THE SKILLFUL TEACHER Stephen Brookfield Distinguished University Professor University of St. Thomas Minneapolis-St. Paul

ASSUMPTIONS OF SKILLFUL TEACHING Good teaching = whatever helps students learn Best teaching is critically reflective Most important teaching knowledge we need: how students experience learning

CRITICAL INCIDENT QUESTIONNAIRE (CIQ) Moment Most Engaged as a Learner Moment Most Distanced as a Learner Action Most Affirming/Helpful Action Most Puzzling/Confusing What Surprised You Most

HOW TO USE THE CIQ Last 5 minutes of last class Anonymous Reviewed at beginning of next week’s class Illustrates diversity in class Allows you to emphasize why class is organized as it is Negotiation is NOT capitulation

BENEFITS OF CIQ Helps you take informed actions Builds a case for using multiple methods and techniques with students Allows you to catch problems, confusions & misunderstandings early Builds trust Models Critical Thinking

WHAT STUDENTS VALUE IN TEACHERS CREDIBILITY Expertise (you really know your stuff) Experience (as a real life worker & as a teacher) Rationale (you have a thought through plan of action) Conviction (that the learning is important)

AUTHENTICITY Congruence (between your words & actions) Full Disclosure (of your expectations & criteria) Responsiveness (to students’ learning difficulties) Personhood (appropriate autobiographical examples)

IMPOSTORSHIP CULTURAL SUICIDE LOST INNOCENCE ROADRUNNING EMOTIONAL RHYTHMS IMPOSTORSHIP CULTURAL SUICIDE LOST INNOCENCE ROADRUNNING

WHY LECTURE? Provide overview/outline of a broad body of material To explain and illustrate with examples difficult ideas & concepts To introduce alternative perspectives & interpretations To model intellectual attitudes and behaviors To encourage learners’ interest in a topic

USE A VARIETY OF APPROACHES Chunked in 15 minute segments Structured Silent writing (3 minutes) - most important/confusing point, question / illustration of concept. Shuffle these & ask students to read them or read them yourself. Buzz groups Lecture from ‘Siberia’ Assign Roles to Students each week - summarizer, devil’s advocate Team lecturing with peer critique

VARIETY OF APPROACHES Video clips Spot the deliberate teacher error (when you contradict yourself, say something clearly inaccurate etc.) Example inventories - students provide examples to show they’ve understood concepts you’ve covered (on 3x5, newsprint, blackboard on online)

ORGANIZED AS HELPFUL INFORMATIONAL MAPS Scaffolding Notes - Main headings & sub-headings with space for examples Clear verbal signals - global (now a whole new area is being introduced), key point (a main idea is being explored), example, meta-review Frequent summaries Where are we now?

MODEL LEARNING BEHAVIORS Begin with questions the lecture will try to answer End with questions the lecture has raised Structured Devil’s Advocacy Assumption Hunting Team teaching - peer critique

LESSON PLANNING Multiple Modalities (aim for 3 per lesson) - e.g. lecturing, demonstration, small group application, silent writing, visual illustration, newsprint dialog Lesson Structure depends on learning you wish to achieve CIQ will tell you what is working & for how many

LESSON PLANNING contd. Frequent recaps Frequent explanations Regular example exercises - students write (on 3x5, on newsprint, or on board) examples to illustrate a skill or idea you’re teaching Tie each learning activity to homework

FINAL THOUGHTS Beware the ‘Perfect Ten’ syndrome Teaching is “Informed Muddling Through” Don’t be who you aren’t Resistance / Hostility are normal & not caused by you Never underestimate your power

RESOURCES www.stephenbrookfield.com THE SKILLFUL TEACHER DISCUSSION AS A WAY OF TEACHING BECOMING A CRITICALLY REFLECTIVE TEACHER All available from Jossey-Bass Publishers (San Francisco) www.josseybass.com