentive. Lecture method is seen too
boring, experimental method was less interesting. They even cannot answer many repetition
questions, because they are very less time to read the lesson, and prefer "google" to find
answers for them. In the discussion, they also tend to be passive, preferring silence, whereas
much of the material they can get from the internet. The opposite thing when they chat via
BBM, line, whatsapp, or messenger, all the daily quiet, can be "fierce" when chatting.

During the school's extra-curricular activities, for example at Scout camp, if each team
provides its own food, from preparing tools, ingredients, to the group's own work. Now, at
camp, they only bring instant noodles, processed side dishes, and even they can call the food
stalls to provide their food. They just bring mineral water in packs.

Challenges
Undeniably, the impact of technological advancement, has made Generation Z become
easier in non-physical activities, all can be done only from the seat. Ordering food, chatting,
transferring money, reading newspapers published from any city and country, writing status,
listening to music, playing games, all can be done at a time. Another impact, they become lazier
to learn, passive, and tend to ignore the process to get results. In addition, social attitudes are
also low, because they rarely perform social activities in the real world. This is the challenge
teachers must answer. How to teach in the classroom with the mastery of technology to
compensate for students' abilities, how to direct them in a positive direction by utilizing

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technology, and more importantly, how to educate Generation Z without having to lose the
value of character education, noble character, courtesy. If we are able to do so, the process of
generational transfers that will naturally happen will not let us take for granted, but we are
responsible to lead future generation Z that has knowledge and noble character!

How to Respond?

So, how should we, as teacher and parents face the reality? Psychologist Early Utami offers
special tips to play an active role in the lives of this Y and Z generation. The solution offered
is to referee the children. A referee according to Early Utami must meet the requirements of
competence and through a series of tests and selection to be trusted to lead a prestigious
competence. In fact, in addition to the knowledge and skills owned, a referee was required to
have enough flying hours. Like referees, teachers and parents too. In order to be involved in
educating Y or Z students and children, teachers and parents need to improve their capacity in
information and communications technology.
Teachers or parents who have sufficient knowledge, can certainly understand the right or
dangerous application for the students or their children. Teachers and parents can also
understand when the child is allowed to use the smartphone and for what purpose it is used. In
practice, teachers and parents are not enough to just prohibit or limit the use of gadgets. A child
usually cannot just sit still and they may demand that the rules are relaxed. Overcoming this
problem, Early Utami provides advice to keep students busy on other educational activities and
requires concentration as well as involving physical activity. For this, teachers and parents
should provide various positive activity to minimize the use of gadget.
Actually teachers in Indonesia have realized that there is an unlimited new learning
resources, namely the internet. The next challenge is how teachers use these ICT (information
and communication technology) products in meaningful learning situations. Meaningful
meaning here is not just asking the child to use the internet without guidance. Children today
are already literate and skillful use of technology products. But, invite students to learn to
understand the interrelationship between the material on the internet with what is taught is the
responsibility of the teacher completely. It not only aims to stimulate a more interactive and
enjoyable learning environment for students, but also seeks to establish the connection between
theory and student activity in the digital world.

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 Talking about the extent to which the use of digital technology in the education process,
it all depends on how much the desire of teachers to pace themselves. In this case, there are
two types of teachers.
 The first type is the teacher who does not understand about ICT products, but want to
use. This type is usually the senior teachers.
 The second type is a teacher with 5-10year career experience that is already open
enough to use, but needs further introduction.
Actually, there are now many references to sites on the internet that can be their starting
point in equipping themselves Through these educational sites, teachers can actively explore
teaching materials, select them, even develop teaching materials they already have.
Not only that, active here also in the sense that teachers can participate in producing their
teaching materials, for example in the form of presentations that are shared on the internet. So,
teachers who visit the site can adopt it. In fact, more than that, by distributing teaching
materials, they can get constructive feedback from other teachers who access them.
So, which type of teacher are we? Let’s make ourselves teachers who are ready to guide
our students with wiser attitude. It’s not surprising if our students tend to be noisy or
troublesome during the lesson because they are not interested to pay attention because our
teaching methods are considered monotonous and boring. Don’t hesitate to learn from them
how to get accustomed with technologies for it will make us teachers who are at their hearts,
and they will behave nicely during the lessons. Are we ready? Be committed, so we can do it!

REFERENCES :
https://www.kompasiana.com/alipirbudiman/tantangan-guru-di-era-generasi-z
http://www.abasrin.com/2016/01/menjadi-guru-di-era-gadget.html

https://www.femina.co.id/article/kreativitas-guru-di-era-digital-

http://www.tandapagar.com/mengenal-karakter-generasi-yang-lahir-setelah-perang-dunia-ii