The Teacher in Todays Educational Environment - Research Paper Example

 A teacher holds the life of the learners in his or her hands, thereby making the teaching profession one of the most sensitive pillars of the society. Learning in both formal and informal setting applies the teaching role as the most influential role that the learners engage with during the entire life of their learning experience. Due to the importance of the role played by the teacher, results in the education sector are usually scrutinized than in any other sector, almost always reviewing the role of the teacher. Teacher’s effectiveness cannot be left out in the delivery of the teaching content as well as the results assessment with an aim of ensuring that the teacher imparts the appropriate scope of knowledge to the students. However scrutinized the teaching process may be, teachers effectiveness must be handled seriously since the life of the students in terms of shaping up their perception of life and future career issues depend on the results of the learning experience. The magnitude of the learning experience is greater than the screening eye of education performance regulators and officials and should go beyond meeting the compliance standards. This is because the future of the world is squarely in the hands of the educations system that we adopt. This discourse demonstrates the importance of teacher effectiveness using several highlights of its application. The sources applied demonstrate the level of state seriousness in approaching determination of education effectiveness issues as well as their resolution measures. The investment that governments and other agencies make towards education reveal that teaching experience must make a positive impact on the learning outcomes of the students. Objective The objective of this work is to examine what an effective teacher is in terms of their practice and their instructional provision. This will involve reference to recent research, government initiatives and experience. This work will discuss educational principles and philosophy that underpins the professional practice future. I. Basic Teaching Principles Teaching must be established from a firm understanding of knowledge and its imparting skills in order for the teacher to have a successful teaching experience and an effective learning experience for the student. Despite the general belief that information can easily be picked from any source by attentive students thereby converting it into their own knowledge, it has to be a different encounter within the precincts of the classroom. Education philosophy demonstrates that formal education systems require preparation that can allow the teacher take into consideration all the types of personalities that students attending classes have. Several factors hinder an umbrella knowledge imparting assumption to hold true to a classroom due to the variation in students learning capacity. As such, there are basic principles that the teaching environment must comply with in order to facilitate a learning experience that will deliver appropriate understanding from the students. Besides, the teaching experience must not be compromised at the expense of the learning experience; a balance must exist between the two classroom parties. The classroom dynamics must be understood by the teacher in order to deliver results, in order to handle all the factors affecting the teaching and the learning experiences with an accurate balance. The work of Lemieux (2003) states that teachers need a set of principles “for which to guide their teaching, it allows them to evaluate their own personal experiences as a teacher and to maintain their focus in the classroom.” (p1) Along with these principles, the teacher develops their own personalised philosophy relating to the reason that they teach. Lemieux (2003) states six basic beliefs for teaching, which the writer of this present work finds to be sound in nature for the teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom and in their overall teaching initiative. Those are stated to include the following: (1) It is important to discover the individuality of the student because this allows and enables the teacher to provide better care for the diversity of their students. (2) Linking the material used for instruction to the lives of the students serves to enhance retention of learning material and motivates students to learn. (3) Students learn to appreciate as well as to understand material that is difficult due to subject matter that is real in their everyday lives and situations being practically applied. (4) The involvement of students’ increases and classroom disturbances decrease as hands on activities increase. (5) Classroom management is achieved through the proper use both positive and negative reinforcements. (6) The teacher must be approachable and fair in order to create an environment for learning and a student-teacher bond that is healthy in nature. (Lemieux, 2003) The teacher effectiveness task force final report for California states that educators throughout the United States have “… increasingly acknowledged that having an effective teacher in every classroom and a high quality school leader in every school are of critical importance to the success of our nation’s public schools.  Indeed, of all of the elements under the purview of our school district, teachers – far and away – play the critical role in improving student learning.” (California Board of Education, Task Force Final Report, 2010, p7) II. Role of Teacher Effectiveness Evaluation Evaluation is reported to be one-dimensional in the state of California and as well, it is related that there is only a tenuous link existing between evaluations and improved teaching and learning (Reynolds, Muijs and Treharne, 2003). Furthermore, in many districts there is little opportunity for growth and advancement of teachers and limited consequences linked to evaluation data. (California Board of Education, Task Force Final Report 2010, p9) Stated to be necessary support mechanisms are such as: (1) Teacher Preparation (2) Professional Development (3) Test Preparation for Authorisation Requirements (4) Instructional Support (5) Professional growth (California Board of Education Task Force Final Report, 2010) Multiple measures that are stated for effective and successful evaluations are those stated as follows: (1) Teacher practice: (i) should be clearly related to an accepted skill set needed to be effective; (ii) should have a rubric so that teachers know what each standard looks like; (iii) a major portion of the observation and assessment of teacher practice should remain the responsibility of the administrators; (iv) a meaningful portion of the observation and assessment of teacher practice should be done through a type of Peer Observation by other educators. (2) Student outcomes: should be based on growth, value-added approach analysing several years of data and also should not be solely based on CST scores, but should include formative assessments. (3) Parent and Student Feedback: this should be a component of the process of evaluation and will give greater voice to the ‘customer’; (4) Collaboration and Contribution to the School Community: there needs to be a components for measuring collaboration or contribution to a school community; (5) Self-evaluation: should be inclusive of results and be data-driven, goal-setting processes at start of the year, which is measured for year-end progress. (California Board of Education Task Force Final Report, 2010, p 12-13) Abdullah and Hamzah (2009 p1) note that one of the most challenging and most important jobs in society is that of ‘teaching’ as teachers “play the role of producing knowledgeable students with good personality” . It is additionally reported that it is generally agreed upon by economists, educators and policymakers that “…better teachers are likely to lead to more effective schools. Quality of classroom teachers has the greatest impact on the performance levels of students.” (Abdullah and Hamzah, 2009, p1) HANDBOOK REF III. Qualities Possessed by Effective Teachers The qualities that are listed repeatedly as being those possessed by effective teachers include that effective teachers are: (1) Fair; (2) Democratic; (3) Respectful; (4) Caring; (5) Consistent; and (6) Good listeners. (Hamzah and Abdullah, 2009, p2) Hamzah and Abdullah write that effective teachers “…have knowledge of what they teach and model strategies of good instruction.” (2009, p33) IV. Areas for Teacher Assessment The areas that a teacher should be assessed in are stated to include the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, physical, and social skills areas. According to Hamzah and Abdullah (2009) a quality teacher “should have a healthy body” (p4) specifically stated by Hamzah and Abdullah is the following: “Physical fitness is good bodily health, and is the result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition and proper rest for physical recovery. If teachers can take good care of their body, they can cope with everyday activities. They can always help their students and cope with the problems they faced. If a teacher has proper fitness he or she can perform his normal everyday tasks with full alertness and vigour without worrying about fatigue afterward. A healthy mind always comes from a healthy body. Teachers who have a healthy mind will always have a positive thinking. A positive mind anticipates happiness, joy, health and a successful outcome of every situation and action. Whatever the mind expects, it finds. This will create a happy environment in the classroom. Hence, students will enjoy the teaching and learning process.” (Hamzah and Abdullah, 2009, p5) Emotional Intelligence Emotional Intelligence (EI) is reported to be one of the most critical requirements for teachers. Emotional intelligence is that which refers to the ability of the individual to “A teacher who has high EI knows their emotions and feeling well, which helps them in their thinking and actions. It is more about self-awareness and self-management. Bad temper and impatience are quickly sensed by students and can destroy the delicate student-teacher relationship The teacher who is able to stay calm, acknowledge feelings and show interest in the well-being of individuals will win respect and have an easier time in the classroom. Some of the students will have negative feelings on certain types of work. For example, they hate doing homework and always turn up late. So, teachers who are able to stay calm all the time, do not get angry easily and able to discuss the problems with their students” (Hamzah and Abdullah, 2009, p8). EXAMPLE The following are reported to be signs of Emotional Intelligence 1. The ability to clearly express feelings and through use of three word sentences beginning with ‘I feel’ 2. Does not hide thoughts as feelings by the use of ‘I feel like…’ and ‘I feel that …’ sentences 3. Is not afraid to express feelings 4. Is not conquered by negative feelings like victimization, discouragement, fear, shame, embarrassment, obligation, worry, guilt, disappointment, powerlessness, hopelessness, and dependency 5. Is able to read non-verbal communication 6. Lets feelings lead to healthy choices and happiness 7. Balances feelings with reason, logic, and reality 8. Acts out of desire, not because of duty, guilt, force or obligation 9. Is independent, self-reliant and morally autonomous 10. Is emotionally resilient 11. Is intrinsically motivated 12. Is not motivated by power, wealth, status, fame, or approval 13. Tends to feel optimistic, but is also realistic, and can feel pessimistic at times 14. Is interested in other people's feelings 15. Is comfortable talking about feelings 16. Does not internalize failure 17. Is not immobilized by fear or worry 18. Is able to identify multiple concurrent feelings (European Journal of Social Sciences – Volume 11, Number 1m 2009 cited in Hamzah and Abdullah, 2009, p8) Tests that are used to measure emotional intelligence include that of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). It is based on a series of emotion based problem-solving items and it is modelled on ability-based IQ tests. It tests a person’s abilities on each of the four branches of emotional intelligence which perceives emotions, assimilating emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions (Mayer et al., 1999). By using this test, we can know how well the teachers cope with their emotion” (Hamzah and Abdullah, 2009, p8). The writer of this present work will use emotional intelligence in being effective in the teaching role and for many reasons. Many times instructors are paralysed by fear in the teaching role and it is necessary and critically so that the instructor possesses the confidence in their own abilities in order to provide effective instruction. There is not room for self-doubt in the teaching role in today’s educational environment. Personal Teaching Philosophy Throughout my experience in education, I have come to define my career philosophy that is deeply engraved on effectiveness of the teacher from an interdisciplinary approach. Delivery of the teaching content is usually dependent on the work environment that the teacher is exposed to as well as the students’ experiences with the system. By managing the various dynamics of the education system, the teacher facilitates the various experiences that both parties have from the learning process. The philosophy that management in the teaching environment is the solution to the expected results holds true in all levels of the education system. When a teacher fails to manage the teaching experience towards achieving the appropriate results by the teaching encounter, the learning experience by the students will fail as well. In view of this philosophy, my experience has enumerated the success of teachers who perform their duty of content delivery and ensure that the students’ experience is managed to fit in the expected result limits. According to the education policy formulation in the UK, I have to realize that the government lays a foundation on which learning can be facilitated and the teaching experience enhanced using various approaches. My observation is that in order for the teacher to deliver effectiveness features in a comprehensive teaching experience, the enabling environment must be set. This is usually at the school level and the classroom level is left in the hands of the teacher (Reynolds, Muijs and Treharne, 2003). According to the authors, the UK education system leaves the classroom management fine details to the teacher to exercise the extra content delivery procedure that the teacher deems right. This places the manager- teacher philosophy at task since the delivery of the content will therefore depend on the teacher’s creativity and other theatrics, but deliver results. Being a good manager in the classroom positions the teacher at the best possible view of the teaching and learning processes. Expected Modern Day Teacher Effectiveness Challenges Teacher effectiveness in the modern day philosophy will be approached from a perspective that will facilitate the conglomeration of the best learning experiences, without compromising the appropriate balance with teachers’ experience at the career. If the appropriate facilitation is availed in this information age, teaching will be improved and performance will equally be raised. In terms of student participation in the learning process, innovation will in the future make the classroom a creative virtual place where the teacher and the student will meet at the comfort of click of a button (Little, 2009). According to the author, the appropriate channels and platforms for stakeholders to contribute ideas for the general development of the various disciplines in education will get momentum since the internet will facilitate such arrangements. Information technology in the UK has its place edged in the education sector and the level of progress can confidently be said to be leading to such a scenario where accuracy in delivery of content and classroom management will be greatly enhanced. Challenges such as; costs, keeping in touch with 21st century literacies, difficulty in engaging the learners due to diversification of the society and designing appropriate technology for use in education systems (p30). The Need for Education Many people concur with the sentiment that “knowledge is power”; there have been arguments for and against on why we need education. In the current society, the need for education cannot be ignored or denied. Success and education are directly linked and this notion has diluted the significance of education. The notion that the purpose of education is to get a job undermines the significance of education in the human race. Education is important to the society in many ways and the most important purpose of education is to empower the individual. There are a number of reasons as to why we need education: 1. Education expands the individual’s horizon and offers a comprehensive understanding of the world around the individual and how things work. 2. The world requires education because it is the basis for the structure of the civilized society. 3. Education minimizes economic and social disparity and permits its progress to be equally shared. 4. The advancement of many fields in the society is dependent on education; these fields include technology and science. 5. People who are educated are in a good position to contribute to the society in a more positive manner because they understand the consequences of their actions and choices (Marian, 2011). What Underpins Education Delivery The International Dimension in Education (IDE) is gaining importance in school education among the Welsh people are those beyond Wales. The relevance of IDE is supported by a number of factors; the opportunities that are presented by the world communication and the new media, the international trade and associated economic and social issues, the increase in cultural, beliefs and language awareness among different communities, and the global challenges such as sharing the natural resources and tackling climatic change. These factors are linked to and they underpin the delivery of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC). ESDGC is a priority in the Welsh Assembly Government education policy since the year 2004 and it has been to be a main learning outcome by Estyn that needs to be assessed in school inspections starting from the September 2010 (Nicholas et al., 2010). Education Policy in United Kingdom (UK) The entire post-war period was characterized by numerous attempts to reform UK education system, and the main intention has been to try and make the education system more productive. There are quite a number of education policy reforms that were enacted in the past 50 years. In the present time in UK and specifically in Wales and England, a number of reforms that are innovative market-oriented have been introduced in the UK education system; this has been done in an attempt to raise the education standards in UK. There is a reform that has caught the eyes of many; parents have been given more choices in regard to the school being attended by their children and on the other hand, the schools have been pressured to become more accountable (Machin and Vignoles, 2006). The areas that have undergone policy reforms to raise the education standards include the market, curriculum, raising the participation in post-compulsory schooling, and higher education. Summary and Conclusion This work in writing has reviewed the principles, standards, beliefs and components that are required for the teacher in today’s educational environment to be effective in the role of instructors. Never before has the educational environment been characterised by such challenges and never has the educator been required to more confident, more knowledgeable and more emotionally intelligent in order to realise effectiveness and success in their role of teacher and classroom instructors. Reference “Teacher Effectiveness Task Force Los Angeles Unified School District (2010) Final Report,” April 13, 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.dkfoundation.org/PDF/LAUSD-Teacher-Effectiveness-Task-Force-Report-FINAL.pdf Abdullah, S. K. & Hamzah, M. S. G. (2009) “Quality Teacher: National Aspiration to Develop Human Capital for a Knowledge-Based Economy.” European Journal of Social Sciences, 11(1). Retrieved from: http://www.eurojournals.com/ejss_11_1_03.pdf Centre for the Economic of Education. (2006). Education policy in the UK. London, UK: Machin, S. & Vignoles, A. Lemiux, R. (2003) “Teaching and Learning Philosophy Paper.” 6 November 2003. Retrieved from: http://filebox.vt.edu/users/rlemieux/Portfolio/Documents/philosophy%20paper.pdf Little, J. K. (2009) “Charting the Course and Tapping the Community: The EDUCAUSE Top Teaching and Learning Challenges,” EDUCAUSE Review, 44(3):30-45 Marian, K. (2011). Why do we need education? Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-do-we-need-education.html National Foundation for Educational Research. (2010). Assessing the international dimension in education in schools in Wales: Phase II. Wales, UK: Nicholas, J., Pollard, M., Smith, R. & Thomas, S. Reynolds, D., Muijs, D. & Treharne, D. (2003) “Teacher Evaluation and Teacher Effectiveness in the United Kingdom,” Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 17(1):83-100 Read More