Reflection_on_4_Ptlls_Sessions

What makes a good teacher' This first session of the course encouraged us as learners to reflect on what makes a good teacher. By studying the results of various surveys, discussing in small groups and by engaging with a number of learning methods, we were able to ascertain lists of attributes and skills that we thought were essential to being a good teacher. During the session I discovered relational skills such as encouragement, equality, trust and humour are as relevant to teaching as they are to the more informal youth work setting. Avent (1931), Adams (1970) and Roy (1987) all have lists of teacher attributes that include these qualities but White et al (1987 p.89-95) suggest, based on 300 studies, that no single teaching behaviour strongly relates to student learning but there are clusters of behaviours that distinguish effective from less effective teachers. Their clusters are: Management of Instructional Time, Management of Student Behaviour, Instructional Presentation, Instructional Monitoring and Instructional Feedback. The outstanding skills pyramid (see fig 1.) which we discussed during the session illustrates how knowledge, organisation, engagement and enthusiasm build on each other to form a ‘good teacher’. As a youth, schools and community worker, my own practice involves engaging many different groups in the learning process. I feel capable in my subject knowledge but I am now more aware of how important organisation is and how my ability to engage and enthuse students will be more effective if this is done well. [pic] Fig 1. The Outstanding Skills Pyramid Lesson planning During this session we looked at what effective lesson planning involves. By studying examples, we were able to decide what we thought were important aspects to include in the planning of an overall scheme of work. I felt it was important at this preliminary stage to have the aim of each session set out so that lesson plans could then be completed. Through small group work, we discovered that lesson plans should include the aim of the session and the objectives that the teacher wants learners to complete as well as any differentiation in activities. This was a useful learning experience for me as it built on my reflection from session 1 that I need to focus on my organisation. I was also reminded during the session of the old adage ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail’. Aims are the targets or goals for the teacher or trainer whereas objectives are the targets or goals for the learners that will enable them to meet the aims of a particular lesson. Many helpful suggestions were made such as the need for objectives to be S.M.A.R.T. as discussed by Doran (1981). Objectives should provide the teacher with evidence of learning within the lesson but might also provide the basis for formal assessment. It is also important to make a note of the resources that are needed for any given activity during the session and how the work will be assessed. I hope to implement some of this learning into my personal practice by having more defined aims and objectives for my midweek children and youth work sessions. Differences between our learners This session focused on what we can do as teachers to facilitate learning by students with a broad range of abilities. Barriers to learning may be attitudinal, organisational or practical and relate largely but not exclusively to people with physical or learning disabilities. The barriers to learning faced by students with disabilities are many and complex, and differ from student to student and often from day to day. The Open University (2006) have devised a system of 4 As to help people remember how to remove or lower barriers to learning. The 4 As are; access, awareness, acceptance and appreciation[1]. It is important to make an initial assessment of your learners so you can gage how to teach them. Important factors may include the learner’s age, gender, ethnicity, skills level and the qualification they are working towards. Once this assessment has taken place you can plan for the specific needs of the learners in terms of teaching style and support structures. It may also be useful in the first session with learners to try and gain an understanding of their preferred learning styles so that presentations / demonstrations can be tailored to maximise the learners engagement with the session. As a youth worker, I informally assess whatever group I working with on a continual basis. This session showed my how helpful it might be to have a more formal assessment framework and how to consider the support structures that may be needed for a variety of learners. Teaching Methods This session covered; differentiation, teaching and learning strategies, assessment methods and tools, record keeping and classroom management. The main focus was on the differentiation of activities for a variety of learners. This was an exciting topic for me as I have never really felt catered for as a visual / kinaesthetic learner in the formal academic setting. On his website, well known education writer Geoff Petty (2004) explains differentiation as an approach to teaching that attempts to ensure that all students learn well, despite their many differences. Petty also points out that some teaching methods are better placed for differentiation than others and this should be considered during planning. When we got to discussing teaching methods, I was astounded by the vast range of styles that can be employed. I use participatory methods as much as I can with young people, so I was pleased to see the results of a survey from Hebditch (1990) that showed the most popular teaching styles include; group discussion, games, drama, artwork and experiments. In my own practice I will also be trying to maximise the time given to students for practice by doing activities and making immediate use of learning as, according to research carried out at the national training laboratories in Betrel, Maine, USA, these methods have a considerably higher retention rate than other methods, particularly listening to a lecture or reading. References What makes a good teacher' Adams, R. (1970) Duration and Incident Frequencies as Observation Indices. Education and Psychological Measurement 30(3), pp669-674. Avent, J. E. (1931) The Excellent Teacher, Tennessee, Avent. Roy, D. E. (1987) 3M Fellows Seminar, Final Report. 3M Corporation. White, K., Wyne M., Stuck G. and Coop R. H. (1987) Assessing Teacher Performance Using an Observational Instrument Based on Research Findings. NASSP Bulletin, March 1987. Lesson Planning Doran, George T. (1981) There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management's goals and objectives. Management Review 70 (11), pp35-36. Differences between our learners Open University (2006) http://www.open.ac.uk/inclusiveteaching/pages/inclusive-teaching/barriers-to-learning.php Teaching Methods Hebditch, M. (1990) Data collected from questionnaires submitted by 11-18 year old students at Gillingham School, Dorset. Petty, G. (2004) http://www.geoffpetty.com/differentiation.html ----------------------- [1] Access means physical access as well as access to the curriculum Awareness of the needs of disabled people and the barriers they may experience Acceptance that you may need to do things differently Appreciation of the effects of hidden difficulties, such as pain, tiredness and emotional stress ----------------------- Enthuse Organise Engage Knowledge