Teaching – reflection, questions, decisions
Becoming a professional and caring teacher is, indeed, a challenging task because one should conceive the main elements of effective learning, planning, and teaching with particular reference to existing social, cultural and political aspects affecting children in schools. More importantly, an outstanding teacher should be a great decision-maker and problem-solver as well because coping with children presupposes facing a number of challenges in ethical, moral, and psychological terms.
All decisions and problems should be presented with regard to the current law and regulations establishing the basic teaching procedures. In addition, a future instructor should be aware of the roles he/she will take while dealing with students with different learning backgrounds. Incorporating all the above-presented components into a complex unit enables future teachers to understand what it means to become a great teacher and what the basics of quality teaching are.
With regard to the discussed issues, a good teacher should take into the deepest consideration such aspects as teaching strategies and classroom management, analysis of learning environment in terms of planning and learning objectives, and assessment of existing teaching roles aimed at fostering effective decision-making and problem-solving.
Main Attributes of Quality Teaching in an Effective Learning Environment
Collaborative Learning and Group Discussion as Instructional Strategies
The majority of teachers often face a great variety of instructional modes aimed at ensuring students’ involvement into a learning process. Nevertheless, it is often problematic for teachers to apply for all techniques because of students’ restricted interests and abilities, lack of teachers’ experience of using a particular instructional mode, and limitations connected to number of students in classes, and available facilities and technologies used to meet the learning objectives (Marsh, 2008, p. 164).
In this regard, March (2008) and Briggs and Potter (1999) explain effective techniques and strategies allowing teachers to reduce or eliminate the above-enumerated shortcomings of a learning environment. In particular, March (2008) is more concerned with representing specific approaches to exposing information to students in the form of lectures, expository talks, and teacher presentations and highlighting their main advantages and disadvantages. In contrast, Briggs and Potter (1999) consider collaborative learning and interaction as a viable solution to solving the problems with increased number of students in class.
The researchers also focus on the productivity and benefits of working in teams where diversity and acquisition of various skills and abilities is highly emphasized (Briggs and Potter, 1999, p. 255). With regard to the theoretical concepts and frameworks put forward by the scholars, future teachers should strike the balance while selecting specific techniques in delivering information and pay attention to the limitation factors while learning and planning the curriculum.
Questioning Classifications as an Essential Instructional Tool
Beside the necessity to analyze the types of information delivery, teaching also involves proper analysis of knowledge that students have achieved at the end of the course. In this regard, questioning is one of the methods for evaluating the level of knowledge and skills being acquired. According to Whitton et al. (2004), there are different classifications of questions contributing to checking students’ knowledge and evaluating their skills, such as psycho-social and pedagogical, analytical, and evaluative, or empirical, and open or closed questions.
Incorporating all these types of questions, a teacher will manage to cover and assess the full potential of a student. Each lesson should be followed by a questionnaire; teachers are even encouraged to apply to questions at the beginning of the lesson as a brainstorm activity. Therefore, the quality of composed questions influences greatly on defining the actual students’ level of proficiency.
Philosophy of Constructivism and Constructivist Teaching
While preparing and conducting lectures, presenting specific talks and explaining different notions and concepts, teacher should pay close attention to they way students think and perceive information. In this respect, some teachers prefer using textbook and worksheets for students to acquire knowledge and understand the materials while others, the adherents of the constructivist teaching believe that using empirical situations is much more effective in extracting specific concepts and ideas from logical deductions (Kamii and Lewis, 1990, p. 36). In this respect, teacher should actively interact with students to provide them with an opportunity to invent their own approaches for acquiring and understanding the new material.
Problem Solving, Decision-Making and Analysis
Apart from studying the techniques of delivering information, teachers may encounter a number of other challenges. Particularly, especial importance is attached to teaching problem solving as well as the way students should approach a particular dilemma. According to Flewelling and Higginson (2003), “problems arise, problems occur, problems are encountered as the student engage (along with others) in sense making” (p. 92).
To enlarge on this issue, the entire process of learning and knowledge acquisition can be perceived a change of problems and challenges to be overcome. While passing though a sense-making sequence, students inevitable face events, situations, and issues that include uncertainty, difficulty, and ambiguity and the teacher’s task is to provide the best solutions to these problems.
Planning and Teaching the Learning Experiences With Regard to Writing and Assessment
Planning Curriculum and Lessons
The process of planning curriculum and lessons is very intrinsic and complicated because it entail a number of specific stages enclosed in a cycle. Grounwater et al. (2011) single out four dimension of a planning cycle making the learning process effective. Hence, in order to begin the planning process “…a teacher need to have knowledge of the students in the class, the curriculum area to be taught, specific details about the school and community, and in particular knowledge of him or herself” (Groundwater et al., 2011, p. 135).
All these components create the next stage of the cycle that of planning that, in its turn, involves the consideration of content, prior experiences, objectives, theoretical concepts, and practical resources. It should be noted that each item in the plan should properly explored, evaluated, and explained. Using this model of planning the lessons will allow teacher deliver information in the most accurate and appropriate way.
Strategies for Outlining the Learning Objectives
Planning the learning cycle also presupposes the analysis of learning objectives and outcomes, which is also of great significance for learners. In this regard, there are specific criteria for presenting the learning objectives in the most favorable way as presented by Marsh (2008), Barry and King (1998), and Fetherston (2006).
All the scholars support the idea that failure to write effective learning objective lies in teachers’ inability to adequately assess behavioral patterns in terms of learning performance. Hence, Marsh (2008) suggests that evidence of achievement, conditions of performance, and acceptable levels of performance are the very behavioral criteria contributing to presenting accurate goals for the learning course (p. 132).
Similarly, Barry and Kind (1998) have highlighted the main shortcomings of writing an objective with particular reference to the way students exhibit and perform rather than the way they acquire knowledge. For instance, teacher should not identify the task with the learning outcomes, but specify why students should accomplish this particular assignment.
Finally, Fetherston (2006) is also congruent with the above-presenting techniques to expose information in the behavioral context, taking into consideration the circumstances under which the objective will be carried out. In whole, the effectiveness of lessons planned will largely depend on the specifics of the established objectives, the context of the learning process, the number and length of the course, and accuracy and experience of teacher’s knowledge.
Elements of Professional and Ethical Practice with Particular Reference to Child Protection and Duty of Care
Professionalism, Teaching and the Law
Focus on the quality and ‘professionalism’ of teaching is really indispensible to increasing current academic standards. Preston (1992) sheds light on historical perspectives and refers them to the contemporary development of the educational system in Australia to highlight any shifts and problems.
To be more exact, the problem lies in perceiving the professionalism of a teacher as a social status but not as a measurement of teaching quality. Therefore, the concept of professionalism should be premised on the actual practice that “can improve the conditions and quality of teaching…and improve the work and situation of teacher educators” (Preston, 1992, p. 6).
Aside from professional underpinning, teacher should also adhere to existing legal aspects of a learning process. Both teachers and their students should be aware of existing human and civic rights. In particular, the instructors must be on guard of social interaction and communication between peers to avoid psychological and moral pressures.
For instance, it is a teacher’s duty to keep the learning environment safe from bullying and mobbing (Keith, 2004, p. 22). In addition, physical and verbal abuse will also be considered as a serious infringement resulting in an immediate action. At this point, teacher’s ‘professionalism’ also consists in fair and equal treatment of all students irrespective of social status.
Discussing Professional Ethics and Teaching Roles
The concept of professionalism and quality of teaching is also based on ethical aspects used by teachers. However, behaving ethical is often perceived differently due to the existing a great number of ethical theories and frameworks. In order to avoid misconceptions and uncertainty, a specific code of teaching ethics should be introduced for solving moral problems.
Grainwater et al. (2011) have presented their own vision on the code of conduct that is premised on such professional qualities as respect, caring, diligence, integrity, and open communication. These file pillars, hence, should be strictly observed by teachers while carrying out their day-to-day practice. Teaching staff should also take responsibilities for all their actions and demonstrate their unconditional respect for students regardless existing judgment and prejudice.
In addition, as social and psychological environment is constantly changing a teacher should be ready to face those shifts to adjust new, more appropriate role to meet students’ expectations and needs (Harden and Crosby, 2000, p. 335). Hence, teaching roles should be constantly improved to meet professional, ethical and legal standards of teaching for creating an effective learning environment.
Diversity of Learning Backgrounds and Its Impact on Learning Environment
Classroom environment and proactive teaching
A careful consideration of ethical and professional underpinnings of teaching specific reveals that learning background of students is not of the least importance either because it affects greatly the overall performance. In this respect, Wesley (1998) introduces effective ways to become a wise and outstanding teacher and succeed in increasing the learners’ potential.
Among those methods are consideration of cultural and social diversity, equal attitude and respect for students irrespective of race, believing in students’ skills and talents and aspiration for introducing innovative and unconventional approaches to teaching (Wesley, 1998, p. 80). All these techniques are encouraged by March (2008) and Bennet (1994) who believe that all challenges and moral dilemmas can be easily overcome with the help of carefully selected teaching strategies.
Proactive classroom management and student misbehavior:
Although certain effective professional and ethical codes are firmly established in the learning environment, it does not mean that it is deprived of problems of students’ aggression and misbehavior. Such cases should also be treated with reference to specific techniques such the one proposed by Bennet (1994) and Marsh (2008).
In particular, they focus on low-key responses that might positively improve the atmosphere in the class, such as ignorance, patients, exclusive attention, and great commitment to the subject of teaching. In whole, teachers should know that if student is not interested in your subject that can be a sign that your teaching techniques are not effective enough.
Conclusion
The overall analysis of theoretical approaches and techniques that teachers apply as well as the introduction of professional, ethical and legal aspects of instructional mode provide a clear picture concerning what gaps a teacher should fulfill to become a real professional.
To begin with, he/she should place an emphasis on students’ psychological, social, and cultural background that greatly effects their perception and attitude to the subject. Second, a teacher should have an empathy and respect for their learners whose loyalty largely depends on this factor. Finally, teacher should decide which roles they should take to adjust to a constantly changing learning environment.
Reference List
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Bennet, B. (1994). Bump 1 – Preventing and Responding to Misbehavior through Low-Key Responses. in Classroom Management: A Thinking and Caring Approach. Toronto: Bookation. pp. 187-218.
Briggs, F., and Potter, J. (1999). The Early Years of School. Australia: Pearson Education.
Fetherston, T. (2006). Becoming an effective teacher. South Melbourne: Thompson
Flewelling, G., and Higginson, W. (2003). Teaching with Rich Learning Tasks. Australia: AAMT.
Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R. & Le Cornu, R. (2011) 4th ed., Teaching: Challenges and Dilemmas, Victoria: Cengage.
Harden, R. M. and Crosby, J. (2000). AMEE Guide No 20: The Good Teacher Is More than a Lecturer – the Twelve Roles of the Teacher. MedicalTeacher. 22(4), pp. 334-348.
Kamii, C and Lewis, A. (1990). Constructivism and First-Grade Arithmetic. The Arithmetic Teacher. 38(1) pp. 36-37.
Marsh, C. (2008). Becoming a Teacher: Knowledge, Skills, and Issues. Australia: Pearson Education.
Preston, B. (1992). Teacher Professionalism – Implications for Teachers, Teacher Educations and Democratic Schooling. AAPEINZARE Conference. pp. 4-13.
Tronc, K. (2004). Schools and the Law. Practicing Administrator. 26(1), pp. 22-24.
Wesley, D. C. (1998). Eleven Ways to Be a Great Teacher. Educational Leadership. 55(5), pp. 80-81.