Role of an Unqualified Teacher - Essay Example

MY ROLE AS AN UNQUALIFIED TEACHER IN A SCHOOL By Introduction The teaching role has overtime become a topic of contention, as to who best suited to offer instructions to pupils, therefore raising the issue of the qualified and unqualified teacher. One precedent debate in the United Kingdom is between the government and the teachers’ unions over the government’s policy to allow unqualified teachers to instruct in academies (Adams, 2014). The answer to the contestation will remain as to whether; it is about qualification or ability to deliver. Personally, I am an unqualified teacher offering home schooling to a student with an autism disorder. The student is a 21-years old (who is five years old academically and mentally), who has Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to the National Autistic society, the disorder is a permanent development disability that influences on an individual’s communication and relationship skills. The disabled have difficulties with social interactions, communications, and difficulties with social imagination (Ghaziuddin, 2005). Pupils challenged with the disorder think and learn differently, a situation that calls for a different approach other that the conformist one. My role in training the herein stated student and professional expectation is supported by the regulation regarding the service of unqualified teachers for maintained and academies as outlined in the UK school staffing regulation of 2012. This regulation authorizes unqualified teachers like me, to offer training where necessary, if the governing body is satisfied with my experience or qualification (essexprimaryheads, 2012). The government, then expects us to be able to instruct or provide training when need arises, for instance if there are no enough teachers to care for particular training situations like ASD. In addition, a number of theories by famous theorists: Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Jerome Bruner, are fundamentally significant in the dispensation of education by unqualified teachers. Both theorists have extensive understanding of education and the collectively seem to contest the conventional teaching approach (accruing of facts and techniques), rather proposes cognition theories that define education as an active and involving process. In this essay, I intend to connote my role as an unqualified teacher on the premise of the job description, government policy and theories significance in relation to student’s disorder condition. Professional Expectations on My Job Description As mentioned above, my student is 21 years old, and education-wise is five years old psychologically and academically. My professional expectation is based on my job description which primarily grounds on the premise of the difficulties the student with autism disorder faces. The major difficulties faced by my student and the rest with the same disorder include social interaction impairment, language and communication impairment, and imagination impairment (Ghaziuddin, 2005). The three chief challenges are the core anchors of my job description. Social interaction job description: As with social interaction, my student often shows unfriendliness and unresponsiveness to other people and sometimes relates very well to adults he knows well, but not with his peers. He also prefers to stay alone rather than seeking company of others. Finally, he has difficulties comprehending the unwritten social regulations which most ordinary children pickup devoid of many thoughts. Considering this description, being the student’s primary education custodian, I am expected first to acknowledge the students difficulties. Then plan a schedule that keeps in mind that that the student has a challenge in recognizing what others think or know; for he does not readily grasp others standpoint. I am also expected to specific strategies and training lessons and provides the student with opportunities to apply the learned skills. Finally is also to advise parents and guardians on the best ways to invoke an interaction with the student. Language and communication job description: Literal understanding of language and inability to communicate properly is another immense difficulty that my student encounters in everyday training. He has a problem in developing speech and sometimes thinks all individuals always mean what they correctly say. He has difficulties in making a connection with facial expression or intonation and does not enjoy jokes and sarcasm at all. As with this impairment, the expectation of his parents is that, I should be able to support the student in comprehending the purpose and value of language and communication. I am also aware of the troubles that he may involuntarily cause, if when giving directions I talking at length and by not considering that he understands the intention of the conversation. In trying to offer my best, I also include a description of a speech and verbal communication therapist detailing the boy’s communication troubles together with the recommended interventions. In overall my description about communication, my teaching instructions focuses on paying attention, thoughtful, imitating and using words in the play and collective settings (Mackenzie, 2008). Together with the use of visual objects, I employ prompts as a way to promote success. Teaching description as regards to Imagination: As with imaginative impairment together with a limited range of behaviours, actions, and interests are common in children, and my student is no different. His weaknesses include the inability to identify with and predict other people’s intent and manners and to imagine circumstances outside his own habit. The description of my job with regard to imaginative is extensive, for the creative influence affects the whole learning process and must be done diligently. In training, I help him develop some coping skilfulness to deal with situations or issues that cause his stress. In planning lessons, I always take into consideration the student’s look over time to make sure that he recognizes the circumstances that give rise to his anxiety and behaviour. Even though he is five years old academically sometimes, I try to adhere to repetitive recreation activities, frequently including spinning toys together with play materials to keep him focused. United Kingdom Government Policy on Unqualified Teachers Besides my professional expectation being anchored on my job description and the expectation of the boy’s parents, I am also expected to satisfy the government’s expectation. I believe the government envisaged it very well the role played by unqualified teacher through the inclusion of the school staffing clause in 2012. Clause 18….envisages that in accordance with the Secretary of State’ guidance which may be issued on the teaching qualifications of and other staff, the Academies can employ anybody it deems suitably qualified or is otherwise eligible for services. The employee’s mandate include the execution of planning and preparation of courses and lessons for pupils, assessing the development, delivering lessons to pupils, progress and attainment of pupils, progress and attainment of pupils, and reporting on the development (essexprimaryheads, 2012). Therefore, under the 2012 regulation all unqualified teachers are permitted to be appointed to give instruction on art or any subject, where exceptional qualifications are required so longer as governing office is satisfied with one’s experience, qualification, or both (essexprimaryheads, 2012). Course Theories and their Significance Surely, to consider education or schooling as only one small fraction of how a culture initiates the young into its canonical customs is totally an underestimation. Undeniably, education might even be at odds with the culture’s erstwhile ways of introducing the young into the prerequisites of communal living. This understanding is in line with the psychological comprehension by famous theorists; Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Jerome Bruner have made profound contribution to our positive reception of the education process and to the advancement of program of study theory. Today, it has become increasingly apparent that schooling is not just about conformist school protocols like curriculum or principles or testing (Hala, 1997). The theorists’ experimentations only makes sense when well thought-out in the wider perspective of what the society have it in mind to achieve via its educational investment I relate and draw a lot of lessons for training a autism disordered child. Jerome Bruner’s theory: From Bruner’s perspective, the intention of education is not only the impartation of knowledge, but also the facilitation of a childs problem-solving and critical thinking skills, which can then be transfused into an array of situations. Purposely, schooling should also build up symbolic thinking in young children (Mohan, 2007). The chief theme in Bruner’s theoretical outline is that an education is an active process that enables learners to construct a series of new thoughts or concepts generated from their precedent knowledge and experience (Mohan, 2007). The learner selects and transforms information, put up hypotheses and make decisions with the reliance on cognitive structure. According to Bruner, cognitive structure is a representation and mental models that endow the learner with sense and organization to experiences and let the learner go beyond the teachings given (Smith, 2012). Consequently, Bruner’s theory touches on instructions whereby, he recommends that the teacher should connect in an active conversation and encourage the learners to discover ideology by themselves. In addition, Bruner’s definition of the role of the teacher is to translate materials to be learned into a layout appropriate to the students existing state of comprehending. Finally, is the curriculum that he recommended should be structured in a spiral manner to enable learners to upsurge the already learned skills (Smith, 2012) continually. In further strides of his theory about schooling in 1966, Bruner developed theory of instruction that he said should anchor four facets. The instructions should be an inclination towards learning; the way to structure education to be grasped readily by learner; the most efficient series to present learning material; and finally as the natural way and dispensing rewards and punishments (Mohan, 2007). Jean Piaget’s theory: As with this theory, Piaget’s discovery came about, as he was intrigued on why learners gave wrong answers to the queries that required critical thinking. From this experience, he believed that those incorrect answers were a revelation of the significant differences between children and adults’ thinking (Mohan, 2007). Piaget’s influence in developing an instructive policy and education is paramount. For instance, a primary education review by the UK government on education in 1966 was strongly on the premise of Piaget’s theory. The result of the review later got publication as the Plowden report and founded discovery learning that holds that learners grasp concepts best through action and actively discovering, and has been as contributor to the revolution curriculum of primary school (Mohan, 2007). The persistent themes from the report are personage learning, flexible curriculum, the significance of play in student’s learning, education by discovery, the use of the surroundings, and the significance of the assessment of learners progress - instructors should never presume that only what is quantifiable is valuable (Mohan, 2007). Much of Piaget’s research in understanding children’s education was based on clinical interviews together with critical observation of older children who he found were capable of comprehending questions and holding conversations. Through qualitative research, he sustained that children think in a different way from adults and affirmed that their cognitive development passes four universal stages. He held then that growth is biological based that keeps changing as the child grows, and cognition is prevalent in every child in the exact succession of stages. He came the idea of Readiness, in which Piaget’s suggestion is that learners should never be trained certain concepts unless they have attained the suitable stage of cognitive growth (Mohan, 2007). Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky’s theory: His theory is based on the claim that children are born with certain abilities necessary for intellectual growth. To illustrate his theory as concerning education, Lev Vygotsky developed his model of sensory abilities which he refers to as elementary mental functions; attention, sensation, perception and memory. He further holds that ultimately, through socio-cultural interaction within an ambient environment, the abilities are then developed into more complex and efficient mental processes which he subsequently refers to as higher mental Functions (Miller, 2012). Elsewhere, Vygotsky talks of intellectual adaptation tools, which are instruments that facilitate children or learners to make use of the central mental functions more efficiently and adaptively, and these tools are culturally determined (Miller, 2012). Vygotsky consequently perceived cognitive functions, even those that occur naturally, as being influenced by the beliefs, principles, and instruments of intellectual adjustment of the culture in which an individual develops and as a result it is arrived at by socio-cultural (Smith, 2012). In linking the theories to my profession description and expectations, it is paramount to note that some of the views held by the theories of the theorists herein are same. Apparently, the Bruner’s theory supports my role as an unqualified teacher to a vast extent. As with qualification, Bruner disputes the conventional education that relies on structure techniques. I understand my student’s need very much, and Bruner’s theory forms the basis of my teaching plans and lessons. With the acknowledgement that I am offering services to ASD disordered student, I facilitate the learner’s ability to develop critical thinking by himself. I also relate to his four instruction model and they are thus part of my plan. All this combined will in the long-term help my student to improve his social, communication, and imaginative skills. However, I have had a challenge in applying his fourth instruction model of disciplining a student, because the student is often violent when rebuked. I hold that: the model was not intended for disabled children. Again from my job’s point of view, like that of Bruner’s, Piaget’s theory also measures up very well with my service. For instance, the Plowden report is founded on innovation learning that holds that learners grab concepts best via action and energetically discovering, and has been as a contributor to the revolution syllabus of primary school. However, Vygotskys theory relies much on the supposition that it is relevant to all cultures and therefore becomes hard to relate it to my student. His concept relies on verbal instruction as the primary model of training that is hard to apply in my case, for I have to combine both verbal and non-verbal communications. In wrapping this essay, the controversy over whether the unqualified teachers should be allowed to offer training or not is ultimately going to persist. The tussle between the UK department of educational and the teacher’s unionists is prevalent but nonetheless, it is important to restate that the answer to the question is relative. As with my profession as an unqualified teaching assistant to the disabled student, I feel that it is a worthy course, having considered the relevant expectation of both the student’s parent and government. The government’s facilitation is through the 2012 school staffing regulation that permits the unqualified teachers, me being included in order to offer services to special cases. Consequently, from the theories of the famous educationist analysed herein, education is not only about the impartation of knowledge, but also about continuation of the creativity of learners and allowing them to discover some concepts by themselves. As autism disordered student’s teacher, the ideas by the Bruner, Vygotsky, and Piaget have formed the basis for my teaching plan and overall training. The Poster Information In line with my job as a teacher, I have inscribed a poster herein in relation to theorists’ works that I have relied on to facilitate my service delivery. These theories include the John Hattie theory, Bowlby attachment theory, and Iceberg Theory of Writing by Hemingway. Within the poster, I have also inscribed a behaviourist approach to teaching as expected by the government. In bringing out the whole picture of the learning and role of the teacher, I have used a pen- a mightier than the sword. As with the learning process, the reference to John Hattie’s serves to confer my poster to his visible learning aspect. In his proposal, Hattie held that knowledge becomes perceptible when both students and teachers are collective learners i.e. evaluators of their individual coaching thus serving students to be own teachers (Waack, 2013). I am able to make learning visible to my student and helping me to see learning in the eyes of my student (Waack, 2013). It is a tech tool that I use to find out how to search for and provide suitable feedback that helps him get forward. Together with Edward George’s proverb in 1839, I employ the use of “a pen is mightier than the sword proverb”. A pen is a tool for inspiration and communication whereas the sword dispels the extrinsic fear to deliver the service (Humanities.byu.edu, 2003). I use this proverb every day because I believe that words are always superior to action, and so with even deadly killers, like swords (Humanities.byu.edu, 2003). In regard to nature and nurture, these terms are interdependent and are in line with visible learning. Nature is referred to as the genes and heritable considerations that influence whom we are – from our bodily appearance to our personality uniqueness. On the other hand, nurturing takes all the ecological variables that influence who we are, how we were brought up, our societal relationships, and our adjacent culture (Waack, 2013). Moreover, so is the reflection of this poster. Moreover, as a teacher I shouldnt force my religion or beliefs on the student even though he has the challenge of exercising intellectual integrity in making independent judgement in relation to critical learning decisions. Therefore, I should rather as a teacher have an open discussion with him and encourage him to have a positive attitude towards finding supporting evidence to support any of his ideas. References Adams, R., 2014. Rise in number of unqualified teachers at state-funded schools in England. [Online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/10/rise-number-unqualified-teachers-state-funded-schools-england [Accessed 28 Nov. 2014]. Cherry, K., 2014. The Age-Old Debate of Nature versus Nurture. [Online] About. Available at: http://psychology.about.com/od/nindex/g/nature-nurture.htm [Accessed 11 Dec. 2014]. essexprimaryheads, 2012. Unqualified Teachers – New Regulations for Maintained schools and Academies. [Accessed 28 Nov. 2014]. Available at: http://www.essexprimaryheads.co.uk/sites/essexprimaryheads.co.uk/files/Unqualified%20Teachers%20%E2%80%93%20New%20Regulations%20for%20Maintained%20schools%20and%20Academies%20HR%20advice%20October%202012.doc Ghaziuddin, M., 2005. Mental health aspects of autism and Asperger Syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Hala, S., 1997. The development of social cognition. East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press. Humanities.byu.edu, 2003. The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword. [Online] Available at: http://humanities.byu.edu/elc/student/idioms/proverbs/the_pen.html [Accessed 11 Dec. 2014]. MacKenzie, H., 2008. Reaching and teaching the child with autism spectrum disorder. London: Jessica Kingsley. Miller, R., 2012. Vygotsky in perspective. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Mohan, R., 2007. Innovative science teaching. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India. Smith, M., 2012. Jerome Bruner and the process of education. [online] infed.org. Available at: http://infed.org/mobi/jerome-bruner-and-the-process-of-education/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2014]. Waack, S., 2013. Visible Learning For Teachers - VISIBLE LEARNING. [Online] VISIBLE LEARNING. Available at: http://visible-learning.org/2013/01/visible-learning-for-teachers-book-review/ [Accessed 11 Dec. 2014]. Read More