Monthly Archives: October 2015

The Enquiring Practitioner

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As stated by the GTCS: “Practitioner enquiry, as defined by Menter et al (2011), is a ‘finding out’ or an investigation with a rationale and approach that can be explained or defended. The findings can then be shared so it becomes more than reflection or personal enquiry.”

I believe that an enquiring practitioner is someone who is willing to reflect upon their work and the work of others in order to develop their skills and to benefit others. An enquiring practitioner is about being open minded to try new things; being adaptive – understanding that some things might not work and being able to change that from your own knowledge or from the knowledge of someone else and, having the ability to be critical of themselves and their own work as well as the work of others (GTCS). It should also be about life-long learning and the willingness to develop your teaching skills as time goes on. I also believe that an enquiring practitioner is someone who has a desire to increase their knowledge and skills, for example, a lesson may not have gone as planned in the sense that a large proportion of the class has not been able to grasp the topic. An enquiring practitioner may discuss this lesson with other teachers and talk about possible reasons why it didn’t go as planned; the other teachers may be able to help said teacher through their own experiences of a lesson of the same topic and what worked well for them. It’s about not being afraid to admit to things that have not worked so well and welcoming new ways of thinking.

 

Some benefits of being an enquiring practitioner have been noted on the GTCS website.  These include:

  • Enable those within the teaching profession to work together to enhance the education system.
  • Enable teachers to bring about important alterations in teaching and education and thus greatly increasing the quality of pupils’ learning experiences in a learning environment.
  • Influence the progression of schools, colleges, universities and agencies as educational establishments for the educators who work there and for the pupils.

Some other benefits may include:

  • Increases learning as more learning happens when working in a team.
  • Further development of team working skills.
  • Allows questioning which gives access to deeper understanding.
  • Improves pupil attainment and achievement.

There can also be negatives to this (some of these are noted on GTCS website):

  • Dishonesty – some people may lie about what has worked.
  • No open mindedness in the sense that some teachers might not want to change their practices.
  • Seeing it as a chore and not something that is worthwhile.
  • Not accessing the questioning of its importance to give a deeper understanding.
  • Some people might be offended by suggestions of how they can do something differently or improve something and feel as if others are putting them down.
  • Not being critical of self.

For me as a student teacher, I believe that this means I should be open to trying new things and open to advice, even right now in my first year of university. I also believe that this means having the ability to recognise that not everything you try will work and to persevere as you will get there in the end. I think it is about working on the advice given to me which will improve my knowledge and skills. It also means recognising that learning never stops and we can all work together in order to improve ourselves. I think this will be especially important when on placement as the teacher is already qualified and they can help and advise you from their own experiences at university and during their teaching career.

 

teachers-engaging-in-pe-570x428

From http://www.gtcs.org.uk/professional-update/practitioner-enquiry/practitioner-enquiry.aspx

 

Here is the link to the practitioner enquiry information on the GTCS website:

GTCS – Practitioner Enquiry

 

Reflection

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Reflection is something we all do, often without even realising. How many times have we said “if I could go back now, I’d do that differently,” or “if only I had done that instead of what I did.”

I think reflection is about looking back on things that have happened in the past and thinking about how that has changed your outlook or how you would tackle a situation if it was to arise again. I don’t think reflection always has to be about looking back on negative things – it can be recalling a happy moment and thinking about how you felt at that time and how that may influence you in the future. For example, if you had been on holiday and had a really lovely, relaxing time, you might consider booking to go to the same place next time.

I think reflection is important in learning. It is important to always reflect on the lessons/lectures to ensure that you understand what had been said and to help you when you do further work on that subject (e.g. further reading). Reflection is also important in learning when it is your own work. Reflecting on the feedback your tutor has given you from an assignment can help make improvements for the next assignment. Personal reflection on work is also beneficial, as you can identify points where you wish to improve for next time and by personally reflecting periodically, it will help you to achieve the changes you wish to make to your work.

The Virtues of Teaching

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Empathy

Being able to understand how someone else is feeling as if they were your own feelings. For the teacher, I think this means understanding the difficult situations pupils might find themselves in and be able to support, comfort and help them through it. I think it is important for a teacher to be empathetic so they can understand the broad range of children they will find in their classroom and understand that they will not all learn the same or behave the same, for numerous different reasons.

Fairness

Being unbiased and reasonable. I think this is very important for a teacher as they should treat everyone the same. They should not be influenced to treat someone differently because of how they act in the classroom. As a teacher it is important not to have a “favourite” and to distribute tasks fairly so that people do not feel left out. I also think that by being fair, there will be a better learning environment where everyone wishes to participate because there is no fear of being left out.

Kindness

Showing consideration, being friendly and having a warm hearted nature. Being a teacher means that you are seen as a role model for your pupils, therefore, if you are not kind to your pupils or colleagues then how can you expect your pupils to be kind to one another? Once again, I believe that showing kindness and being kind will help pupils to participate and make them eager to be in the classroom and to learn. This may be due to the way in which the teacher treats their pupils, fellow colleagues and creates a friendly and warm hearted learning environment.

Patience

The ability to deal with situations, delays or difficulties in a calm manner. This is important for many aspects of teaching. When working with pupils who are finding it hard to grasp a concept a teacher should be patient in order to help them understand the concept – becoming frustrated will make them less likely to understand it and may disengage them. Patience is also key with the rate at which children work at, as some children may take a little longer than other pupils, so being patient means that you will recognise those that might need longer to do work and by not pressuring them to finish just because a majority of the class is finished, will encourage them to complete their work and may help them to finish it quicker. When it comes to behaviour, patience is important as by getting angry and shouting will not give the children a chance to explain themselves and they may not listen to what you are trying to say because you are angry – if you are patient and deal with the issues in a calm way it might help to rectify the behaviour issues in the class that day. I understand that teachers may become frustrated and might become annoyed sometimes but they are human beings, just like everyone else.

Respect

Showing respect means to treat everyone fairly, showing compassion and not making anyone feel that they are of less importance to you. Like kindness, I think that you should be respectful to your pupils and colleagues in order for the pupils to be respectful to their pupils and the staff members. By treating everyone equally – the cleaners and cooks be treated the same way in which you would treat the Convenor of Education – creates a good working environment and it shows others that everyone needs to work together in order for things to run smoothly. It all comes down to treating others in the way you wish to be treated.

 

Virtue of Teaching Videos

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Q1. What makes a teacher who makes a difference?

From watching the video I have been able to draw some conclusions about the aspects of teachers that make a difference. A teacher who makes a difference should be avidly involved in team work and should be willing to share information with others – the video mentioned a new curriculum one teacher discovered and she decided it was a great idea to share this with others, because of this they were able to upgrade their teaching degrees through workshops to include this new curriculum. To make a difference, a teacher should also be understanding of others; caring; approachable to their pupils, parents and fellow colleagues and they should be seen to “go the extra mile” in everything they do. In addition to this, a teacher who makes a difference should be willing to learn all the time and not just stop learning when they have obtained their degree. This links in with being aware of what is happening, so keeping up to date with methods of teaching and resources used for learning – which could include technological advances; I think these all show commitment and love of the work they undertake. Finally, a teacher who makes a difference should be dedicated, should discipline at the correct moments, they should be willing to make some sacrifices for the benefit of their pupils and they should definitely go home at the end of every day with a sense of satisfaction knowing that they have done the best they possibly could have for their pupils and that their pupils have increased their knowledge because of the work they have done..

I found this article, which shows what the pupils have to say about this:

Students view of what makes a perfect teacher.

 

Q2. Do you agree with what these teachers call professionalism?

I do agree with what these teachers call professionalism. The teachers talked about how teachers are becoming more accountable for their actions like other professions, for example a doctor. A doctor is accountable for their actions when treating patients and this is the same for teachers – they are accountable for their actions when educating and beyond. They also described how teachers are seen as role models and should have an appropriate attitude. They also said that a professional should be mindful of how they react to the way others speak to them, therefore not judging someone just because of their background. A professional should be an effective communicator and be able to communicate efficiently with all people of all ages. One teacher said in order for teachers to be professional they should keep up with their professional development by increasing their teaching and learning standards and they should be able to cater for the needs of their students in the class very, very well.

I do agree with what the teachers say about professionalism and it is evident that being a teacher is being part of a profession. A profession isn’t determined by the clothes you wear but by your attitude and attributes towards that profession.

 

Q3. What is the message here?

The message I receive from Chris Christie is that teachers are a very highly valued part of society. They go above and beyond for every student and show care and compassion. Chris also said that teachers should be paid what they deserve to be paid and more, however, I think most teachers are in this profession for many other things other than the pay they receive – satisfaction of seeing a pupil understand their work, watching the pupils grow and develop through time, knowing that you have given your students the time, the care, the support, the understanding to help them with their future. Teaching is about the things that don’t cost money!

The message I receive from Karen Lewis is that if you are the type of teacher whose work is only in the school and in the classroom then you are not a professional. A worker is someone who will clock in at the start of their shift and clock out at the end of their shift – they leave their work at work. From what Karen said, I believe that if you are a worker then you are not a professional. A professional doesn’t stop their work once they have clocked out. In order to be considered a professional as a teacher, you should spend time out with school hours planning lessons, researching for topics, marking work, trying to make sure that every pupil is benefiting from the lesson and ensuring that your lesson is fun – making sure every student wants to participate and no one is bored. There is more to teaching than educating in a classroom – it is educating in a classroom and everything else that is done to ensure that it goes smoothly that makes you a professional!

Professionalism in the online world

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What challenges/opportunities you may be faced with when marrying the personal vs the professional presence on social media?

Having social media sites that are used for both personal and professional use may have some advantages. It may allow pupils to see your interests and to realise there is more to you than the teacher they see in an educational environment. I do, however, believe that having shared social media should only be of access to pupils who are of an appropriate age to use social media (as a Primary school teacher, I wouldn’t let the pupils follow me on Twitter or be friends on Facebook.) I think shared social media may help in lessons. For example, if you had travelled to Australia and the lesson had some connection to Australia, the pictures you had posted on social media of your time there might help the pupils to understand what Australia is like and give them a realistic view of it.

On the other hand, social media used for both professional and personal use may not be appropriate. There may be photos taken from a night out or family function that some may deem unprofessional and inappropriate. This may start to raise questions of whether you are suited in such a role. It might not be appropriate for pupils to see some aspects of your private life as we are seen to be role models for them. Also, a comment you post on social media may be taken in a negative way and may put you in a difficult situation. This once again may cause people to question whether you are fit to teach.

I personally believe that, as a Primary teacher, there should be separate accounts for personal use and another one for professional use. I believe that we are all human beings and are allowed to have a life away from the professional setting in an educational environment. I do, however, believe that when “letting our hair down” that there is still a manner of professionalism that we should remember and that we shouldn’t post things on social media that we wouldn’t be happy for our parents to see.

How are the challenges/opportunities afforded by social media framed? How will you frame things – positive or deficit viewpoint?

I think the media has a large part to play in how social media is framed. I think it frames social media in a negative way as there are always horror stories of social media in the news. Whether it be stories of cyberbullying, stories about images of an explicit nature being sent or even a story about teachers on a night out supposedly “pole dancing”. I think that the media gives society a one sided view of social media, thus making a large section of society see it in a very negative way. Even though we have seen positive aspects of social media – like people finding missing relatives or the use of social media to help fundraise for a cause – I don’t think this is reported as much in the media. I do strongly believe that those real villains of the online world should be shown for what they are when it is right to do so.  The public perception becomes one that believes social media shouldn’t be used in the classroom because of all the negative things it has been seen to be used for, despite there being many positive uses of it.

Personally, I would like to frame social media in a positive way. By using it in the classroom and in lessons as an extension to the traditional textbook and jotter and also instead of the traditional methods of teaching. As time goes on, technology is being developed further and I believe we should “move with the times” so that the pupils have a current education rather than one that is outdated. We should be preparing the pupils for a life outside of school and their working career, so if they have a good and positive understanding of technology and social media, it can be further developed as they grow and help open up numerous possibilities for them in the future. I also believe that people should be aware of the negatives of social media. I think that pupils should be educated about the dangers of social media so that they know it isn’t this “perfect” world and so that they don’t get themselves caught up in the negative side of social media, or if they do, know how to rectify it or how to get help to rectify it.

Remembering, Forgetting and Getting Confused

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Never has a title of a lecture been so relevant to me!

Philosophy is a subject that I had only slightly touched on at high school – having studied Higher Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies I had a very, very basic understanding of Philosophy. So going into our philosophy lectures was like starting with a blank canvas, which didn’t really bother me. However, I don’t think my mind was made for such deep thinking. I really liked John’s lecture styles and the laughs he gave us, but I have never been so confused! The big questions of philosophy literally blew my mind and I struggled to comprehend the meaning of it all. So, when John emailed us the TDT I may have panicked slightly – how can I commentate on something that I don’t understand? I decided the best thing to do was to look over the slides of the lecture I found most interesting and re-read the notes I had taken during that lecture. Still confused, I watched a video ( thanks to Emma!!!)  that explained it again in a slightly different way and I think I have grasped it now. So bare with me whilst I (attempt) to commentate on Plato’s Theory of the Forms:

I found the lecture Remembering, Forgetting and Getting Confused very interesting. I had never thought about the reason how I know a chair was a chair or an apple was an apple – it seemed like a natural thing that I have always known. It was Plato and his Theory of the Forms that made me think. Firstly, Plato believed that there are two worlds: the material world ( the world we live in) and the real world. The material world is constantly changing and we rely on our senses to understand what is going on, whereas in the real world (which is outside the one we live in) is unchanging, eternal and is a world of ideas. In the real world there are perfect forms of the things that we know on earth – on earth they are just a poor imitation.

So if we take apples, for example (John used chairs but for some reason I found apples – used in the video- easier to understand). All apples share an underlying apple-ness – for Plato this would be regarded as the true form of the apple. There is one true form of apples and that one form, forms the many. The form of an apple is unchanging and eternal but apples themselves are simply appearances of true form, that’s why they change and become imperfect (I.e. they rot.) In the material world there is no such thing as a perfect apple just imperfect reflections of the form of apples. Us human beings can recognise the form of apples as we are born with a dim recollection of them from prior existence in the real world. We can recognise apples because we recognise the apple-ness ( the eternal, unchanging form). This is the same for chairs.

Plato also believed that there is an inner part of us – known as the soul – that doesn’t change and is eternal. Before it was “tied” down with a body it was connected with the real world of the forms. This is the reason we understand forms because we have been in contact with them through our soul in the world of the forms. This is why when we see objects we know what they are in the physical world.

I though this was very interesting as it explains why we, in a sense, automatically know what objects are. I think this might be part of the reason we often have moments where we recognise something but don’t know where from – possibly because we have seen the true form of it in the real world. I think this is a difficult topic because it opens up lots of different questions, such as: Is there such thing as a soul? Are actions like coughing and sneezing “remembered” and undertaken automatically due to our genetic composition? Do we only know what an apple is or what a chair is because of people around us – being taught from our parents what things are from an early age and following the actions of other people (for example seeing people sit on chairs so we do that too because it seems as if it is the “normal” thing to do)? Are we influenced to do things and think things from those around us?

Philosophy isn’t really any less confusing for me but I just don’t think my mind can handle the big, open questions it presents.

Benefits of active learning and co-operative working

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The Benefits:

Working cooperatively allows people to learn from one another. For example, if you are struggling with something working in a group might help you to understand it more as everyone has different ways of explaining things. Cooperative learning can also help to make people feel more comfortable with others on their course or studying the same module – it is familiar faces that you are spending a fair amount of time with so can help build friendships. I think cooperative learning also helps to broaden knowledge. As there will be a wide range of people in the group, their experiences and background will help to further develop concepts discussed in a group task. For example – if someone has studied an undergraduate degree in Biology and is then doing their postgraduate in teaching – if the task is to do with an aspect of Biology then that person will be able to pass their knowledge onto the rest of the group. Cooperative learning also develops skills that are needed throughout life and helps increase employment opportunities.

The Challenges:

Some people may take too much of a leadership role in the group and boss people about. This won’t encourage people to work as a group. I also think that some members of the group might not do a lot of the work and not input very much information to the task. People may become distracted and not stay focused on the task at hand. This means that coming to the deadline for the work the group may be rushing around trying to finish as not everyone as put the same amount of effort in. Also, some people may not take it seriously and therefore weakening the work that is put into the task.