Teachers should do more than deliver lessons by creating classrooms where learners gain the confidence to speak up, question ideas respectfully and face challenges without backing down, teacher and AI expert Daniel Mwendwa Katula has said.
Speaking on Radio Generation on Thursday, Katula said teachers play an important role in shaping learners’ confidence, values and character, in addition to helping them gain academic knowledge.
He said learners should be helped to understand the reason behind classroom tasks instead of being expected to follow instructions without asking questions.
“You have to assign value to that particular task. So they need to see this is why we have to do this particular task. It helps with your learning and all that.”
Katula said giving learners room to question instructions in a respectful manner can help them develop confidence and prepare them for situations where they will be required to make decisions, express their views and deal with difficult situations.
“If you've interacted with Braeburn circles, one of the key outcomes of the three is confident individuals. At the end of the day, what you're trying to raise is a confident individual. So they do not shrink from the challenges of the time. So we have to nurture that confidence now and create room for it.”
His comments come ahead of World Teachers’ Day on October 5, an annual event that recognises the work of teachers and draws attention to the conditions they need to support learners effectively.
The 2026 World Teachers’ Day will mark 60 years since the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. This year's theme is “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures.”
UNESCO says the 2026 observance will focus on new pressures facing teachers, including digital technology, inclusion, climate change and changing expectations around the teaching profession.
Katula said teachers should also be willing to listen when learners offer different views instead of treating disagreement as a sign of disobedience.
“We should not be afraid of learners’ suggestions. When a student disagrees with an instruction, they can express it respectfully by explaining why they think otherwise, giving the teacher an opportunity to explain the importance of the task.”
He said the confidence built in school should help learners beyond the classroom by enabling them to deal with challenges and communicate their ideas in an appropriate manner.
The approach, he added, also requires teachers to accept that learners can sometimes have information or ideas that the teacher does not have.
Katula said educators should view themselves as people who guide the learning process, giving students an opportunity to share what they know, especially as digital technology has made information more accessible.
“My role in that particular classroom is to facilitate learning. So, if a child comes with an idea I didn't know about, I won't start and say, ‘Oh, I know,’ and I'm trying to justify that I know. I give the child a space, explain to us. That's fantastic. We all learn. So we are in the learning process together.”
The focus on confidence and participation also fits within Kenya’s competency-based curriculum, which lists self-efficacy, communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and imagination, citizenship, digital literacy and learning to learn among the seven core competencies expected in basic education.
UNESCO says teachers who are properly trained, supported and valued are central to quality education. It estimates that the world will face a shortage of 44 million teachers by 2030, with sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia among the regions facing a major challenge.
Katula said strengthening teachers’ role as facilitators can help create classrooms where learners take part actively while continuing to respect their educators.
He also said teachers need to be prepared to respond to questions from learners and help them express disagreement in a constructive way.
As World Teachers’ Day approaches, Katula's message puts greater focus on the role of the classroom in raising young people who can communicate confidently, take part in discussions, apply what they learn and face challenges in a changing society.