Monthly Archives: October 2015

1 Prof. Values & Personal Commitment, 1.4 Prof. Commitment, 2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding, 3.1 Teaching & Learning, 3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment, edushare, My educational philosophy, Professional Studies

Learners of our own teaching

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There is a wonderful quote from Professor John Hattie which states: “The biggest effects on student learning occur when teachers become learners of their own teaching” (cited on Teaching Scotland, 2014). To me, this says that a successful teacher is one who does not stagnate, rather is continuing to grow and develop within their own professional skills. It may be easy to think that once a student has completed their teacher training (whether that be a 4 year degree or an intense PDGE year), then they have learned all that they need to know and must simply go out into the workplace and put their learning into practice. However the reality is quite the opposite, and a teacher must be committed to undertaking continual, career long learning.

This career long learning, ties in with the concept of being an enquiring practitioner. An enquiring practitioner is one who is engaged in the process of continual reading, research and professional learning which has a profound impact on their work. It involves reflection and evaluation of ideas, concepts and theories and consideration of what has worked or not worked when put into practice. There is a challenge to all teachers to be autonomous and rather than accepting all information and advice given to you from ‘the powers that be’, take it upon yourself to find out WHY you are working a certain way.

The below diagram illustrates the many different aspects of being an enquiring practitioner:

Taken from teachingscotland.org.uk

This diagram reminded me once again of the many roles and responsibilities of a teacher and made me consider the importance of selecting the right individuals for the job. There is no room for a ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude when it comes to the future of our children!

Enquiry can take place either personally; when a teacher reflects upon their own practice, or collaboratively; where a group work together to investigate a question or problem, bringing their findings and ideas together to create a pool of shared knowledge and a deeper understanding for all involved.

Image from pixabay.com

There is a clear connection between practitioner enquiry and CLPL (career long professional learning) as it states on the Education Scotland website: “Career-long professional learning is based on the concept of teachers as enquiring practitioners who engage in deep, rigorous, high impact professional learning…Teachers recognise the need for professional learning to impact on professional practice, the quality of learning and teaching and school improvement” (Education Scotland, Undated). This reinforces the idea that a teacher needs to remain up to date and relevant through continual training and learning.

There are numerous benefits of working as an enquiring practitioner, the most important being that having a wealth of knowledge and shared experience will allow the teacher to provide the highest quality experience and learning for their pupils. Collaborative research and investigation can also help to open new doors for teachers, into areas that they may not have explored before. This can help to maintain enthusiasm and motivation, without becoming ‘stuck in a rut’ of the same routines and practices day-in and day-out.

Despite the many positive aspects, enquiry based working is not without its challenges. One of

Image from morguefile.com

these challenges could be that a teacher is not confident in trying new ideas or sharing their findings with their colleagues for fear of being questioned or challenged. This means that their teaching practice may not progress and develop. Another challenge is that “enquiry tends to be ‘situationally unqiue'” (Stoll, 2003 Cited on gtcs.org.uk, Undated). This means that the findings may only apply to one individual situation and it may be difficult to generalise. On the other hand; the skills that are involved in enquiry are general and can begin to develop the teacher into a confident and autonomous individual.

As a student teacher, I feel that my understanding of what it is to be an enquiring practitioner will be a great advantage to me as I can begin to foster the skills and attitudes at this early stage. I have previously been involved in continual learning through my work within nurseries (as CLPL is a requirement of registration with the SSSC). Sadly however, I did not find this a very positive experience because often I was sent on training courses that were not particularly relevant to me. I also found that often the other course attendees were there simply because practitioners were required to be present for a certain number of hours per year, rather than because they are motivated and passionate about their own development. I was always disappointed in the limited amount of training possibilities and was not encouraged to take part in my own, individual learning.

I personally find continual learning and enquiry to be both exciting and challenging. I look forward to working alongside other, like-minded individuals in an environment of mutual passion and interest in the subject at hand. I feel that an attitude of enquiry will spur me to be open to new approaches and ideas while preventing me from ever becoming too ‘comfortable’.

Sources and further reading:

GTCS website: Practitioner Enquiry

Teaching Scotland: The impact of engaging in Practitioner Enquiry

Teaching Scotland: Open your mind to the power of enquiry

Education Scotland: CLPL Key Messages

2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding, edushare, Professional Studies

The girl with half a brain

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The human brain is an amazing thing! It controls every part of us, from our movements (conscious or non) to our cognitive abilities and thinking. In my opinion, one of the most interesting and exciting qualities of the brain is it’s plasticity. Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to modify it’s functions according to changes either within the body or externally in the environment.

An astounding example of the brain being able to change and adapt to extreme situations can be seen in the below video:

For little Jody, as well as in other cases where the same procedure has been equally successful; the removal of half of the brain meant that she was able to lead a full and happy life – far more so than when living with the full brain whilst half was failing to function properly. This is because the remaining half of the brain is able to adapt and re-learn in order to take on the functions that have been lost.

So, how does this impact the classroom?

As well as being able to ‘cope’ and adapt, brain plasticity also involves building new connections and strengthening pathways. When a child is learning a new concept or new information, the brain makes a connection; if this is the only time that it is accessed, then the connection is weak, however if the learning is re-visited (even better if it is re-visited in numerous different ways) then the brain becomes increasingly efficient at following that pathway.

image from morguefile.com
image from morguefile.com

My favourite way of thinking about this is as if it were a garden path. If the path is walked often, then the soil is trodden down and the groove is deeper. If the path is rarely walked then it will become overgrown and harder to walk.

 

 

For me, the key message is that a lesson cannot be taught only once. If a teacher wishes the children to grasp the concepts, they need to provide the opportunity to practise and revisit regularly. By providing stimulating and varied activities, a teacher gives the children the best possible opportunity to learn as well as develop their brain for continued learning.

1 Prof. Values & Personal Commitment, 1.4 Prof. Commitment, 2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding, 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities, 3.1 Teaching & Learning, 3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment, edushare, Professional Studies

Reflecting on reflection

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It is obvious to me that the ability to reflect effectively is essential when it comes to both teaching and learning.

In the past, I may have thought about reflection as being a fairly passive, ‘wishy-washy’ type of exercise. To me it only concerned those who were thinkers and not do-ers, however through reading and research I have turned my view around. REAL reflection is an action!

The act of reflection involves not only thinking about and evaluating what you have read, or what you have done, but also what this means for your future actions.

My research has led me to 3 key theorists regarding reflective learning: Kolb, Schon and Gibbs.

Kolb (1984) devised the reflective cycle  (below) which emphasises the continual nature of reflection and how each stage influences the next. This is helpful to me as a learner because I can see how the process of reflection can impact on my ability to absorb information and develop my own ideas. I believe that it will also be very relevant to me as a teacher as the ability to reflect on my approaches and lessons will allow me to identify any areas of weakness, as well as ways in which I can approach them.

reflective cycle

Schon (1983) split reflection into 2 categories:

  1. reflecting in action (whilst taking action)
  2. reflecting on action (after the action)

The first type of reflection is one in which a teacher must be very skilled. They must be able to assess the learning that is taking place and the effectiveness for their pupils, while being realistic and flexible enough to make alterations if appropriate. I didn’t realise it until now, but I have used this form of reflection while working within nurseries. Occasionally I would come to the children with a carefully planned activity which had taken me a long time and I was very pleased with. I had clear learning goals and I was adamant that it would work well, however when putting it into practice I found that the children were not engaged. At this point I needed to quickly deduce the reasons that the activity was not working, and make changes.

The Gibbs cycle of reflection (1988) breaks down the steps involved in reflection even further, acting as a useful practical tool which I will use to develop my reflective skills:

reflective cycle2

 

I believe that taking a pride in your work involves engaging with active reflection. Teachers are encouraged to engage with Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) which allows them to remain up to date with new approaches, however without effective reflection these new ideas will not be integrated into current practice meaning that no-one will see the benefit. The GTC standards state that both a student and a fully registered teacher must

reflect and engage in self evaluation using the relevant professional standard;

In order to meet this standard I will continue to develop my own reflection skills through use of this blog as well as in less formal situations such as discussions with peers.

 

Sources

GTC standards 

http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/reflecti.htm

https://ctl.curtin.edu.au/teaching_learning_practice/student_centred/reflective.cfm

http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/files/opencetl/file/ecms/web-content/Finlay-(2008)-Reflecting-on-reflective-practice-PBPL-paper-52.pdf

 

 

 

1 Prof. Values & Personal Commitment, 1.4 Prof. Commitment, 2 Prof. Knowledge & Understanding, 2.2 Education Systems & Prof. Responsibilities, 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities, 3.1 Teaching & Learning, 3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment, Contemporary issues, edushare, Professional Studies

Professionalism

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One of the key messages that I took from this video is that an exceptional teacher is one who is truly passionate about what they do. A passionate individual who takes pride in their job will not be satisfied just doing the bare minimum. They will be dedicated and motivated to continually grow within their own skills and knowledge so that they, in turn, can support others.

Another point which I found interesting was that this video makes comparisons between doctors and teachers. It isn’t common to think of teaching as being as vital as medical care but without a sound education, an individual’s life chances may be severely damaged. In the same way as with doctors; teachers cannot work half-heartedly or even have an ‘off day’ as this could have a potentially irreversible impact on the pupils.

Teamwork is highlighted as an essential element within both professions. I think that a professional needs to be willing to seek and accept help from others as well as providing help and support where needed. It is only through this teamwork and interdisciplinary working that pupils can be given the greatest opportunities throughout their education. A professional teacher cannot be selfish. There is a lovely example of this on the above video where a teacher learns of new methods about teaching maths. Instead of keeping this to herself, perhaps seeing the benefit within her pupils and receiving praise for herself; she shares the information with others. This leads to a team of teachers who are all able to provide superior lessons and teaching to their pupils.

Finally, a professional teacher must strive to keep up to date. The GTC standard for career-long professional learning says that a teacher is:

Committing to lifelong enquiry, learning, professional development and leadership as core aspects of professionalism and collaborative practice

There is continual research and new findings which impact education, however if a teacher does no embrace new ideas then they cannot provide the highest quality of education to their pupils. While working within nurseries, I witnessed a changed from Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL). This emphasises to me the fact that a teacher can never stop their personal learning and development.

 

This video shows that the idea of being ‘professional’ involves a wide variety of issues.

Miss Catherine Long mentions the teacher’s role within a society. She points out that benchmarking and statistics which are available to anyone who wishes to see them causes added pressures on teachers as they are being compared and valued by their ability to make their pupils pass tests.

Mrs. Nursen Chemmi reinforces the importance of professional, appropriate behavior. Teachers act as role models for their pupils and displaying desirable traits within themselves will reinforce these behaviours within the children. I believe that this does not refer to the classroom only, rather that teachers should conduct themselves in a professional manner in any situation where they are in public. (This connects with my previous post about social media.)

Mrs Colleen Walsh adds that teachers must be non-judgmental. It is not appropriate to treat a child differently according to their home situation. This does not mean that the teacher should be ignorant of the situation or even ignore it; they should instead aim to support every individual child while being mindful of any issues or potential challenges.

Mrs Erin Smith talks about the importance of communication. This is connected with teamwork and interdisciplinary working. She also makes the link between effective communication and relationships, saying that this professional manner will allow teachers to help parents, families and pupils.

 

 

 

edushare, My educational philosophy, Professional Studies

Virtues of teaching

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Following an input all about what it means to be a professional, I have chosen 5 virtues (among many) that I feel are important to teaching.

Respect 

I feel that respect is a crucial characteristic of a teacher. It applies to all relationships, from those with each child in your class and their families, to colleagues and individuals within the wider society which you may come into contact with. It may be a cliché but I believe that “respect is a two way street”. This means that  if you wish to be respected by the pupils in your class, you must treat the pupils with respect. I feel that this can be achieved by taking a holistic view of each child, being mindful of their situation outside of school as well as within the classroom.

Kindness

I feel that kindness is linked with many other attributes such as empathy, compassion and conscience. As with respect, kindness supports the relationships that are built between the you and your pupils. A kind teacher must have the children’s best interests at heart and should be willing to to help others wherever possible.

Fairness

In my experience, pupils quickly lose respect for teachers who they deem to be ‘unfair’. This relates to a sense of justice that is within us all. Every child must be treated as an individual with their own opinions, beliefs and needs which are of equal importance to everyone else. It is also important that behaviour management and consequences are clear and always followed through. If any preferential treatment is shown then some children may decide that their is no point in trying.

Patience

A teacher must be able to understand that everyone learns in different ways and at different speeds. It may be frustrating when teaching a subject that you find to be interesting, or a lesson that has taken a lot of careful planning, to then find that the children aren’t focussed and the lesson isn’t working. Despite this, a teacher must be able to continue, or use their reflective skills and flexibility to re-think the lesson. Another example of a situation where patience is importance is when dealing with behaviour issues. A teacher who gets angry or even gives up on a child is unlikely to see positive results, whereas a teacher who is patient and strives to use positive methods of working with children will find that their job is more enjoyable and far more satisfying.

Honesty

I feel that honesty is linked with respect. If others view you as an honest individual, they are likely to listen to and respect what you have to say. When working with children, there may be times when the you do not know the answer. In situations like this, I feel that being honest and using the situation as an opportunity to research or conduct an experiment is positive and helpful to learning whereas a dishonest approach may lead to confusion or mistakes.

When communicating with parents and families, I believe that is is important to be honest about any issues or areas of weakness. This will allow you to work together to approach these issues and is far more effective than trying to handle them within the school alone. It may not always be easy to be honest, particularly when delivering undesirable news, but ultimately it is our responsibility and avoiding issues may lead to greater problems later on.

 

All these virtues will allow a teacher to be a good role model to their pupils. They also contribute to creating a class culture where everyone is safe, valued and included. As well as the above virtues, I maintain that a teacher must have continually high, yet realistic expectations of their pupils, pushing them to achieve their potential. They must also be passionate about their job and committed to providing the highest quality learning and experiences to their pupils.

 

 

1 Prof. Values & Personal Commitment, 2.2 Education Systems & Prof. Responsibilities, 3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment, Contemporary issues, Digital skills, edushare

Professional and personal social media

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Following a really important albeit slightly terrifying input from Derek yesterday, I have been reflecting on the use of social media both within a professional and personal context.

I can see why some teachers may choose to have separate accounts for their personal and professional lives. Using just one account for both could be seen to be risky; if privacy settings are not carefully monitored, you could be allowing others into areas which you may not want on display. This was the case for some unfortunate primary school teachers recently, who enjoyed a night out and, as many of us do, decided to post the photos onto facebook. Sadly, these photos were seen by a student who proceeded to distribute them. Such photos can call into question a teacher’s ‘fitness to teach’ and can also destroy their good reputation among pupils, parents and colleagues; a reputation which may have taken years to build up.

Another aspect that must be considered when using social media is casual comments. When posting a status update intended for friends, it may be easy to speak in a way which could be taken completely differently by an outsider. The GTC Scotland have identified this risk and therefore suggest: “Teachers (therefore) need to be alert to the risk that actions which might, on the face of it, seem quite innocent can be misunderstood and misconstrued by others.”

This article reinforces the idea that professionals should think carefully before posting anything online. The phrase that struck me is “Once it’s out there, it doesn’t come back.” 

After reading these articles, I decided to check my own social media pages. I currently use 2 social networking websites: Facebook and Twitter.

When checking my Facebook profile I felt reasonably confident, as I take care in the way that I portray myself and what I post online. I have decided that I do not want pupils or other people to be able to find me and therefore have changed the name on my account. I also used the Privacy Check-up option to ensure that all of my posts are private and that I cannot be tagged in any other posts without my knowledge. I was surprised to find how many aspects of my profile are automatically made to be public unless I specifically go to change them. I found this site to be a useful resource because it points out any aspects that you may not have considered and gives instructions as to how the audience for such posts can be altered.

My Twitter account (@EarlyYearsIdeas) is purely for professional purposes. I started using it while I was working within nurseries as a way to share ideas and good practice with other early years workers. I enjoy using twitter as it has allowed me to become a part of various communities, follow relevant ‘hashtags’ and even host some evening chats. I feel that this is a brilliant way to share, encourage and support others who are working within the education sector and I have been truly inspired by the passionate individuals who I have connected with from around the world. Here is a wonderful blog post about connecting on twitter and one of the discussion evenings that I am regularly involved in.

 

Image from facebook.com
Twitter logo www.twitter.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The media often portrays social media in a very negative way, highlighting the dangers and minimising the benefits. I do believe that children, as well as their families, must be made aware of the potential dangers of online communication however I do not feel that these dangers should cause us to shy away from a potentially engaging and inspiring resource.

I have seen many positive uses of social networking in a professional sense. Numerous classes, schools and youth groups now have their own websites, blogs, facebook pages or twitter feeds in order to communicate with members and share information. Within a school this can be used to inform parents about what the children are learning, allowing an insight where before only a snapshot would have been available at parents evenings or on report cards.

It is clear that schools are beginning to recognise the importance of teaching children about online threats. This article from Herald Scotland introduces the idea of a formal award taught to older children. While I think that this is a step in the right direction, I strongly believe that safe habits and an awareness of dangers should be taught to children from the moment that they begin accessing the internet independently. Younger and younger children are now possessing their own devices meaning that cyber safety is an area which primary teachers must be able to address with confidence.

While conducting my reading, I came across this page with links to social networks for younger children. I think that directing children towards other sites such as these, away from the widely used ones such as facebook and snapchat could help to avoid some of the dangers young people face however the threats will never be completely eradicated.

I believe that, in order to be effective teachers, we cannot keep our heads in the sand when it comes to social networking and the internet. If a pupil is experiencing an issue or is looking for some advice, it is our responsibility to help them and this is only possible if we have a good understanding of what they are going through.

1.1 Social Justice, 2.2 Education Systems & Prof. Responsibilities, Contemporary issues, edushare

School Uniforms

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After a recent Sociology lecture, I have found myself considering the value of school uniforms. Previously I had seen that there are some benefits; children feeling a sense of community, looking smart while having an attitude of learning and a sort of equality that comes from looking the same. But now I have begun to wonder; is it really equality? Even when the school requires everyone to wear black trousers, isn’t it still obvious which children’s parents took them straight out to M&S and which children received their siblings’ old hand-me-downs?

So if not equality, then are the uniforms for the sake of affiliation and pupil pride in their school? If that’s the case then wouldn’t it be better for the children to feel connected by shared school values and a strong sense of community? In my opinion the only way to make the children feel pride is to give them a school that they are actively involved in. A uniform cannot ensure that pupils take responsibility and action. It is more likely to demotivate as children may not feel appreciated as the unique person that they are.

Kolk, Melinda. 20150824_122159.jpg. August 2015. Pics4Learning. 21 Oct 2015 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>

I can see how some sociological theorists have connected the school uniform to later working life. When the children become part of ‘the system’, they may need to make compromises; to look in a way that others deem acceptable. But even within these constraints, we as adults are able to show some individuality and personality through our appearance. An example of this is in a formal interview situation. There are clear ideas of what clothing and presentation is expected, however if there were 3 female applicants; one may wear a dress, one may wear a skirt and one may wear trousers.

How a person dresses can have a large impact on how they feel about themselves. It can also affect their physical comfort. While in senior school, I was expected to wear a shirt and tie which I found to be incredibly uncomfortable. I remember in certain classes, if I had to turn my head for long periods of time (maybe to see the board), then the collar of the shirt would dig into my neck. I can’t help but wonder if I could have absorbed the information a bit more effectively if I was feeling comfortable within the classroom.

Education Secretary Angela Constance is suggesting a re-think about school uniforms following concerns raised by those who run Back to School banks, providing uniforms to pupils who may not otherwise be able to afford them. There has been a suggestion that a standardised Scottish school uniform should be introduced. This could be a simple black and white uniforms with the option of sew on badges or coloured ties in way of identification. Personally, I feel it would be better for the schools to consider the true reasons for their uniforms. Many of these reasons will be about tradition, but in a society where we are continually changing and developing; perhaps it’s time to scrap these old traditions and try something new, for the benefit of the children’s learning.

Instead of creating a whole new uniform; allowing pupils to wear their own clothing may help those families who are suffering poverty as it could mean that they can avoid the extra expense of buying additional clothing such as expensive blazers and ties.

Find the article about standardised Scottish school uniforms here.

1 Prof. Values & Personal Commitment, 3. Prof. Skills & Abilities, 3.4 Prof. Reflection & Commitment, edushare

Maths and mindsets

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This week we have been introduced to the Online Literacy Assessment (OLA) and Online Maths Assessment. These are diagnostic tools which we are able to access and use in order to identify any gaps or weaknesses in our understanding. This allows us to seek help if needed or put in some extra work to ensure that we are ‘up to scratch’ and more importantly; able to teach these skills to others!

I’ll be the first to admit that maths is not my strong point. I attended college last year with the primary goal of achieving a high grade in my maths as I knew that in order to become a teacher, it is important that I have the ability to approach a range of mathematical problems with confidence. Over the year I was able to grasp far more than I’d hoped, and I came away with an ‘A’ which I was incredibly proud of. That being said, the mere mention of the OMA brought back my familiar anxiety and feelings of self doubt.

The way I was thinking reminded me of an article which I read a few days ago about Fixed and Growth mindsets. The article in TES referred to these within teachers as it warned them to beware of their mindsets about their own abilities as well as their reactions towards challenges.

The mindsets are the brain child of psychologist Carol Dweck. Put (very) simply; a person with a fixed mindset gives up easily, believes that talent is something that you are born with and that intelligence is fixed (i.e. some people just aren’t clever and so there’s no point trying). Alternatively, someone with a growth mindset believes that natural talent is just the starting point and that abilities and achievements come from dedication and hard work. These people develop resilience and are able to approach difficulties positively.

When I am putting myself down about my math abilities, I am having a fixed mindset. I need to put aside the idea that I’m no good at maths and remember that through hard work and plenty of practice I have been able to cope with some fairly complex ideas in the past. I feel that using the OMA (as well as the OLA) will be very helpful to me as I build my own confidence.

I also believe that being aware of my personal mindset will be a valuable tool as I progress through my studies and into my placements. In order for me to be a successful teacher; I must be able to instil positive attitudes towards learning within my pupils. This is impossible if I don’t ‘practice what I preach’ and therefore I must strive to embrace challenge while accepting support and guidance.