Stage Theories as They Relate to Teacher Induction - Assignment Example

Comprehensive Examination Questions of Question: I. EDU 790: Current K-12 Theories Understanding the stagesof teacher development is important for educational leaders to know and recognize on the continuum during the induction period. Compare two current stage theories as they relate to teacher induction. Answer: Teaching involves various aspects in today’s complex environment. There are certain important features of complete teacher development process. The organization of teacher education is critical. Organization of teacher education varies from country to country. There are two models of teacher education organization broadly accepted in the educational world. These are the consecutive model and the concurrent model. In the case of consecutive model, a teacher would first obtain a certain qualification in one or more than one subjects (which can be a first university degree) and then she/he would study for an extended period of time to obtain an extra qualification in teaching. In certain systems, it is a postgraduate degree. In the case of concurrent model, the student would concurrently study one or more than one academic subject together with the techniques of teaching that subject, which would eventually lead to the eligibility to be a teacher in that subject. Through the above discussion, we understand the beginning of the process of teacher development. Stage theories develop from this very process of ‘making’ a teacher. In this process of teacher development, illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations are crucial. In a word, the ways of representing and formulating the subject that makes it comprehensible to others … (it) also includes an understanding of what makes the learning of specific topics easy or difficult: the conceptions and preconceptions that students of different ages and backgrounds bring them to the learning (Craft et al, 2001). Hence, teacher development would be a stage-wise process that would enable the teacher to handle the various needs of this demanding profession in today’s complex environment. In this context, one of the two current stage theories that would be discussed here is given by R. Fessler and J. Christiansen. According to them, an individual teacher would go across eight life-long stages of career. More or less time would be spent in a given stage according as the organizational and personal environment influencers. These eight stages in the Fessler and Christiansen Teacher Career Cycle can be defined as Preservice, Induction, Competency Building, Enthusiastic and Growing, Career Frustration, Stability, Career Wind-Down, and Career Exit (Fessler & Christiansen, 1992). The external influencers to the process would act through the organizational and personal environments. Professional development experiences would shape up the journey of the teacher. Regulations and performance appraisals would play critical role. Management style and teaching standards would decide the acceptability of the teacher concerned. These being the factors included in the organizational environment, the personal environment too will not be less complex. Family will play an important role in the professional development of the teacher, while individual dispositions too would matter. The domain of adult development would particularly cover the induction period of the teacher. All the organizational and personal environmental factors would involve the teacher’s journey through the induction process. The process of teacher induction would thus entail the activities and time for the first six years of service approximately. The induction would lead to complete acceptance and socialization as competent teaching staff into the teacher’s profession. The focus of the teacher’s mind would move from lesser attention to self, to greater focus upon the requirements of the learners. Further, according to Fessler, examples of potential school improvement leadership roles for the induced teacher would include designing and conducting in-service sessions routinely engaging in peer coaching activities, serving as mentors for new teachers, activity participating in pre-service training of prospective teachers, writing and refining curriculum, engaging in action research and, in all of these activities, taking responsibility for aligning school goals with classroom instructional activities (Burke et al, 1990). The other theory has been put forward by S. Feiman-Nemser. According to her, induction remains a critical period of time in a teacher’s professional career development. The induction period would bridge the gap between the graduation of the prospective teacher from a training college and the period of building professional expertise and gaining maturity. Hence, it is the crucial continuum between the most sensitive stages of the teacher’s professional development. This continuum would strengthen and sustain further teaching development through continuous and rigorous professional evolution. At the stage of induction, individual professional experimentation would be culminated. What the new teacher needs to learn would be ascertained. Moreover, the journey from preparation to practice will be completed (Feiman-Nemser, 2001). Further, according to Feiman-Nemser, teacher induction model should be based on solid evidence. The empirical development and implementation of this teaching stage would stimulate a broad conversation about foundational issues; bring multiple perspectives to bear; and provide new specificity to the topics. In the course of this stage-wise teacher development, the teacher’s capacities, knowledge, beliefs, skills, and commitments should be refined (Feiman-Nemser et al, 2008) The elements of an ideal teacher induction program might include mentoring, peer network, input from the experts in education, and self-reflection. Mentoring would involve the allocation of a novice teacher under an experienced teacher who can play the role of a dedicated mentor in the program. The peer network would provide mutual support along with critical peer learning. The educational experts would help the teacher under induction to compare and contrast her/his knowledge gained during the pre-service training with classroom reality. Finally, all the teachers would engage in the process of self-reflection, which can be achieved by keeping a scholarly record or journal. Finally, “In self-trust all the virtues are comprehended. Free should the scholar be, - free and brave. Free even to the definition of freedom, without any hindrance that does not arise out of his constitution.” (Feiman-Nemser et al, 2008) There are certain structural differences on teacher induction between the two theories discussed so far. In the theory given by Fessler and Christiansen, the environmental parameters and influencers have been given importance. According to Feiman-Nemser, a clear understanding of the transitory process of induction is necessary. However, both the theories reflect on serious issues in relation to the teacher induction. According to both of them, teacher induction is a crucial stage in the teacher’s professional development that entails maturation of the prospective teacher through evidence-based activities. References Burke, P., Heideman, R.G., & Heideman, C. (1990). Programming for Staff Development: Fanning the Flame. London: Routledge. Craft, A., Soler, J., & Burgess, H. (2001). Teacher Development: Exploring Our Own Practice. London: SAGE. Feiman-Nemser, S. (2001). From preparation to practice: Designing a continuum to strengthen and sustain teaching. Teachers College Record, 103, 1013-1055. Feiman-Nemser, S., Cochran-Smith, M., & McIntyre, D.J. (2008). Handbook of Research on Teacher Education: Enduring Questions in Changing Contexts. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Fessler, R. & Christiansen, J. (1992). The Teacher Career Cycle: Understanding and Guiding the Professional Development of Teachers. Needham Heights: Allyn and Bacon. Question: II. EDU 791: Facilitating a shared vision of learning Why is it important for educational leaders to build consensus with the community when developing the vision for educational achievement for students? Answer: The job of a teacher is a difficult one in the sense that she/he nurtures the future. It is not easy to help the students in learning according to their talent. The teachers carry a huge responsibility of structuring the future of a student by supporting him/her in the right manner. Through the K-12 scheme of education, the foundation has actually been laid down. The job of the teacher is to make her/his pupil an ideal citizen of the future. Educational leaders are, therefore, not supposed to impart subject specific knowledge only. The quest of education is to build character as well. Education is instrumental to give the community ideal citizens and this cannot be accomplished without proper planning. Since the student is an asset of the community, organization of education, particularly through the K-12 scheme, must involve the community as well. Without a consensus with the community, the role of the educational leader in developing the vision for the educational achievement for students is greatly impaired. In order to understand the essence of community in education, the community itself needs to be defined. A most salient characteristic of modernity is its ‘solid’ state was a priori visualization of a ‘final state’, which would be the eventual culmination of the current order-building endeavors and at which they would stop – whereat there would be a state of ‘stable economy’, ‘fully equilibrated system’, ‘just society’, or code of ‘rational law and ethics’. (Bauman, 2001) Hence, a strong community would need a stable economy, a system at equilibrium, justice, rational law and ethics. Therefore, in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the community itself, the programs related to the students must be exposed to community interaction. Therefore, the educational leader too can never avoid community interaction. Consequently, the perspectives in regards with learning need to be diversified. This diversification starts at the interactions with the students’ parents. The teacher’s interaction with the parents of a student may apparently seem to be routine and somewhat trivial but in the long run, the educational leader should create an interactive system of learning. In this interactive system of learning, the teachers and students would openly and easily interact with each other. At the next stage, the parents of the students must be involved in this process of interaction and planning. Leadership vision is necessary in the learning communities to assess the educational achievements and programs to attain them. The educational leader should well understand that the “contemporary society is the product of the disintegration of more or less natural or familial groupings” (Vanier, 1989). In this way, the mechanism of creation, evolution, and stabilization of the community is to be understood and exploited. Consensus building thus becomes important and innovative schooling can help in this direction. The schooling process must be open to sensible and limited experiments to facilitate community assimilative education. The educational leader should design and arrange interactive sessions, activity participation, and action research. In the process, she/he should inform the parents of the students about their progress, failures, strengths, and weaknesses. Modern schooling framework cannot be made to function without extended community involvement and awareness of the psycho-sociological development of the young minds. In order to ensure that the students grow up and become responsible towards the community, the community must be open to know about and assess the educational achievement plans for the students. This cannot be accomplished without a consensus. In this regard, the role of the educational leader is multifaceted and innovative (Oliver, 1976). Further, it can be deduced that “student affairs professionals must deal with relatively discrete bodies of knowledge (student development, campus environmental and organizational theories, and college student characteristics) derived almost exclusively from two disciplines – psychology and sociology.” (Syage & Dannells, 2000). Moreover, in the age of globalization, the vision for educational achievements in regards with the students will be impaired if the complex nature of today’s students’ world in relation to the greater community is not comprehended and the community does not get an opportunity to play a greater role in shaping up the educational infrastructure, curricula, and design. It becomes further suggestible that “fully international approach to using political philosophy and sociology to develop the promotion of communities, schools, and society” is utilized (Gereluk, 2006). In the present educational environment, there is enough room for leader development systems although such systems are not without their challenges. The educational leader must continue to learn through the experiences. Leader development is intricately related to social identity and social identity cannot be defined without community interaction. In the socio-political context of education community interaction becomes even more important (Velsor et al, 2010). Needless to say, the process of shaping up the vision for educational achievements for the students thus cannot be considered as comprehensive and effective if community consensus is not obtained and utilized as well. Finally, in depth analysis of the question under scrutiny can reveal the following reasons explaining that why it is important for educational leaders to build consensus with the community when developing the vision for educational achievement for students.  1. The community is involved with the educational process. This involvement clarifies that what the community expects from the students and what help the community can extend to the students as a whole. Does the community want that the students merely obtain degrees and certificates? Alternatively, does the community wants that the students actually become responsible and compassionate citizens of future? The community members would put forward their ideas in this regard during the process of building the consensus. (Gereluk, 2006) 2. What can the community do in shaping up the vision for educational achievements for students? In the process of building a community consensus, the members of the community would interact with the teachers. The teachers, in their turn, would make the community aware of its strengths regarding the making of the plans for educational achievements. Community specific advice and endeavor would prevent randomization of the educational achievement programs. In this way, the community members can help the students and the educators understand that what the community expects from them and what are the possible ways to fulfill the community expectation. (Gereluk, 2006) 3. Mere academic development and education cannot help the students to attain all round progress and personality development. By building community consensus in regards with the educational achievements of the students, extra curricular community specific activities can be inducted in the program, which helps in character building. The consensus would help to shape up vital elements of the program such as community services that would strengthen the students’ involvement with the community and create ideal character. (Character Education Partnership, 1997) 4. Educational achievement programs geared with the community consensus will eventually help student motivation by assimilating and utilizing the cultural variables. When the educational process harmonizes with the community where the student lives in, pressure of studies is automatically diminished, cultural assimilation follows, and finally, the student is motivated. This happens as a part of the socio-psychological development of the students. (Salili et al, 2001) 5. By building the community consensus, precious feedback and opinion is available from the parents of the students. In this way, the process of educational achievement reaches out to the families of the students. Involvement of family would make the environment around the student healthier. Not only that, it will become easier for the educator to pay individual attention and solve the students’ problems by means of discussion and active community involvement. (Funkhouser, 1997) Building community consensus thus becomes rather critical in the context of overall growth and development of the students. By obtaining community consensus, the educational leader ascertains that she/he is on the right track in developing an efficient educational achievement program for the student. The students in a community are in need of assistance and support. Community plays a crucial role in students’ future educational achievement and educational leaders have a responsibility to understand community development and consensus building with community is essential in designing an educational future for the students of a community. Educational process cannot be considered complete without inclusion of the community matters or its consideration about education of the students pertaining to this community. The members of the community need to communicate with the teachers in the process of consensus building related to educational achievement of students. The educators and students both will be helped by the communication process that is supported by the community members. In developing an educational achievement program, extra-curricular activities that are also part of the community should be included. Students’ linkage with their families and cultural values also become a part of educational program because of consensus with the community. The consensus is going to be supportive for students’ development as a whole. Therefore, consensus building with the community is essential for developing vision for students’ future achievement. References Bauman, Z. (2001). Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World. Malden: Blackwell Publishing Inc. Character Education Partnership. (1997). Building Community Consensus for Character Education: Guidelines for Developing Broad-Based Community Support for Character Education Programming in Schools. Washington D.C.: Character Education Partnership. Funkhouser, J. (1997). Family Involvement in Children’s Education: Successful Local Approaches: An Idea Book. Darby: DIANE Publishing. Gereluk, D. (2006). Education and Community. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. Oliver, D.W. (1976). Education and Community: A Radical Critique of Innovative Schooling. Richmond: McCutchan Pub. Corp. Salili, F., Chiu, C. & Hong, Y. (2001). Student Motivation: The Culture and Context of Learning. New York: Kluwer Academic. Stage, F.K., & Dannells, M. (2000). Linking Theory to Practice: Case Studies for Working with College Students. New York: Brunner-Routledge. Vanier, J. (1989). Community and Growth. Mahwah: Paulist Press. Velsor, E.V., McCauly, C.D., & Ruderman, M.N. (2010). The Center of Creative Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons. Read More