Becoming an Effective Teacher Chapter 11

Proven Teacher skills “We went step by step in such a clear way…” (structure and clarity) “She made literature come alive.” (motivation) “After I finished talking to her, I felt as if I could do anything.” (high expectations) “He asked such interesting, provocative questions…” (questioning)

Academic Learning Time Great variation from school to school Allocated Time…time scheduled for a subject Engaged Time…the part of the allocated time in which student are actively involved with the subject matter Academic Learning Time…engaged time with a high success rate (70-80% of the answers right when working with a teacher)

Classroom Management Group Alerting…asking the question first, then naming a student to respond Withitness…eyes in the back of the head Overlapping…doing several things at once Least intervention…time spent disciplining students is negatively related to achievement…use the simplest intervention that will work Video segment: “Classroom Management”

Productive Learning Communities Procedures: for getting assistance, leaving the room, going to the pencil sharpener, etc Classroom rules: easily understood, convey a sense of moral fairness, few in number, fair and reasonable, appropriate for student maturation Good managers: teach eye to eye, teaching materials and supplies are readily available, high-traffic areas are free of congestion, procedures and routines are actively taught

Clarity and Academic Structure Objectives…the purpose of each lesson Review…review prior learning Motivation…create an “anticipatory set” Transition…connections from old to new Clarification…break down a large body of information (chunking) Scaffolding…step by step Examples… to illustrate and explain the main point Directions…distinctly and slowly Enthusiasm…why the information is interesting Closure…brief review or summary

Questioning Bloom’s Taxonomy…from lower order questions to higher order questions: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation Lower order when: being introduced to new information, working on drill and practice, reviewing previously learned information Higher order when: working on problem solving; creative or affective discussion; judgments about quality, aesthetics, ethics; manipulating established information in more sophisticated ways

Responding to Student Answers Praise…positive comments about student work Acceptance…”uh-huh, ok”, acknowledging that work is acceptable Remediation… “try again” Comments that encourage a more accurate student response Criticism…a clear statement that an answer in inaccurate or a behavior is inappropriate

Praise and Student Achievement: Jere Brophy Best when: Praise is contingent on student performance Praise is specific Praise is sincere Praise lets students know about their competence and the importance of their accomplishment Praise attributes success to ability or effort Praise uses past performance as a context for describing present performance

Corrective Feedback Corrective feedback is specific and contingent on student performance Critical comments focus on student performance and are not of a personal nature Feedback provides a clear blueprint for improvement An environment is established that lets the student know it is acceptable to make mistakes Corrective feedback relates eventual success to effort Corrective feedback recognizes when students have made improvements in their performance

Models of Effective Instruction Six principles of effective direct teaching: Daily review; new material; guided practice; specific feedback; independent practice; weekly and monthly reviews Cooperative Learning: students work on activities in small, heterogeneous groups and receive rewards or recognition based on overall group performance Mastery Learning: given the right tools, all children can learn…instructional alignment, what is taught is what is tested Problem-Based Learning…authentic or real-life

Technology as a Tool for Effective Teaching Increase basic skills; motivate students through multimedia materials; promote higher order thinking through simulations; increase academic resources; increase responsiveness to different learning styles; improve workplace preparation; modernize the school culture Video: “Integrating Technology into Teaching”

Stages of Teacher Development Survival Consolidation Renewal Maturity Video Segment: “Your First Day”