What do you think about the subject of this question? WHY would you want to be a better teacher? Is it important for you? for your students? for our society? When it comes to making decisions about our careers there are several considerations to take into account and it could be hard to get the right choice.
Deciding on being better at what we do can be simplified by using a method, a decision model that we think it’s simple and efficient. Especially, when our decision involves two options: being a better teacher or stay the same.
Here’s a plain decision- making model handy at any given situation:
- Relax. take a deep breath and expelled air, do it twice. Bringing oxygen to you brain will enhance your performance and health.
- Say something positive. something like “I can do this” or “I was born for success” to boost good vibes.
- Identify the problem: the issue here is to make a decision that is relevant to you and many others, and what are the consequences of it.
Think of all possible solutions: Great teachers help create great students. In fact, research shows that an inspiring and informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement, so it is critical to pay close attention to how we train and support both new and experienced educators. Consider the consequences of your solution. Here are Top 5 Benefits of professional development: Feeling a little rusty? Sharpen your knowledge. Want to learn something new? Develop your skills. Lost touch with your industry niche? Keep up-to-date Interested in meeting new contacts? Start networking. Uninspired with your projects? Reenergize your ideas.
- What is important to you? Are you a persistent and progressive professional? Experience is not doing the same thing over and over again but to improve the methods over the course of time.
- Make the decision. After reflecting on all the previous, it’s time for action.
Following a methodical path to successfully achieve our goal, let’s think for a moment in WHAT is it that we need to be better:
KNOWLEDGE: Reflection, Self-Assessment, Conferences & Workshops, Peer coaching, Readings, Degree & Certifications.
RESOURCES: Pictures, Audio texts, Games and Visual aids: Projector/Interactive Board/Computer, Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides & Textbooks.
MOTIVATION: Professional Growth, Retribution, Expertise, Status, Passion and Knowledge Share.
Then we must follow the logical next step, which is HOW we can overtake this challenge. We could think of many, but we have gathered some that we consider are essential and common in our everyday duties:
- Open your Mind
- Plan
- Reflect and Share
- Explore
- Interact
To illustrate each, here are some stories that relate in distinctive ways, with the aim of validating their transcendence.
OPEN YOUR MIND
One day teachers are invited to a workshop of the new Editorial assigned to make the book changes in the teenagers’ program of the school after 6 years of using another Editorial. Through the plenary, teachers find out about the “no homework” strategy used by this new platform, and the technological input in the monitoring and assessment of students’ progress. Immediate reaction can be witnessed in the room as a negative feature to implement. The panel in charge presents three teachers through a Skype call, in order to tell their own experience using the new method. A teacher raises the hand and asks, “Does this mean I have more paths to communicate with my students at any time?” The presenters confirm the statement and elaborate based on that idea. You can notice the difference in the ambient of the room.
PLAN
Jules is preparing for her Adults class next Thursday, and she notices she has only two more classes to cover a full unit. She feels nervous and anxious, since by her own experience and knowing how she likes to deliver the lesson, she would have to select the material to teach and sacrifice the rest in order to achieve the goal. While selecting the material, she feels frustrated and basically disappointed because she understands that this could’ve been prevented.
REFLECT AND SHARE
The bell rings, students leave, and I stay behind picking up for myself. I start thinking of the last activity we had just 5 minutes ago, mainly about my previous expectations and how that makes me think now that it was a failure. I keep recounting my steps even after I’m home an hour later. The next day I still feel disappointed, and one of the substitute teachers was around and I decide to ask about similar situations. I tell him step by step what happened the day before, and he just looked at me and said, just play with it the next time.
INTERACT
“It’s time for review…” teacher Jay thinks out loud, knowing that tests are coming next week. He sits with a longing face and thinks about the lesson he’s about to deliver, the exercises to use, the topics to address, and the monitoring involved in the process. Seems to have it under control, it’s usually the same. He takes a moment to ponder of other ways to impart the review, he asks himself what can he do different and what could make my students think different than any other day. After 25-30 minutes alone with his thoughts, another teacher passes by rushing in, and greets Jay. The other teacher starts to take out some papers and items that look like monopoly game pieces, and Jay feels the burning need to ask about it, and the other teacher tells him how he got the idea to play a board game as a review from another colleague. Jay feels excited and really wants to try this.
EXPLORE
The assessment week is here, and Rose is taking her time to grade each student carefully in classwork, homework and writing assignments. Time is running fast and she realizes she needs to speed up the process, but she’s also aware that she might need a plan B at this point. She stands up from her chair and she just takes a minute to think and then she sees a student noticing a mistake in a writing assignment she had on top of the desk. At that point she had the idea to pair students and have them do the checking on the writing assignments by giving students some prompts on how to do it. Students react excitedly and even express their willingness to do it. The teacher starts thinking what other ways she can make students feel useful and make it beneficial for her as well.
Here’s an interesting quote that can help is define if we can be successful alone or with the support available: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
Let’s practice a small exercise about good practices we need to keep at sight and check how often we engage in this activities:
- I plan my classes.
- I reflect on what helps or hinders learning.
- I receive peer-coaching.
- I explore creative ways of teaching.
- I give-receive feedback.
- I try to keep engagement in my classes.
- I practice professional-development.
- My classes are based on experiential-teaching.
- My teaching practices are oriented to meaningful lessons.
- I ask my students to ask questions.
- I include collaborative-learning in my lessons
- I deliver my lessons as scheduled.
The more help we need to develop a wide set of pedagogical resources, the more we can realize that support is always available, find out about the Professional Development programs that are set up near you and reach out.
Finally, think of the question on WHEN you’d like to take the steps to become better for it will depend on the opportunity you give to yourself, bearing in mind what a great scientist once said: It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.
【Ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ Ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅ】 