Effective Teaching Thru Being Pupil Centered: An Analysis - Essay Example

Effective Teaching Thru Being Pupil Centered: An Analysis Submitted 0 Introduction Today’s educator is faced with a classroom of diversity. Not only do students come from widely differing ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, they also have widely differing interests, experiences and learning styles. If an educator hopes to effectively teach this range of learners, he or she must be competent at many methods and techniques. Educators tend to teach in the style that is most comfortable for them. However, present day classrooms require the educator to prepare for and teach with the methods and styles best for students. Educators must extend themselves beyond their comfort zones of familiar and habitually used methods if every student is to receive a quality education. Over the years, there has been growing research interest in identifying teaching and learning strategies that pupils perceive to be enjoyable and through which they feel they learn most effectively. Chapter 3 of the reference book Stoll, Fink and Earl, 2003 is a part of the growing literature that is concerned with education being pupil centered rather than subjected to the whims of the teacher. In this regard, the pupil takes on a center stage as they truly are. In this paper, I am aiming to analyze the text contained in Chapter 3 entitled “Pupil Learning at the Centre”. To do this, I will define and discuss the major points that the text contains and relate this on the process of being an effective teacher. In this regard, it becomes necessary to cite from other authors for corroboration and as additional sources of information as well. In essence, I try to discuss why teaching should be pupil centered and how this could be achieved. 2.0 Major Points of the Chapter When texts are being discussed, it is not necessary to do it page by page. What is more important is that the crucial points are laid out. In this section, I am enumerating the essential points that Stoll, Fink and Earl (2003) forwarded. According to the text, effective teaching is rooted in a well-considered and evolving belief system that includes the following tenets: 1. Pupils learn best in a positive and nurturing environment established by teachers who believe that every pupil is capable of learning. 2. All pupils have areas of strengths and interests that can be useful in advancing pupil learning. Effective teachers establish an instructional environment that will draw on these strengths. 3. Differentiated instruction addresses pupils’ diverse abilities, cultures, languages and cognitive skills. 4. Teachers take into account the whole pupil; in other words, they attend to the cognitive, affective, social, and physical dimensions when developing an instructional program. 5. Active engagement and interaction facilitate pupil learning. 6. New learning is built upon previously learned information. Learning is enhanced when prior knowledge and cultural and social experiences are valued, acknowledged, and leveraged throughout the curriculum. 7. Pupil learning is both individually and socially constructed; it is influenced by cultural, familial, and social context. 8. Meaningful assessment is both formative and summative; it relies on multiple measures, including informal observations. Historically, the educational experiences of pupils have not been equal. Biases about class, race, ability, gender, and sexual orientation have affected teaching. A society that is truly democratic understands that pupil differences—diversity—should be valued; all pupils deserve equal consideration by their teachers. In short, a teacher should be both knowledgeable and passionate about sustaining equality. A teacher’s knowledge itself, however, cannot transmit to students such commitment to them as learners; teachers must bring intensity and passion to this task. Intensity and passion transform act of teaching into acts of personal and professional commitment. Commitment reveals that teaching humanizes communities through the social activity of learning. 3.0 Teacher Knowledge For teachers to be effective they must be student centered and we have seen some of the elements which can suffice this. However, implied in the reading is that the teacher must also have sufficient knowledge, continues to learn and can adapt to the changing milieu. This is also discussed in the other chapters of Stoll, Fink and Earl (2003) such as Chapter 7 that has the title “Enhancing Capacity to Learn”. Effective teaching requires several types of knowledge: subject matter knowledge, subject specific pedagogy, and political/professional knowledge. All three are critical, integrated components of a teacher’s thinking processes, instructional practices, and instructional repertoire. They are dynamic processes that respond both to the changes within the discipline itself and to learners’ needs. (Angelo and Cross, 1993) 3.1 Subject Matter Knowledge Most beginning teachers enter the profession, in theory, more proficient in subject matter than in other areas. In universities they have developed subject matter proficiency. However, the pathways to teaching do not necessarily follow the traditional way in which programs are designed—with general education and content area work largely preceding professional preparation .Many prospective teachers enter preparation programs with considerable experience in some levels. Some have not experienced coherent undergraduate programs. But no matter when or how they enter preparation programs, effective teachers understand that, because subject matter knowledge is discursive, it continues to grow from collaboration with peers and mentors. Subject matter is not a static “thing” that professors, scholars, and curriculum guides canonize and close for prospective and credentialed teachers. Thinking and teaching itself open new interpretations. Peer conversations unfold different nuances; student interactions provide changing contexts that frequently change the meaning of the most rigorously designed lesson. Teachers, pupils, and scholars continually debate such questions as: What comprises subject knowledge? Whose knowledge is it? Whose knowledge counts? How do I get my pupils to own the content? Subject Matter Knowledge involves a deep understanding of these elements: knowledge, not only of the rules and content of a given discipline, but also the theories that underlie it, an understanding of the value and purposes for a specific subject, the foundational knowledge and recent changes within a given discipline and the ability to research, analyze and use evidence to support claims, and dispute or build on the claims of others, and an appreciation of where disciplines—subjects—entwine and where they separate; teachers know both the up-close and the big picture of what they teach. 3.2 Subject Specific Pedagogy (Pedagogical Content Knowledge) Subject specific pedagogy, also known as pedagogical content knowledge, is a form of teacher knowledge and a part of a teacher’s thinking process. It is a dynamic, changing in response to the discipline and the learners with whom it is being shared. Because this knowledge mediates between growing mastery of subject matter and the changing environment for teaching, it develops exponentially over a career. Subject specific pedagogy involves these elements (Eble, 1988): 1. the consideration of content, pedagogy, and theory; this is accomplished within communities of practice—in the school, among peer teachers and coaches, and at the university—where teachers and professors collaboratively develop local strategies for putting subjects in contexts that students can recognize and build on; 2. a developing variety of strategies to present content, using multiple ways to meet the needs of different learners; 3. knowledge of how to judge the needs of pupils – including their perceptions and misperceptions before and during lessons – and the ability to relate those needs to the pupils’ process of organizing or scaffolding knowledge; 4. knowledge of how to reflect on one’s own performance and learning process to increase pupil learning; 5. knowledge of how to find and work with peers and coaches who can expand one’s repertoire of skills; 6. knowledge of how to focus on pupil understanding as well as the “delivery” of content; and 7. knowledge of how to scaffold learning so that the cultural knowledge of the pupil, family and community contribute to the changing boundaries of a discipline. 3.3 Political and Professional Knowledge Content knowledge is critical to effective teaching. But political, social, and cultural vectors also influence what teachers do. However, this influence should not flow in one direction. All professionals have an ethical responsibility to improve the context s in which they practice; otherwise, work places and professions languish. Thus as professionals, teachers must reflect on and respond to the political, social, and cultural systems that affect education by (a) staying abreast of and having an active voice in governmental policies and political processes, (b) engaging in research and scholarship, (c) actively participating in relevant professional organizations in the pursuit of activities which will advance the profession and support ongoing growth and development of the teacher, (d) effectively communicating praise and concern regarding each pupil’s welfare and educational progress to parents/guardians and school administrators and (e) knowing the community in which one teaches. Beginning teachers learn about professional ethics in courses and experience the complexities of school sites in internships and field placements. But professional knowledge—wisdom really—requires time, experience, and sustained engagement to develop. (Eble, 1988) 4. 0 Practices and Skills According to what we have read and from the works of Brooklyn (1995) and Grasha (1996), effective teaching requires the practice of a complex set of skills that are attuned to the contexts in which one lives and works: supporting an emotional, social, cultural context that promotes learning, facilitating learning through collaboration among families, pupils, and other teachers developing competence in the language and literacy of instruction across the curriculum contextualizing teaching and curriculum in the experiences of pupils’ homes and communities challenging students to develop and practice cognitive complexity engaging pupils through reflection and dialogue identifying problems related to curriculum and instruction and formulating a range of solutions adapting and improvising instruction during a lesson to meet pupils’ needs as they arise anticipating and preventing situations that might cause disruptions or disengagement by the pupil in order to promote a positive learning environment, recognizing the unique characteristics of all pupils or classroom situations and using these factors to guide instructional choices generating hypotheses and continually reassessing instructional options maintaining a genuine enthusiasm for teaching that reflects his/her commitment to pupil learning articulating high expectations through engaging lessons and demanding activities which promote academic and personal achievement demonstrating mastery and continued maintenance of content knowledge and pedagogical skills commensurate with state standards and professional standards of excellence. Joseph Lowman (1996) describes two main dimensions of effective teaching that emerge in his studies: intellectual excitement (enthusiasm, knowledge, inspiration, humor, interesting viewpoint, clarity, and organization) and interpersonal concern/effective motivation (concern, caring, availability, friendliness, accessibility, helpfulness, encouragement, challenge). Other studies, such as Chickering and Gamson (1991), consistently identify knowledge of subject matter, organizational skills, enthusiasm, clarity, and interpersonal skills as marks of the effective teacher. The amount of agreement across studies suggests that the characteristics of good teaching are not mysterious or extremely discipline-specific. They can, and have been, identified by researchers, students, and professionals alike. Inspection of these characteristics fails to support another commonly held belief about teaching: “Good teachers are born, not made.” While certain characteristics, such as humor and interpersonal skills, seem to come easily to some people and not others, people are not born with knowledge of a given discipline or competency in the use of instructional strategies. Furthermore, those who exhibit these qualities most consistently state that they work hard at attaining them and are very conscious of their actions and their effects. These highly conscious teachers are examples of what Donald Schön (1991) has termed the “reflective practitioner,” the professional who acquires expertise by learning in the action environment. In a study of Ohio State faculty (Chism, 1988), a model of faculty growth in teaching emerged that suggested that effective teachers develop by maximizing what they learn through experience. They engage in cycles of learning during which they try a practice, observe its effects, and decide how and when they will use a similar practice. The process is often carried on without a great deal of conscious attention and rather unsystematically by most teachers. What distinguishes those who learn best, however, is the very level of conscious reflection and the quality of information they bring to bear in determining the effects of a practice in a particular context. The best teachers know not only what they are doing, but why it is working and why it is likely to work in one kind of environment and not in another. Although they may have some natural personality characteristics that support their success, they also work very hard at their teaching and continually try to improve. 5. 0 Teaching Styles A number of writers have observed differences in style among teachers. They classify them according to a number of dimensions that represent how the teachers approach their students, the ways in which they think learning takes place, and personal strengths and preferences. Lowman (1996), for example, observes that exemplary college teachers “appear to be those who are highly proficient in either one of two fundamental sets of skills: the ability to offer presentations in clearly organized and interesting ways [intellectual excitement] or to relate to students in ways that communicate positive regard and motivate them to work hard to meet academic challenges [interpersonal rapport]. All are probably at least completely competent in both sets of skills but outstanding in one or, occasionally, even both of them” (p. 38). Grasha (1996) delineates five teaching styles: Expert—is concerned with transmitting information from an expert status; challenges students to enhance their competence Formal Authority—is concerned with the acceptable ways to do things and providing students with the structure they need to learn Personal Model—believes in teaching by personal example; oversees and guides students to emulate Facilitator—emphasizes the personal nature of teacher-student interactions; guides students toward developing their capacity for independent action Delegator—is concerned with developing students’ capacity to function autonomously; encourages independent projects Grasha advocates an “integrated model” of teaching and learning styles, recognizing that individual teachers will naturally exhibit different styles, but stressing that teachers must cultivate certain styles so that they can use approaches that are appropriate to the instructional situations and kind of learners they encounter. For example, he observes that a blend of the Expert-Formal Authority styles works best with learners who are dependent and less capable with the content. Grasha advocates that teachers reflect on their stylistic approaches and make conscious decisions about these. His book, Teaching with Style, provides many exercises for faculty to use in thinking about styles of teaching. After studying new faculty at different institutions over several years, Robert Boice (1991, 1992) identified several characteristics of new faculty members he calls “quick starters,” those who adjust easily and make steady progress in their work. According to Boice, quick starters: are concerned about students’ active involvement in the learning process avoid feelings of isolation by developing social and professional networks with colleagues and others seek advice on teaching from colleagues and consultants avoid being critical and negative about under graduate students learn to balance time across teaching, research, and service are highly energetic, curious, and humorous Eison et. al. (1990) stresses the importance of confidence for new teachers. Confidence is built upon good planning, clear goals, and a cultivation of relaxation and self-esteem. Eison advises new teachers to avoid perfectionism, to recognize their limitations, and to view admitting that they do not have all the answers as scholarly, rather than a sign of failure. Sustaining growth in teaching involves continuing to learn. Chism (1993), using a model of teaching development rooted in experiential learning, suggests that experienced teachers can avoid burnout and continues to improve through: stimulating their own thinking by taking advantage of opportunities to learn new approaches to teaching through reading, attending workshops and conferences, observing colleagues, and joining book groups or seminars on teaching topics relying on colleagues and teaching consultants to try new things and to provide them with support as they experiment with teaching obtaining regular, systematic feedback on their teaching reflecting on their teaching continually and making changes based on those reflections Stephen Brookfield, in Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (1995), offers a variety of practical and insightful methods for promoting reflection on one’s teaching. He stresses understanding how students learn as a way to approach teaching improvement which returns us to the start of our discussion. Conclusion As we have seen, to be an effective teacher one must focus on the pupil. By focus however, it doesn’t mean that only one aspect of pupil learning will our concern be confined. Instead, a holistic approach should be undertaken. Although we have pointed out a number of ways for teaching any significant questions remain unanswered in this sketch of effective teaching. It is yet to be determined to what extent does a teacher ever achieve exemplary effectiveness or must effective teachers possess all the attributes of effectiveness. The problem of observing and measuring effective teaching is yet to be agreed upon. Which elements are learned characteristics? Which are innate? There are still rooms for improvement and the quest for becoming a good and effective teacher is ongoing. References: Angelo, T., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Boice, R. (1992). The new faculty member. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Boice R. (1991). “Quick starters: New faculty who succeed.” In M.T. & J. Franklin (eds.), Effective Practices for Improving Teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 48. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Brookfield, S. D. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. Chickering, A., & Gamson, Z. (Eds.). (1991). Applying the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. (47th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Chism, N. (1993). Associate editor (with others) of To improve the academy, Yearbook of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Education. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press. Eble, K. (1988). The craft of teaching (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Eison, J. Milton, O. and Pollio, H. (1993). Making Sense of College Grades. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Grasha, A. (1996). Teaching with style: A practical guide to enhancing learning by understanding teaching and learning styles. Pittsburgh: Alliance. Lowman, J. (1996). Characteristics of exemplary teachers. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (65), 33-40. Schön, D. A. (1991) The Reflective Turn: Case Studies In and On Educational Practice, New York: Teachers Press, Columbia University. Read More