Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust Being a Teacher Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust

Foundations of Teaching for Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 2: Myself and my learning Lecture 2.1 Thinking about who I am

What have I learned? About myself? About myself as a teacher? About myself as a colleague? About myself as a learner?

Below the waterline “You spend a lot of time trying to follow, to conform to the policies, rules and procedures. It might be unwise not. But at the same time you try to hold to what you believe and what you think is most important for your students - and for you – but it is not always easy. Not easy but important for your own self esteem” (Teacher, Zimbabwe elementary school)

Rules Policies Procedures Conventions The ‘deep structures’ Rules Policies Procedures Conventions Beliefs Values Attitudes Expectations

Five ways of being Kieran Egan, 1999 Philosophic Somatic Romantic Bodily senses Rhythm and musicality Gesture Communication Drive for generality lure of certainty schemes theory search for truth search for authority Romantic Extremes limits of reality heroes wonder collections hobbies idealism Ironic Mythic Testing limits of theory Doubt Context Story metaphor binary opposites joking and humour sense of mystery games, drama, play Kieran Egan, 1999

Mythic As a teacher How often do I draw on this way of being? Story Metaphor Binary opposites Joking and humour Sense of mystery Games, drama, play As a teacher How often do I draw on this way of being? For myself? For my students?

Romantic As a teacher How often do I draw on this way of being? Extremes Heroes and villains Wonder Idealism Collections Hobbies As a teacher How often do I draw on this way of being? For myself? For my students?

Philosophic As a teacher How often do I draw on this way of being? Drive for generality Lure of certainty Schemes Theory Search for truth Search for authority As a teacher How often do I draw on this way of being? For myself? For my students?

Ironic As a teacher Doubt Uncertainty Scepticism Testing theory How often do I draw on this way of being? For myself? For my students? Doubt Uncertainty Scepticism Testing theory

Releasing the energy How do I/we…… …..find ways to release the creative energy of students, for this is the force that fosters experimentation and that breathes life, excitement, and enthusiasm into the learning environment for students and for their teachers (Mitchell and Sackney, 207 p. 87)

Self belief and self efficacy When teachers have a high sense of self-efficacy they are more creative in their work, intensify their efforts when their performances fall short of their goals and persist longer. Teachers’ sense of self-efficacy can thus influence the learning and motivation of students, even if students are unmotivated or considered difficult. Most studies have found a positive relation between teachers’ efficacy beliefs and several student cognitive outcomes, such as achievement in core academic subjects and performance and skills (Scheerens, 2010: 28)

Seeing, touching and hearing “At first we were focused on teaching like just talking. Now our headteacher has provided us with many teaching-learning materials. Now we use a lot more materials for all subjects. Students are also excited because they can see, touch, and hear. Based on this now teachers also have become more creative, we are drawing on our own, and also students are helping us. This has brought their skills out” (Basic school teacher, Ghana)

The external policy world The internal world of the classroom Managing the tension The external policy world The internal world of the classroom

See think wonder I see I think I wonder

Foundations of Teaching for Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 2: Myself and my learning Lecture 2.1 Thinking about who I am

Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust Being a Teacher Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust