What are the desirable attributes of a Middle Phase teacher?
Middle phase teachers need to be patient, fair, be able to see humour in often difficult situations, have good knowledge of their subject area and always be improving upon this. They also need to be firm and manage behaviour sensibly and consistently. Students respond to enthusiasm and like to see this quality in their teachers. A middle phase teacher is a role model and it’s up to the individual to decide how they are going to model themselves and their behaviour and understand that it will have a lasting effect on students, as well as being a constant example for them. Communication is also important, be a good listener.
Key Attributes:
Caring and compassionate
Effective communicator
Respect- two way street
Flexibility
Good level of knowledge
Consistent and firm behaviour management
What implications do these emergent issues have for your teaching area - eg body image in Home Ec or HPE?
My teaching areas are English and SOSE. An English teacher needs to be an excellent communicator and also to know students well enough to adjust programs to individual needs. Flexibility is important as plans may need to be changed at very short notice or substituted. The SOSE teacher should be knowledgeable and well informed and be continually learning and updating their skills. SOSE is a broad field and sometimes this learning needs to be communicated in a sensitive manner, particularly in a cultural sense.
What sort of warning signs will you be watching out for?
Changes, either gradual or sudden, in student behaviour can signal a problem. If a teacher has worked hard at building solid relationships with students and communicating effectively, these problems can be approached without too much apprehension. Good communication with parents/carers is also important so that the student understands that he/ she is in a caring environment both at home and at school. Sometimes teachers need to call in support from other professionals and this assistance should be utilised for the student whenever required.
What pedagogies, strategies adjustments are important for your teaching area?
For the SOSE area (geography) creating a need to know, using resources, making sense and reflecting (Roberts, 2003) are the stages of enquiry.
According to Barton and Levstik, (2003) teaching history should be approached from the perspective of involving students in analysing sources and allowing them to develop interpretations.
What classroom and school structures will support the well-being of these students?
Consistent behaviour management is vital and appreciated by students. They want to know where the boundaries are drawn, but will still push them of course. Students also want to be engaged and to know that teachers really do care about them and their learning. Developing a seating plan in the classroom and allowing students to move around as reward is a system I have seen working effectively. But you need to be strong! Don’t give in.
Have you noted any adjustments in classrooms for students with a disability?
There are two visually impaired students in my classroom. Some learning documents are sent electronically and there is equipment available in the classroom to assist these students in their learning. The classroom teacher is continually making adjustments to material to cater for both of these students.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Essential Learnings deconstructed
Learning and Assessment
Breaking down the SOSE Essential Learnings is done so that teachers fully understand the outcomes their students need to achieve. Deconstructing the Essentials can be tricky but I’m sure it becomes easier with practice!
• Investigate social, political, economic, environmental and cultural ideas and
issues.
• Understand values and world views in various contexts.
• Develop meaningful responses to social and environmental issues.
• Make connections between people and places
• Respond creatively to issues, both collaboratively and individually.
• Reflect on learning, making judgements about different values and perspectives.
Ways of working
Students are able to:
• Identify a research focus from broad topics and design focus questions and sub-
questions
• Plan investigations, using discipline-specific inquiry models and processes
• Research and analyse data, information and evidence from primary and secondary
sources
• Evaluate sources of data, information and evidence for relevance, reliability,
authenticity,purpose, bias and perspective
• Draw conclusions and make decisions supported by interpretations of data,
information and evidence
• Communicate descriptions, decisions and conclusions, using text types specific to
the context and purpose and the conventions of research-based texts
• Respond to local and global issues by taking action in planned and enterprising
ways
• Apply strategies for making group decisions and for taking informed social and
environmental action
• Reflect on different perspectives, and recognise and evaluate the influence of
values and beliefs in relation to social justice, the democratic process,
sustainability and peace
• Reflect on learning, apply new understandings and justify future applications.
Links to Blooms Taxonomy
Identify - Knowledge
Plan- Synthesis (Higher order thinking)
Research -Analysis (Higher order thinking)
Evaluate (Higher order thinking)
Draw conclusions - Evaluate (Higher order thinking)
Communicate
Respond
Apply - Application
Reflect - Evaluate (Higher order thinking)
Knowledge and Understanding
Place and Space
Environments are defined by spatial patterns, human and physical interactions, and sustainable practices can balance human activity and environmental processes.
*Interrelationships between human activity and environments result in particular patterns of land and resource use and can cause environmental problems
*Governments and communities need to balance economic, social, political and environmental factors through sustainable development, consumption and production.
Breaking down the SOSE Essential Learnings is done so that teachers fully understand the outcomes their students need to achieve. Deconstructing the Essentials can be tricky but I’m sure it becomes easier with practice!
• Investigate social, political, economic, environmental and cultural ideas and
issues.
• Understand values and world views in various contexts.
• Develop meaningful responses to social and environmental issues.
• Make connections between people and places
• Respond creatively to issues, both collaboratively and individually.
• Reflect on learning, making judgements about different values and perspectives.
Ways of working
Students are able to:
• Identify a research focus from broad topics and design focus questions and sub-
questions
• Plan investigations, using discipline-specific inquiry models and processes
• Research and analyse data, information and evidence from primary and secondary
sources
• Evaluate sources of data, information and evidence for relevance, reliability,
authenticity,purpose, bias and perspective
• Draw conclusions and make decisions supported by interpretations of data,
information and evidence
• Communicate descriptions, decisions and conclusions, using text types specific to
the context and purpose and the conventions of research-based texts
• Respond to local and global issues by taking action in planned and enterprising
ways
• Apply strategies for making group decisions and for taking informed social and
environmental action
• Reflect on different perspectives, and recognise and evaluate the influence of
values and beliefs in relation to social justice, the democratic process,
sustainability and peace
• Reflect on learning, apply new understandings and justify future applications.
Links to Blooms Taxonomy
Identify - Knowledge
Plan- Synthesis (Higher order thinking)
Research -Analysis (Higher order thinking)
Evaluate (Higher order thinking)
Draw conclusions - Evaluate (Higher order thinking)
Communicate
Respond
Apply - Application
Reflect - Evaluate (Higher order thinking)
Knowledge and Understanding
Place and Space
Environments are defined by spatial patterns, human and physical interactions, and sustainable practices can balance human activity and environmental processes.
*Interrelationships between human activity and environments result in particular patterns of land and resource use and can cause environmental problems
*Governments and communities need to balance economic, social, political and environmental factors through sustainable development, consumption and production.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Middle Years Schooling
The middle years of schooling are difficult on students; they have so much to deal with, physical and emotional changes as well as the expectations of adults all around them. Students enter the middle school, often with little or no preparation for the enormous changes middle schooling brings.
They have had a classroom teacher for 7-8 years and suddenly they may have up to 8 different teachers, all with different styles to get used to and all with different expectations. They are coping with moving from room to room, remembering to bring particular books and items, perhaps having to remember different seating plans. These changes are enormous and the transition period is especially important when preparing students for their middle schooling.
Some schools introduce a part classroom teacher/ part specialist teacher program in year 7 (this is more easily done in a p-12 school) with the intention of preparing students for year 8.
The school I am in now takes the opposite approach, years 7-9 have a classroom teacher for all subjects except art, LOTE and electives. This appears to work well, but some feel the problems are not avoided,they are just pushed back to grade 10.
The idea is that a more settled environment can help students through this difficult period, but only time will tell. Interestingly, Spollard ( as cited in Knipe 2007) found that when surveyed, the majority of Year 7 students preferred to have different teachers at secondary school. Although middle school advocates support smaller numbers of teachers in the middle school years with the intention of promoting a positive experience for students, the students themselves don’t see the need for the changes. They consider good facilities and a quality physical environment to be a more important aspects of a school ( Knipe 2007)
There are certainly huge benefits to having a classroom teacher for the middle years; it allows the student/teacher relationship to develop fully over the year as well as allowing the teacher to gain a very in depth understanding of each student. One teacher is better able to be informed of any social/emotional problems his/ her student is having and deal with those problems, whereas when a teacher has different classes and different year levels all in one week, keeping up with each student is very challenging.
I see my own Mentor Teacher being able to take an active interest in every student in her class; she knows each family situation, what might be happening, events which may affect learning and what can be done. There is constant communication between the teacher and the student counsellor (for the students with problems) and issues can be quickly and efficiently dealt with.
The Middle phase can be make or break time for some students, they need to be challenged, engaged and able to see the link between their learning and the real world. Middle school teachers need to provide support for students while they muddle their way through the maze of adolescence, support in learning, support in making decisions and being responsible, support in becoming independent and support as they begin to explore becoming an adult.
References
Knipe, S (2007). Middle Years Schooling, Frenchs Forest, Pearson Education Australia
They have had a classroom teacher for 7-8 years and suddenly they may have up to 8 different teachers, all with different styles to get used to and all with different expectations. They are coping with moving from room to room, remembering to bring particular books and items, perhaps having to remember different seating plans. These changes are enormous and the transition period is especially important when preparing students for their middle schooling.
Some schools introduce a part classroom teacher/ part specialist teacher program in year 7 (this is more easily done in a p-12 school) with the intention of preparing students for year 8.
The school I am in now takes the opposite approach, years 7-9 have a classroom teacher for all subjects except art, LOTE and electives. This appears to work well, but some feel the problems are not avoided,they are just pushed back to grade 10.
The idea is that a more settled environment can help students through this difficult period, but only time will tell. Interestingly, Spollard ( as cited in Knipe 2007) found that when surveyed, the majority of Year 7 students preferred to have different teachers at secondary school. Although middle school advocates support smaller numbers of teachers in the middle school years with the intention of promoting a positive experience for students, the students themselves don’t see the need for the changes. They consider good facilities and a quality physical environment to be a more important aspects of a school ( Knipe 2007)
There are certainly huge benefits to having a classroom teacher for the middle years; it allows the student/teacher relationship to develop fully over the year as well as allowing the teacher to gain a very in depth understanding of each student. One teacher is better able to be informed of any social/emotional problems his/ her student is having and deal with those problems, whereas when a teacher has different classes and different year levels all in one week, keeping up with each student is very challenging.
I see my own Mentor Teacher being able to take an active interest in every student in her class; she knows each family situation, what might be happening, events which may affect learning and what can be done. There is constant communication between the teacher and the student counsellor (for the students with problems) and issues can be quickly and efficiently dealt with.
The Middle phase can be make or break time for some students, they need to be challenged, engaged and able to see the link between their learning and the real world. Middle school teachers need to provide support for students while they muddle their way through the maze of adolescence, support in learning, support in making decisions and being responsible, support in becoming independent and support as they begin to explore becoming an adult.
References
Knipe, S (2007). Middle Years Schooling, Frenchs Forest, Pearson Education Australia
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Beliefs Statement
What is learning?
Learning is about understanding, not just knowing. It is also about thinking and progressing to a higher level of thinking.
What is teaching?
Teaching is the process of facilitating learning and enabling learners to construct their own knowledge and meaning. Understanding is central to the teaching process.
What are pedagogically effective ways as a learning manager to facilitate the best learning possible in your KLA?
I believe that the learning manager must have an in depth knowledge of their learners and their learning styles, have an in depth knowledge of their content, create engaging tasks and problems for students to solve with an authentic and clear connection to the real world and the world of the student, continue to develop professional knowledge, always and above all care about a student’s learning.
KLA - Geography
According to Roberts (2003) creating a need to know in geography lessons is the absolute crucial starting point. This is done through speculating, hypothesising, generation of ideas, questions and discussion as well as planning how to research. The next step is using resources effectively- locating evidence, selecting, sorting and classifying. Making sense of the knowledge is next- describing, explaining, comparing and analysing and finally reflection and evaluation.
References
Roberts, M. (2003), Learning through enquiry, Geographical Association, Sheffield UK
Learning is about understanding, not just knowing. It is also about thinking and progressing to a higher level of thinking.
What is teaching?
Teaching is the process of facilitating learning and enabling learners to construct their own knowledge and meaning. Understanding is central to the teaching process.
What are pedagogically effective ways as a learning manager to facilitate the best learning possible in your KLA?
I believe that the learning manager must have an in depth knowledge of their learners and their learning styles, have an in depth knowledge of their content, create engaging tasks and problems for students to solve with an authentic and clear connection to the real world and the world of the student, continue to develop professional knowledge, always and above all care about a student’s learning.
KLA - Geography
According to Roberts (2003) creating a need to know in geography lessons is the absolute crucial starting point. This is done through speculating, hypothesising, generation of ideas, questions and discussion as well as planning how to research. The next step is using resources effectively- locating evidence, selecting, sorting and classifying. Making sense of the knowledge is next- describing, explaining, comparing and analysing and finally reflection and evaluation.
References
Roberts, M. (2003), Learning through enquiry, Geographical Association, Sheffield UK
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
What is Teaching?
Personally I prefer the term Learning Manager to Teacher for the simple reason that I have a fairly concrete picture of a teacher in my mind, based on my own early schooling, and it really doesn’t mesh very well with what I now believe a teacher to be. I see a teacher as someone who facilitates learning, who cares what, and indeed whether, students are learning, who cares about and values difference, who communicates well and who respects their students.
My years of schooling were definitely the type where the focus was on what the teacher was doing ie. teaching in the task sense. I see the teaching profession as having changed (or maybe it’s just my perception of it!!) in that there is now a real focus on achievement in helping others learn. I believe that students are learning all the time, even when they aren’t aware of it, but harnessing that natural ‘sponginess’ in young people, and directing it into the classroom can be a complex process.
Learning managers can look at the teaching process as circular in that the end is considered at the beginning and throughout the learning journey. Outcomes are factored into the teaching/learning process and there is a focus on achievement, “Did the students really understand today’s concepts/ topic/ subject matter?”, “How can I be sure?”, “If not, what can I do differently?”
I recall a learning experience where the company accountant suggested I should take on the task of balancing the trust account. I had no idea what was required in this task, and asked him to explain it to me. He lectured and lectured me, assuming I knew the meanings of financial terms and methods to use. I had no idea as I had no experience in accounting. His attitude seemed to be that everyone should know the basics, but I didn’t! He didn’t want to check that I understood the concepts before moving on. His lecturing manner and intimidation prevented me from grasping these concepts and learning anything. I then decided to go back to the beginning and asked a colleague to explain it in small steps. This person allowed me to move slowly, ensured that I understood each step before progressing and also allowed me to practice the calculations. In time, I was able to really master the trust accounting and years later, the same accountant who tried to bully me into learning told me it was one of the best he had ever audited! No thanks to him!
The difference in the teaching methods was extreme, the accountant was the professional, but couldn’t impart his knowledge ( and had no interest in whether or not I was "getting" it), whilst the colleague had plenty of experience in the subject, but no training and actually cared about my learning.
Best
Mia
My years of schooling were definitely the type where the focus was on what the teacher was doing ie. teaching in the task sense. I see the teaching profession as having changed (or maybe it’s just my perception of it!!) in that there is now a real focus on achievement in helping others learn. I believe that students are learning all the time, even when they aren’t aware of it, but harnessing that natural ‘sponginess’ in young people, and directing it into the classroom can be a complex process.
Learning managers can look at the teaching process as circular in that the end is considered at the beginning and throughout the learning journey. Outcomes are factored into the teaching/learning process and there is a focus on achievement, “Did the students really understand today’s concepts/ topic/ subject matter?”, “How can I be sure?”, “If not, what can I do differently?”
I recall a learning experience where the company accountant suggested I should take on the task of balancing the trust account. I had no idea what was required in this task, and asked him to explain it to me. He lectured and lectured me, assuming I knew the meanings of financial terms and methods to use. I had no idea as I had no experience in accounting. His attitude seemed to be that everyone should know the basics, but I didn’t! He didn’t want to check that I understood the concepts before moving on. His lecturing manner and intimidation prevented me from grasping these concepts and learning anything. I then decided to go back to the beginning and asked a colleague to explain it in small steps. This person allowed me to move slowly, ensured that I understood each step before progressing and also allowed me to practice the calculations. In time, I was able to really master the trust accounting and years later, the same accountant who tried to bully me into learning told me it was one of the best he had ever audited! No thanks to him!
The difference in the teaching methods was extreme, the accountant was the professional, but couldn’t impart his knowledge ( and had no interest in whether or not I was "getting" it), whilst the colleague had plenty of experience in the subject, but no training and actually cared about my learning.
Best
Mia
Sunday, July 11, 2010
What is Teaching and Learning?
I decided to undertake the required training to become a teacher aide in 2005 and chose to study externally. This method of study was ideal for me and it continues to be as I progress through the BLM course. I find I work very well in an external capacity but I probably didn’t always understand how others weren’t able to. Working with other students at university has allowed me to see various different learning styles and how they work for the individual.
I undertook the teacher aide training in order to work with teenagers in the learning environment and my placement for workplace training was at a special school. I enjoyed the challenge of this work and felt I would learn skills for the future. A few years later I worked in an enrichment unit at a large Brisbane high school and felt that what I had learned at the previous school provided me with a good grounding to sharpen and develop my skills. Working as a teacher aide prior to studying to become a teacher was good for me, as I was able to develop communication skills and some strategies which I use in the classroom today. I can honestly say I learned something new each time I walked into the special ed. classroom and I think that continues today. Practice is so important and even then there is no guarantee that you’ll get it right! Just keep learning from the experience, even if it was a bad one.
Teaching and learning require a great deal of reflection and this reflection is used for improvement. I learned a lot from the HOD in the enrichment unit; she was a great support and offered much encouragement. She was always forthcoming with positive advice, which helped me to stay on track. This teacher was my inspiration to become a teacher myself.
Students’ learning is continuous and certainly not confined to the classroom. An effective teacher needs to be able to tap into the other learning experiences students may be having, or at the very least be aware of them and the influence they could have over the more formal learning. If students are effective learners in informal settings, they certainly have the potential to transfer that ability to the classroom, with help from the teacher. The challenge for the teacher is to harness that motivation and re direct it. Relevance to real world settings is vital as is catering for all learning styles. Students definitely categorise “school learning” as being different from any other learning the experiences they have and often don’t value it as highly as being an expert surfer or X Box player!
I undertook the teacher aide training in order to work with teenagers in the learning environment and my placement for workplace training was at a special school. I enjoyed the challenge of this work and felt I would learn skills for the future. A few years later I worked in an enrichment unit at a large Brisbane high school and felt that what I had learned at the previous school provided me with a good grounding to sharpen and develop my skills. Working as a teacher aide prior to studying to become a teacher was good for me, as I was able to develop communication skills and some strategies which I use in the classroom today. I can honestly say I learned something new each time I walked into the special ed. classroom and I think that continues today. Practice is so important and even then there is no guarantee that you’ll get it right! Just keep learning from the experience, even if it was a bad one.
Teaching and learning require a great deal of reflection and this reflection is used for improvement. I learned a lot from the HOD in the enrichment unit; she was a great support and offered much encouragement. She was always forthcoming with positive advice, which helped me to stay on track. This teacher was my inspiration to become a teacher myself.
Students’ learning is continuous and certainly not confined to the classroom. An effective teacher needs to be able to tap into the other learning experiences students may be having, or at the very least be aware of them and the influence they could have over the more formal learning. If students are effective learners in informal settings, they certainly have the potential to transfer that ability to the classroom, with help from the teacher. The challenge for the teacher is to harness that motivation and re direct it. Relevance to real world settings is vital as is catering for all learning styles. Students definitely categorise “school learning” as being different from any other learning the experiences they have and often don’t value it as highly as being an expert surfer or X Box player!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)