The Effective Teacher

Objectives Describe the characteristics of an effective teacher Explain why reflection on teaching is so important for teacher growth Describe the reflective decision making model of teaching Identify important factors that affect instructional decision making

Activity one: using your prior knowledge, write two-three sentences that describe what you see in the following diagram.

What is a teacher? Schools are created to provide a certain type of educational experience, which can be called the curriculum. This increase in the educational level of teachers is recognition that, if teachers are to facilitate the intellectual, personal, and social development of their students, then they must be much better educated than ever before.

“Effective” Teacher

Intent + Achievement = Effectiveness Learning outcomes Students’ achievements Teacher’s Personality Knowledge and skills

Teacher’s Personality Fair Democratic Responsive Understanding Kindly Stimulating Original Alert Responsible Steady Poised Confident Partial Autocratic Aloof Restricted Harsh Dull Stereotyped Apathetic Unimpressive Evasive Erratic Uncertain

Knowledge and skills Teachers must be familiar with children and their developmental stages. They must know something about events outside the classroom and school. They must possess enough command of the subject they are going to teach to be able to differentiate what is important and central from what is incidental and peripheral. They must have a philosophy of education to help guide them in their role as teachers. They must know how human beings learn and how to create environments that facilitate learning.

Well-educated teacher should be prepared in five areas of teacher competence to be effective in bringing about intended learning outcomes. Theoretical knowledge about learning and human behavior Attitudes that foster learning Knowledge of subject matter Repertoire of teaching skills Personal practical knowledge

What makes up the theoretical knowledge of teaching? Practice  Interpretation Concepts from: psychology, anthropology, sociology, linguistics, cognitive sciences, and related disciplines What happens if there was no knowledge to interpret the complex reality of the classroom? “Forget the fancy theoretical stuff and listen to me. I’ll tell you what works in real life.” Mastery requires practical application to concrete situations (e.g., reinforcement).

Proficiency will not be achieved as a result of formal training alone; it is a lifelong process involving both formal training and an unending program of on-the-job self-improvement. This is not an easy task. It requires understanding, insight, practice, and feedback from colleagues and professors.

What is an attitude? An attitude is a predisposition to act in a positive or negative way toward persons, ideas, or events. The major categories of attitudes that affect teaching behavior are: (a) teachers’ attitudes toward themselves (b) teachers’ attitudes toward children (c) teachers’ attitudes toward peers and parents (d) teachers’ attitudes toward the subject matter

Teachers’ attitudes toward peers and parents

Teachers’ attitudes toward the subject matter

Knowledge of subject matter Teacher’s subject-matter preparation really has two aspects: (1) a study of the subject matter itself (2) a judicious selection of the material that can be transmitted successfully to the student Knowledge of the school curriculum is related to pedagogical content knowledge—that is, knowledge that bridges content knowledge and pedagogy.

Pedagogical content knowledge represents the “blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, represented, and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners and presented for instruction.” To be effective communicators, teachers need an understanding of both children and subject matter and, beyond that, special training in linking the two.

Repertoire of teaching skills Teaching skills, which are the specific sets of identifiable behaviors needed to perform teaching functions. Examples: ability to ask questions that require students to think more deeply, to write good assessments, or to manage classrooms to facilitate student learning. Whereas the knowledge components involved in teacher preparation focus on the contexts or situations that confront teachers, the skills component focuses directly on the trainees—on the observation, analysis, and modification of their teaching behavior.

Personal practical knowledge Personal practical knowledge is the set of understandings teachers have of the practical circumstances in which they work. Teachers’ beliefs, insights, and habits Teachers use their personal practical knowledge to solve dilemmas, resolve tensions, and simplify the complexities of their work.

Danielson’s Framework for Professional Practice Charlotte Danielson has developed a framework for teaching that identifies aspects of a teacher’s responsibilities that empirical studies have demonstrated as promoting improved student learning. Danielson divides the complex activity of teaching into twenty-two components clustered into four domains of teaching responsibility: (1) planning and preparation, (2) the classroom environment, (3) instruction, and (4) professional responsibilities.

What are the benefits of this framework? A framework offers the profession of teaching a shared vocabulary as a way to communicate about excellence. For novice teachers, a framework provides a pathway to excellence by laying out the twenty-two important components that constitute professional practice. A framework for teaching provides a structure for discussion among teachers and serves to sharpen the focus for professional development. A framework also serves to communicate to the larger community the array of competencies needed to be an effective teacher.

A Reflective Decision-Making Model of Teaching Teachers are professionals who are educated and trained to make and implement decisions.

Reflective Teaching Reflective teaching is a teacher’s habit of examining and evaluating his or her teaching on a regular basis. Reflection typically includes reconstructing an experience, making connections to prior knowledge or skills, examining the thoughts and understandings that undergird our teaching, and making decisions about how to apply the knowledge or skills in a new situation.

Types of reflection Reflection-on-action: occurs when planning for a lesson or in thinking about a lesson that has already been taught. Reflection-in-action: occurs during the teaching of a lesson, often requiring an immediate response.

Through the process of reflection, teachers come to achieve greater self-understanding. Reflection on the moral and ethical issues in the decision-making process is strongly urged and supported by many teacher educators. When do we make ethical decisions? Do we face ethical dilemmas?

Tools for reflective teachers Teaching journal Video recordings Teaching portfolios Colleagues

Factors influencing instructional decisions Poverty Racial, ethnic and cultural diversity Gender Other factors

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