BECOMING A SKILLFUL TEACHER Stephen Brookfield University of St. Thomas Minneapolis-St. Paul Stephen Brookfield University of St. Thomas Minneapolis-St. Paul

Stephen’s ASSUMPTIONS Sincerity of Our Actions NOT Correlated with Students’ Goodwill Good Practice = Whatever Helps Students Learn Best Teaching is Critically Reflective Most Important Pedagogic Knowledge - How Students Experience Learning Context Changes Everything Sincerity of Our Actions NOT Correlated with Students’ Goodwill Good Practice = Whatever Helps Students Learn Best Teaching is Critically Reflective Most Important Pedagogic Knowledge - How Students Experience Learning Context Changes Everything

CRITICAL INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE (CIQ) Most Engaged Moment Most Distanced Moment Most Helpful Action Most Puzzling Action What Surprised You Most Most Engaged Moment Most Distanced Moment Most Helpful Action Most Puzzling Action What Surprised You Most

CIQ – How Administered Last 5 minutes of last class of the week Anonymous Mandatory when possible Frequency Analysis Reported back to class Negotiation not capitulation to majority opinion Last 5 minutes of last class of the week Anonymous Mandatory when possible Frequency Analysis Reported back to class Negotiation not capitulation to majority opinion

Why CIQ’s? Problems Warned Early Ground Teachers’ Actions Increase Student Reflectivity Build Trust Illustrate Diverse Methods Model Critical Thinking Problems Warned Early Ground Teachers’ Actions Increase Student Reflectivity Build Trust Illustrate Diverse Methods Model Critical Thinking

What Does it Mean to Teach Adults? When have you been treated as an adult in a learning (or any other) situation? What was it that someone did that made you feel you were being treated as an adult? When have you been treated as an adult in a learning (or any other) situation? What was it that someone did that made you feel you were being treated as an adult?

An Adult Approach Respect Research Responsiveness Respect Research Responsiveness

What is Different About Adults as Learners? What (if anything) makes how you learn as an adult different from how you learned as a child or adolescent?

SNOWBALLING Begin with individual reflection Share with another person Pairs join with pairs & share in quartet Quartets join with quartets …. & so on SHARE … Emerging differences Questions & issues raised Contradictions revealed Begin with individual reflection Share with another person Pairs join with pairs & share in quartet Quartets join with quartets …. & so on SHARE … Emerging differences Questions & issues raised Contradictions revealed

ADULTS TEND TO… Be More Self-Motivated Need to See the Relevance & Application of Learning Early in the Encounter Want Their Own Experience Acknowledged Be More Tolerant of Ambiguity Be More Aware of Power Be Less Impatient with Slackers (Teachers & Students) Be More Self-Motivated Need to See the Relevance & Application of Learning Early in the Encounter Want Their Own Experience Acknowledged Be More Tolerant of Ambiguity Be More Aware of Power Be Less Impatient with Slackers (Teachers & Students)

EMOTIONAL DIMENSIONS TO LEARNING What are the strongest emotions or feelings you’ve experienced as a learner in class and what actions or events prompted these?

CIRCLE OF VOICES Begin with a minute’s quiet thought Go round the group & have each person speak their thoughts on the topic for up to a minute – NO INTERRUPTIONS ALLOWED Move into open conversation – but you can only talk about what someone else said in the opening round Begin with a minute’s quiet thought Go round the group & have each person speak their thoughts on the topic for up to a minute – NO INTERRUPTIONS ALLOWED Move into open conversation – but you can only talk about what someone else said in the opening round

EMOTIONAL RHYTHMS OF LEARNING Impostorship Cultural Suicide Lost in Limbo - roadrunning Peer Supports Impostorship Cultural Suicide Lost in Limbo - roadrunning Peer Supports

Student Engagement In your experience, what does an engaged classroom LOOK, SOUND or FEEL like?

Chalk Talk Facilitator writes a question in the center of the board & circles it Whenever they wish people go to the board & write responses to question Others draw lines between responses to show connections/differences Facilitator adds responses as needed Facilitator writes a question in the center of the board & circles it Whenever they wish people go to the board & write responses to question Others draw lines between responses to show connections/differences Facilitator adds responses as needed

ENGAGEMENT Learners’ Perceptions Involved in some way Different modalities used – silence/speech, small group/whole class, visual/oral, abstract/specific, teacher/student Teacher modeling & scaffolding Students provide frequent examples Immediate feedback on progress Participation in activities – responsibility for learning Involved in some way Different modalities used – silence/speech, small group/whole class, visual/oral, abstract/specific, teacher/student Teacher modeling & scaffolding Students provide frequent examples Immediate feedback on progress Participation in activities – responsibility for learning

MODELING Modeling Particularly Important for Students Learning to Think Critically When Teachers Talk Out Loud Their Assumptions Behind Thoughts & Practices When Teachers Do Regular Assumption Audits - Say When Their Assumptions are Confirmed & Challenged Modeling Particularly Important for Students Learning to Think Critically When Teachers Talk Out Loud Their Assumptions Behind Thoughts & Practices When Teachers Do Regular Assumption Audits - Say When Their Assumptions are Confirmed & Challenged

MODELING When Teachers Use the CIQ to Check Their Assumptions in Front of Students When Teachers Bring in Real Life Experience When Assumptions Were Confirmed & Challenged In Team Teaching - When Team Members Take Different Positions and Clarify Each Others’ Assumptions When Teachers Use the CIQ to Check Their Assumptions in Front of Students When Teachers Bring in Real Life Experience When Assumptions Were Confirmed & Challenged In Team Teaching - When Team Members Take Different Positions and Clarify Each Others’ Assumptions

What Do Adult Students Look for in Us? What would you like your learners, colleagues, reports to, or trainees to say about your practice when they were out of your earshot?

CIRCULAR RESPONSE 1st person speaks up to 1 minute on her response to the topic or question 2nd person (to left of 1st speaker) speaks for up to 1 minute - what she says must respond to, or build on, the 1st speaker’s comments. This can be a question about the previous comment or a disagreement This process continues once around circle then moves into open conversation 1st person speaks up to 1 minute on her response to the topic or question 2nd person (to left of 1st speaker) speaks for up to 1 minute - what she says must respond to, or build on, the 1st speaker’s comments. This can be a question about the previous comment or a disagreement This process continues once around circle then moves into open conversation

TEACHER CREDIBILITY EXPERTISE AT A HIGH LEVEL EXPERIENCE OF REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS & TEACHING RATIONALE: A THOUGHT OUT APPROACH TO WHY THINGS ARE ARRANGED THE WAY THEY ARE CONVICTION: RE. THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF CONTENT & SKILLS EXPERTISE AT A HIGH LEVEL EXPERIENCE OF REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS & TEACHING RATIONALE: A THOUGHT OUT APPROACH TO WHY THINGS ARE ARRANGED THE WAY THEY ARE CONVICTION: RE. THE IMPORTANCE OF A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF CONTENT & SKILLS

TEACHER AUTHENTICITY CONGRUENCE OF WORDS & ACTIONS FULL DISCLOSURE OF EXPECTATIONS & CRITERIA PERSONHOOD VIA AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL EXAMPLES RESPONSIVENESS TO LEARNERS’ CONCERNS ACKNOWLEDGING ERROR CONGRUENCE OF WORDS & ACTIONS FULL DISCLOSURE OF EXPECTATIONS & CRITERIA PERSONHOOD VIA AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL EXAMPLES RESPONSIVENESS TO LEARNERS’ CONCERNS ACKNOWLEDGING ERROR

Resistance to Learning Why Do YOU Resist Learning Something that Someone Else Says You Need to Know?

Students’ Most Frequently Reported Reasons for Resisting Learning Apparent Irrelevance of the Learning Level of Required Learning is Inappropriate or Misjudged Fear of Looking Foolish in Public Fear of the Unknown & Difficult Lack of Clarity in a Teacher’s Instructions Personal Dislike & Mistrust of a Teacher Apparent Irrelevance of the Learning Level of Required Learning is Inappropriate or Misjudged Fear of Looking Foolish in Public Fear of the Unknown & Difficult Lack of Clarity in a Teacher’s Instructions Personal Dislike & Mistrust of a Teacher

Students’ Most Frequently Reported Reasons for Resisting Learning Fear of Cultural Suicide – ‘Not Cool’ Too Much Effort – Too Difficult Racial, Cultural, Gender Differences in Class Poor Self-Image as Learners Lacks Necessary Skills for Learning Task Fear of Cultural Suicide – ‘Not Cool’ Too Much Effort – Too Difficult Racial, Cultural, Gender Differences in Class Poor Self-Image as Learners Lacks Necessary Skills for Learning Task

Dealing with Resistance What’s the best way to engage and respond to students who are resisting an involvement in learning?

NEWSPRINT DIALOG Small groups put their deliberations on newsprint sheets – no reporting these out Newsprint sheets posted around the room & blank sheets posted next to each sheet Each participant takes a marker & wanders by herself around the room - she writes her questions, reactions, agreements etc. directly onto the sheets or onto the blanks posted Groups reassemble at their postings to see what others have written Small groups put their deliberations on newsprint sheets – no reporting these out Newsprint sheets posted around the room & blank sheets posted next to each sheet Each participant takes a marker & wanders by herself around the room - she writes her questions, reactions, agreements etc. directly onto the sheets or onto the blanks posted Groups reassemble at their postings to see what others have written

Post-It Appreciation What did someone say or do today that you particularly appreciated? Write on Post-It & Place on Board Different Participants Read Out Examples What did someone say or do today that you particularly appreciated? Write on Post-It & Place on Board Different Participants Read Out Examples

Further Resources from Stephen Books that Emphasize Practice: Teaching for Critical Thinking (2012) The Skillful Teacher (2006, 2 nd. Ed.) Discussion as a Way of Teaching (w/ Stephen Preskill, 2005, 2 nd. Ed.) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (1995) Books that Emphasize Practice: Teaching for Critical Thinking (2012) The Skillful Teacher (2006, 2 nd. Ed.) Discussion as a Way of Teaching (w/ Stephen Preskill, 2005, 2 nd. Ed.) Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (1995)

Further Resources from Stephen Books that Emphasize Theory: Radicalizing Learning (w/ John Holst) 2010 Handbook of Race & Adult Education (w/ Vanessa Sheared et. al.) Learning as a Way of Leading (w/ Stephen Preskill) 2008 The Power of Critical Theory (2004) All published by Jossey-Bass Books that Emphasize Theory: Radicalizing Learning (w/ John Holst) 2010 Handbook of Race & Adult Education (w/ Vanessa Sheared et. al.) Learning as a Way of Leading (w/ Stephen Preskill) 2008 The Power of Critical Theory (2004) All published by Jossey-Bass