The Framework of Effective Professional Teaching - Literature review Example

The Effective Teacher Being a teacher has always been my dream. Being a teacher who makes a difference, I believe, is my goal. That is precisely the reason why I pursue studies in becoming an effective teacher. Professionally, I am aware that teachers need much training for all the tasks expected of them when they begin work. Being an effective teacher encompasses a wide spectrum of responsibilities – from designing an environment conducive to learning, to planning appropriate lessons for students and implementing them with effective educational strategies to being able to manage the class well and instilling discipline in the students, to involving parents and coordinating with others regarding the provision of quality education for the students. The Framework of Professional Teaching Standards (NSW Institute of Teachers, n.d.) documents in detail everything a teacher needs to do and strive for excellence at. It delineates expectations at different stages of a teacher’s professional experience from being a new teacher to a practicing one, to being an accomplished one all the way to being a leader in the field. It specifies three domains of teachers’ work as professional knowledge, professional practice and professional commitment. Encompassing these domains are elements teachers need to adhere to such as knowledge of subject matter and how to teach it to their students; knowing how their students learn; planning assessing and reporting for effective learning; communicating effectively with their students; managing their classrooms to maintain safe and challenging learning environments; continually improving their professional expertise; and being a contributing member in society as an educator. Being able to balance all these tasks, and being efficient at each one at that can be very challenging. A longitudinal study known as the Queensland Schools Reform Longitudinal Study reported specific challenges for schools to improve the quality of the education with the teaching, learning and assessment procedures for the students as well as the leadership, management and administration of the whole school (Queensland Schools Reform Longitudinal Study, 2001). Out of this study, the NSW model of pedagogy was inspired. Its three dimensions included intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significance (NSW DET (2004). An efficient teacher needs to be consistent in maintaining high standards for each dimension and that takes much dedication, patience, diligence and sensitivity. An effective teacher is a good planner. She anticipates everything and anything that can happen to her classroom. Thus, it is essential that she comes up with a classroom management system to cover everything she needs to do and remember. Part of classroom management is the designing of a learning environment suitable for the students. In a particular research, it was found out that when the quality of the physical environment declined, teacher restriction and control increased, the teacher’s behavior became less friendly, the students became less interested and involved, classroom rules increased, and conflict among children increased. It was likewise observed that the learning environment influences, and directly contributes to, children’s behavior and levels of learning. The physical environment should reflect the goals and expectations of the teacher. It will also dictate somehow to the children how they will behave in the classroom (Brewer, 2001). Classroom management involves not only the management of student behavior but everything that goes on in the class… from preparation for the class day, to what transpires during the day and even up to when the students leave, to the nitty gritty of the physical environment which must be conducive to maximize the learning of her students (Crosser, 2002). Of course, a teacher can only do this if she is adept in developing a program developmentally suited for the age and grade level of her students. An effective teacher encourages her students to direct their own learning. She is there to whet their appetite for learning and nudge them to move towards pursuing knowledge. She also finds ways to keep their thirst for learning unquenchable so they develop into life-long learners. When students are given the power to construct their own learning, it becomes more meaningful to them, hence, there is better retention. It takes a mature teacher to sharing the reins of learning with her students, and eventually passing the responsibility to them. It shows that puts great trust in their ability to learn and confidence in herself that she has trained them well. John Dewey (1916) believes that quality education stems from how children are trained to think. Dewey claims that learning must be experienced by the learner if it is to be effectively retained. He does not agree with teaching students via lectures about things children have no direct experience with and reliance on mere textbooks. Dewey advocates active learning to stimulate a student’s thinking on his own. Teachers cannot expect to be the main dispensers of knowledge to their students, but should recognize and respect that children are capable of coming up with their own opinions, and conclusions and ideas. Allowing students to explore their own ideas gives them more power in the acquisition of learning. Using information they have previously acquired, they are encouraged to invent their own solutions and try out their own ideas and hypotheses with the able support of their teachers. This way, they can indulge in concrete experiences that focus on their interests. The process of searching for information, analysing data and reaching conclusions is considered more important than learning facts. Effective teachers use authentic assessment strategies to evaluate student learning and performance. Wiggins’ (1991) description of what authentic assessment should be is that it involves “engaging problems and questions of importance and substance in which students must use knowledge (and construct meaning) effectively and creatively (p. 39). In terms of implementation of such methods, students of any age or any educational level will benefit much from authentic approaches to assessment. The case studies of schools that implemented authentic assessment methods discussed in Darling-Hammond et al’s (1995) works highlighted the use of different strategies for customizing instruction, deeply involving students with the subject matter and assessing the assessment support changes in the curriculum, teaching and school organization. The basic premise of the vision of authentic achievement as proposed by Newmann, Secada, and Wehlage (1995) outlines the creation of more interesting yet challenging assessment tools for students. Teachers can encourage students to produce more intellectual work in the form of real world applications, and hence increase their performance. Darling-Hammond et al (1993 a) identified authentic assessment activities that effectively display students’ knowledge and skills as well as prove to be more interesting for students to engage in. Performance-based assessments such as science experiments, oral presentations, essays, video documentations of performances, etc. show evidence of students’ use of various strategies to solve problems rather than merely seeing the right answer asked for on a test (Darling-Hammond et al, 1993 b). Although teachers are expected to know what to teach children in general, they also need to be able to adjust to individual needs of their students, as not all students learn the same way at the same pace. Trafton suggests that individualization must include “acceptance of each child as an individual worthy of adult respect,” and that to this should be added “an acceptance of the child’s ideas, a provision of opportunities for pupil input in developing and selecting learning experiences, a concern for the quality of the child’s intellectual development, and a willingness to take time to know the child as an individual” (1975, p. 39). The effective teacher can discern which learning strategy would be most appropriate on a case-to-case basis. Imbedded in her are hidden agendas for making her students reach their optimum learning potentials and in effect, the development of a healthy self-esteem. She is aware that she is just an instrument in assisting the students to gain knowledge, and not the source of knowledge herself. One of society’s concern in education is reaching out to all students regardless of race, socio-economic status, ability, faith, etc. It is a fact that various backgrounds of students may keep them from getting the kind of education they deserve. In Australia and New Zealand, it is important to understand that problems associated with indigenous education are unique. Indigenous culture is devalued and is prone to discrimination. Indigenous children, as a group, are assumed to be unequal to the general school population in terms of intelligence, and as a result, expectations are considerably lower (Reynolds, 2005). Gutman (1992) in the context of research involving students in two Brisbane school found that: “Teachers who have low expectations of what Aboriginal students can achieve academically are doing them a disservice” (p. 22). Fletcher (1989) argues that education authorities are reasonable to “treat Aboriginal pupils differently and more generously than the norm … it would be justified to introduce courses of study for all children aimed at promoting a greater appreciation of Aboriginal culture and reducing racial prejudice and hostility” (Fletcher, 1989, p. 333 as qtd. in Reynolds, 2005). In addition, Partington (1998) suggests teachers to “modify the curriculum so that it more accurately reflects the reality of the lives of Indigenous students” and are “alert to the skills Indigenous students posses rather than focusing on those they do not have” (p. 24) Educational Inequality may eventually diminish if effective and efficient teachers are allowed to teach in the way they should following the standards set for professional teaching. Teachers are considered lifelong learners, and are expected to model such quality to inspire their students. Judith Little (1982) recommends teachers to collaborate with each other to come up with more effective instruction. They should engage in frequent, continuous and increasing concrete and precise conferences on their teaching practice and be able to reflect if these practices are working to encourage success in their students. They should be open to feedback and allow frequent observation of their teaching performance. Together, they should plan, design, research, evaluate and prepare teaching materials. They should also support and coach each other on other practices of teaching. An effective teacher does not sit on her laurels. She constantly reflects on her teaching in pursuit of excellence. According to Osterman (1990), “reflection is the essential part of the learning process because it results in making sense of or extracting meaning from the experience”. Thus, on her own, a teacher becomes aware of her own merits and mistakes to be rectified. Education is usually viewed as filling one’s mind with knowledge and information. However, I believe that it goes beyond that. Good teaching aims to help an individual develop to his optimum potential while molding his character to be imbued with good values -an individual who is not only after his own welfare but that of everyone else. This goes without saying that an efficient and effective teacher is able to achieve that. An effective teacher is on hand to ignite the spark of interest and motivation of her students. It is now up to the students themselves to turn that spark into a burning flame that would keep them fired up for more learning. References Brewer, J. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Allyn and Bacon. Crosser, S. (2002), “Managing the Early Childhood Classroom”. Young Children, January 2002 Darling-Hammond, L., Snyder, J., Ancess, J., Einbender, L., Goodwin, A.L., Macdonald, M.B. (1993 a), Creating Learner-Centered Accountability. Darling-Hammond, L, Einbender, L., Frelow, F. & Ley-King, J.l (1993 b , Authentic Assessment in Practice: A Collection of Portfolios, Performance Tasks, Exhibitions and Documentation Darling-Hammond, L., Ancess, J., & Falk. B. (1995). Authentic assessment in             action: Studies of schools and students at work. New York: Teachers             College Press. Chapter 2,5.  Dewey, J. (1916) Chapter 12: Thinking in Education, from Democracy & Education. The Macmillan Company. Fletcher, J. J. (1989). Clean, clad and courteous: A history of Aboriginal education in New South Wales. Sydney, Australia: Southwood Press. Gutman, D. (1992) “Aboriginal children want to learn good school work.”, The Aboriginal Child at School. Vol. 20 (2). 12-24. Little, J. W. (1982). Norms of collegiality and experimentation: Workplace conditions of school success. American Educational Research Journal. 19(3), 325–340. Newmann, F., M, Secada, W.G., & Wehlage, G.G., (1995). A guide to authentic             instruction and assessment: vision, standards and scoring. Madison WI:             Wisconsin Center for education Research. Chapter 5; PP 59-71 New South Wales Institute of Teachers 2004, Professional Teaching Standards Available online http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/18pp%2OPTSF %20book%20v6.pdf NSW DET (2004). Quality teaching in NSW Public Schools. An assessment practice guide. Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, NSW Department of Education and Training. Osterman, K. F (1990) "Reflective Practice: A New Agenda for Education." EDUCATION AND URBAN SOCIETY 22, no. 2 (February 1990): 133-152. Partington, G. (1998) “No simple solution exists: Perspectives on education as the key to change.” In G. Partington (Ed), Perspectives on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education, Katoomba, New South Wales: Social Science Press. Queensland School Reform Longitudinal Study Teachers summary (n.d.) Available online http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/reports/curriculum- framework/qsrls/ Reynolds, R. J. (2002). The search for relevance and identity: The education and socialization of Australian Aboriginal students. International Education, 31(2), 18– 32.Reynolds, R.J. (2005) “The Education of Indigenous Australian Students: Same Story, Different Hemishpere.”, Multicultural Perspectives, Vol. 7, Issue 2, 48-55. Trafton, P. (1975) The Curriculum. Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood Education. Reston, VA: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Wiggins, G. (1991) “Task” Design Ideas, Principles and Guidelines. Geneseo, NY: Center on Learning, Assessment and School Structure. Read More