Characteristics of Effective Urban Teachers Presentation by E. Elliott Seda, Ph.D. Millersville University Latino Forum Oct. 24, 2009 McCaskey East HS

Bibliography All information in these slides, some directly quoted others paraphrased, come primarily from the first two sources: Haberman, M. (2005). Star teachers: The ideology and best practice of effective teachers of diverse children and youth in poverty. The Haberman Educational Foundation. Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. (2 nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Other sources: Griego Jones, T. & Lou Fuller, M. (2003). Teaching Hispanic children. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Grossman, H. (1995). Educating Hispanic students: Implications for instruction, classroom management, counseling and assessment. (2 nd ed.). Springfield, ILL: Charles C. Thomas, Publ.

Acts of Urban Teaching Giving Information-Punishing Giving Directions Non-Compliance Making Assignments-Settling Disputes Reviewing Assignments-Marking Papers Asking Questions-Giving Tests Monitoring Seatwork-Reviewing Tests Assigning Homework-Giving Grades Reviewing Homework

THE PEDAGOGY OF POVERTY

Acts of Good Teaching Students are involved with issues they consider of vital concern. Problems are viewed as opportunities for learning not for imposing additional rules and regulations. Students are involved with explanations of human differences. All areas of curricula should expand students’ understandings of human differences as integral to life.

Students are assisted in seeing major concepts, big ideas, and general principles and not simply engaged in the pursuit of isolated facts. They are also involved in thinking and not simply acquiring information. Students are involved in planning what they will be doing. This involves having students select topics, decide on resources, and planning for presentations. Students are involved with applying ideas such as fairness, equity, and/or justice to their world.

PERSISTENCE

-Teachers NEVER, NEVER give up. They PERSIST. -Teaching can never be good enough since everyone could always have learned more in any activity. -PERSISTENCE is a commitment to an endless search for what works best with each student. -It is the teacher’s responsibility to keep trying to find “what works,” to keep trying to engage students in learning.

PROTECT STUDENTS’ LEARNING

-Learning transcends curriculum, textbooks, and achievement tests. -Teachers teach the material by making it relevant to students’ lives. They are CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE. They are constantly learning, availing themselves of continuing education and professional development. -They teach students in the now, current, present. Education and schooling is not a preparation for life, it IS life NOW. They are aware and sensitive to their students’ cultures. -Teachers teach what they know and care about. Those without the knowledge base or experience “cover” the material. -Teachers do not let anything get in the way of students learning.

AVOID THE CARE AND FEEDING OF THE BUREAUCRACY

Teachers learn the rules and policies which must be obeyed and which can be ignored. They become experts in how the bureaucracy works in order to do the least to feed it for the sole purpose of protecting them and their students. Teachers also learn the informal structures (secretaries, aides, custodians, other teachers, etc) of schools so the system works for them and their students. They set up networks or support groups to help avoid burnout.

PUT THEORY INTO PRACTICE

- Teachers can generate practical, specific applications of the theories and philosophies. They can provide explanations from the general to specific and from the specific to the general. They have a full grasp of learning principles and theories and can derive meaning from their teaching. They are CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE. They are always opened to new ideas and engage in professional development. -“They organize and manage classrooms in which children [students] are busy in constructive ways and can also explain the purposes of the activities, the nature of the learners and the principles of [teaching and] learning on which their methods are based” (Haberman, 2005, p. 154).

-“Theories and research findings from inservice courses, principles learned in workshops, and the various ideas teachers get online, read or hear about, must all be translated into practice. In order for this translation to occur teachers must see the action implications of abstract ideas and ideals. The ability to transform an abstract generalization into a specific set of classroom activities for children is a vital function performed by [effective urban teachers]. Without this ability to move between theory and practice, all forms of teacher education and professional staff development become a waste of time” (Pp ).

APPROACH “AT RISK” STUDENTS POSITIVELY

Teachers avoid the labeling and usage of code words. They have high expectations for ALL students. They do not “blame the victim.” Their response is, “[There has] to be a better way; it’s up to me to find it and I know I can do it!” (p.170). They learn as much as possible about the students’ life circumstances (and culture) for the purpose of making school and learning meaningful to them. They do not criticize parents; they consider parents as partners in the education of their children.

USE A PROFESSIONAL VS. A PERSONAL ORIENTATION

Teachers take a professional orientation of care, culturally responsiveness, respect, and trust rather than a personal one of guilt, love, and like-ability. They do not use statements like, “You let me down.” “Don’t you like me?” “Do it for me.” “If you like (love) me, you will do this even if it is difficult.” The professional orientation is one of, “You can hate me all you want, but I’m still going to teach you and make sure you learn.” The personal orientation is, “What’s the use! I put a lot of time and energy and they don’t care, they let me down.”

ACCEPT AND ADMIT TO FALLIBILITY

Effective teachers are willing to admit they make mistakes. If they have to, these teachers will, publicly, admit the mistake in front of students. They will make it a teaching and a learning moment. They will correct the mistakes recognizing that it may take some time and some doing. “The surest way to teach children and youth to accept their own fallibility is to have teachers who can accept theirs” (p.190). 3M Company Research Dept.

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS ARE STAR TEACHERS VS. QUITTERS/FAILURES

Star teachers see teaching as a matter of life and death similar to other occupations that involve life and death issues. Star teachers take the life and death of their students as a calling to which they make a total commitment. Star teachers ideology considers the primary goal “to turn students on,” to engaging them in lifelong learning. Star teachers REALLY believe (they don’t just say it) that ALL students can learn.

Star teachers do not believe in the “dumbing down” of the curriculum for the purpose of “getting a job and staying out of jail.” They have high standards and high expectations for ALL students and they teach with these expectations. “Star teachers never fall into the trap of believing they can predict the future lives and occupations of their students. They assume their students have unknown and unlimited potentialities” (Haberman, p. 102).