Unfortunately if these blogs have to be academically written, then I have already failed. Whether it be due to lack of talent, or lack of concentration, I don’t think it matters. What does matter, is that my lack of academic intellect is not due to being lazy. Personally I don’t think anyone who does understand absolutely everything they read in the required reading will necessarily make a great teacher, (although I am sure there are many exceptions!), but nevertheless it is the reason I have decided to not pull out of this course, and not get intimidated by those who actually do understand everything. Everything I write here, unless accompanied by references, is from my own personal experience of the last seven years working as a teacher of instrumental music groups in high schools and primary schools in ACT, and also in Stuttgart Germany where my language skills were very basic.
There is so much more to teaching than just being ‘studied up’, as I am sure Wayne is experiencing in this particular scenario number one. Teaching in a classroom, where all the students are of different abilities and levels can be incredibly difficult, if you are trying to cater for every individual’s student’s development. I can also confidently say, that being a teacher, you are a human with one brain, and a brain can not split in two and simultaneously teach two different standards of student at exactly the same time. There is also no escape from being the role of teacher in this situation - the role is fixed.
The teacher’s concern branches from the deep knowledge that the students are there for a purpose – either they ‘have’ to be there, or they ‘want’ to be there. Either way, their purpose IS to be there. Wayne is concerned that if he tries to find a middle ground between the two groups, that the end result will be that the motivated kids will get bored, and the unengaged group will not be inspired to change their attitude. Either way, fear of boredom from the students is in this teacher’s paranoia. He is between a rock and a hard place and is split right down the middle of decision-making. Who does he sacrifice the session for? The ‘motivated’ group or the ‘unengaged’ group?
Creating a positive learning environment in the class, through humor, fun and energy, is the only way I found to get around this, because then, the student’s natural human instincts take over. They above all, want to be INCUDED through CURIOSITY alone. The curiosity can stem from many things, such as loneliness and feeling left out as a kid, to wanting to get inside the teacher’s head i.e. getting to know the content that is being taught. (Of course there will always be those who have behavioural probems, but this is for another blog on classroom control.)
I looked up Wikipedia and found a guy called Jean-Jacques Rousseau. And I would say that he was the one who inspired me most with his quotations.
He believed that ‘education is not concerned with particular techniques of imparting information and concepts, but rather with developing the pupil’s character and moral sense, so that the kid may learn to practice self-mastery and remain virtuous even in the unnatural and imperfect society in which he will have to live. He said that the child must be guided to suffer from the experience of the natural consequences of his own acts or behavior. When he experiences the consequences of his own acts, he advises himself.’ (I don't know how to do the Harvard system referencing, but i did just get that directly off Wikipedia).
As for the history of education, its always amazing how even the most revolutionary students who swear that if they ‘ever become a teacher, they will teach differently from how they grew up’ (eg the British Anglican way), in fact end up just teaching the same stuff again, and relying on that ‘stuff’ alone to arouse the student’s curiosity. I learned that one the hard way that when I taught like this, that many students end up just trying to ‘pass’ their particular subject.
I don’t have a problem with teaching concepts from generations and generations before, but only if I can maintain curiosity in my students - something i want to develop through this course and through the years to come. But if I rely on the concepts and content alone, like I said before, I’ve already failed as a teacher.
"Included through curiosity". Perfect! You basically said in three words what I tried to do in 500 on my blog. Tapping in to the "student’s natural human instincts" is also another excellent way of summing up good pedagogy - just like the Plutarch quote on the UC homepage "The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled".
ReplyDeleteWhilst I love the direction of this post I would love to hear more about your actual *practical* approaches to achieving the classroom environment you are describing. You sound like a fantastic teacher, though I'm sure that "humor, fun and energy" (referent power) is not the be all and end all of your approach to pedagogy. My guess is that you are subconsciously employing all sorts of techniques - maybe promoting group work in Waynes class, buddying students up (delicately trying to place a 'disengaged' student with a 'motivated' student perhaps?), encourage discussion, develop critical thought exercises... etc etc.
I love your philosophy and approach to teaching, I'd just love to hear you unpack it a little more!
P.S. I really don't think that there are ANY students who understand everything yet. There's no need to feel intimidated by other students. We're all in the same boat, and I think we all feel like we're playing catch up. Take it easy, relax, and have confidence in the fact that your doing a great job.
Cheers,
Ty
I am totally agreed with what you've said about the role of teacher and the purpose for students coming to school to study. In my point of view, I think that as a teacher we have to pass our knowledge to the next generation and of course we have to possess a certain kind of "knowledge" on how to deal with different kind of students. Maybe some of the teachers will feel annoying or fed up for those "disengaged" ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔs' misbehaviour in the classroom and they will feel that those "disengaged" students are trying to disrupt classroom order. In my point of view, I believe that there might be some reasons for those students' to behave abnormal in the classroom. In the class, I will still teach the topic I have already prepared for and I will ask those "disengaged" students to come to find me during the break. This will not only continue the learning process for those "motivated "students, by giving the individual talk with "disengaged" students will also gives me an opportunity to know more about them and help them to solve the problems they are facing on.
ReplyDeleteI believe that you will sure have your own philosophy on managing the classroom order and I really like your concepts of the positive learning environment in the class. The class which is full of energy, fun and motivated will absolutely bring all students together and motivated each others on self-learning and co-operation. As what Ty has mentioned about studying environment with encourage discussion, develop critical thought exercises and etc. will gives student a chance to know each other and will decrease the chance for them to feel left out.
Being as a teacher we will have to face on different situations and it is good for us to share our views on how to deal with it. As you have mentioned above, "that being a teacher, you are a human with one brain", thus, discuss with peers will give us different opinions and looking at the matters with different angles.
Winnie
Za, you raise a number of issues or concerns that are at the heart of the course in your post. I wouldn't think the 'f' word is appropriate in this context as we are at the beginning of a long and challenging journey. What i do need you to do though is bring in the ideas we have been looking at as in the end we are an academic course. THe use of Rousseau is good, however don't let it sit and speak for itself, use it as the basis of your post perhaps (and there is stuff about referencing on the wiki and the UC library). the teaching the same stuff again idea is getting to the academic engagement with the issues as as you point out is this a particular issue steeped in history and sociology. It's great that you can bring some of your experiences to the table here, however there is a reason why the formal accreditation to teach is entwined with accredited courses like this based on the professional standards. Consequently I need to see more of that approach. PLease don't let the idea that you need to begin at mastery be a blocker for you, at worst pop by for a chat.
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