Teacher Characteristics
As I touch on some of my teacher characteristics I will be touching on some of the philosophies and theories that resonate with me including the authority base continuum, the theories of classroom management continuum, models of discipline, and the CALM model. Of the three teacher authority bases I feel that I would combine two of them to create my style of teaching: referent, and expert. Personally I feel that I would like my students to behave in line with my expectations because they like me and feel that I care about their learning, and I am looking out for their best interests (Levin et al., 2016). I would also like my students to listen to me because they see me as a knowledgeable person who can help them on their learning journey. In order for my students to feel this way I would communicate to them that I care about them as individuals and learners, and I would teach them things that are interesting to them so that they value what they are learning (Kohn, 1996; Levin et al., 2016). I feel very strongly about providing the students with material that interests them because students will not be engaged if they do not want to learn about something, which would not benefit anyone. This is where an element of effective planning comes into play.
When it comes to planning it is important that the content of the lessons is motivating and clearly presented (Levin et al., 2016). When I design my lessons I’m going to create them based on student interest because then students are less likely to display off-task behaviour. From here I will plan various activities that allow for all students to succeed because I feel that it is a teachers responsibility to set their students up for success. In order t...
... middle of paper ...
...(Levin et al., 2016). From my experience with children in the past “the look” has been very effective. I would start by giving my students an obvious glance in their direction without other students noticing, which wouldn’t interrupt the flow of the class. If this was not successful I would move on to say their name as a warning, which would allow me to quickly get back to the lesson. Finally, if I had tried both of these methods and it was still not working I would use a more invasive strategy such as moving them to a different seat, or in a more serious case out of the classroom, which would unfortunately cause a bigger disruption in the classroom (Levin et al., 2016). I think most importantly during this process I would manage the environment by staying composed, but also being firm with the student, and than returning to the classroom promptly and positively.
By incorporating the theories of Piaget and Maslow into lesson planning, I can choose realistic and meaningful instructional strategies and designate assignments at the appropriate challenge level. My goal is to motivate my students to strive for their best and provide them an environment where they can successfully prepare for college and life. Mary Kay Ash was phenomenal at motivation and said it best: “Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” (Ash). Knowing that each class will be different and that what works for one class may not work for another will aid me in being an effective, efficient
I listen to my students. I allow time for their individual impute in what they are learning, and adjust accordingly. I really believe that is why students can be so into the idea of being taught, because they are all encouraged to lead the discussion and projects before them as it relates to the curriculum. I try to learn from my students by listening to their interpretation. I am learning what interest them, and feed off of it in the work that needs to be performed. Work towards a positive social society, with this education does takes place for our students, teachers, and community, all for a better future, one that is full of knowledge and acceptance. What could be any
Students should see the human behind the scary instructor exterior. Being a dictator can lead to students fearing and resenting you. When this happens the students are unwillingly to stretch their minds and see how far their abilities can take them. They gain no sense of responsibility. They are just afraid of failing and suffering the wrath of the hard teacher. Only doing as much as they need to do satisfy the anger of the teacher. In Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire, Rafe explains 6 levels of moral development. The most basic level of a student’s character development and reasoning is “Level 1: I don’t want to get in trouble” (Esquith, 2007, p.14). A teacher risks having their students stuck in this level and unable to grow to the ultimate “Level 6: I have a personal code of behavior and I follow it (the Atticus Finch level)” (Esquith, 2007, p. 22). Being genuine and yourself opens you up to the students and allows for them to reach you. This aspect contributes to the aspect of trust. Students will be more willing to open up and respond to you and your teaching techniques if they are facing a real, genuine and authentic teacher with feelings, passion for teaching, and sympathy (and to a certain point empathy) for the students themselves. As Rafe explains in his prologue “there are no shortcuts.” (Esquith, 2007, p. xii.). There is no easy way to get a classroom to obey your every direction, learn
Teacher knowledge has always been the basis to an effective learning experience. Without a knowledgeable teacher, students are not able to receive a quality educational experience. This pillar encompasses the influence teachers have on student learning and achievement, possession of research based knowledge, and effective teaching practices. I thrive to be educated and knowledgeable on the information presented to my students. By having a variety of teaching techniques that work and I use often in my classroom, I am able to mold my instruction around student needs and provide efficient and
“Power is exercised only over free subjects, and only insofar as they are free. By this we mean individual or collective subjects who are faced with a field of possibilities in which several ways of behaving, several reactions and diverse compartments may be realized.” (Foucault)
My personal philosophy of classroom management focuses on creating an environment where children feel safe and where they feel like they belong. I will create this environment for my fourth grade class through making my expectations of the students clear while developing an engaging lesson plan and personable interactions with my students. I developed my philosophy from studying different theorists and based my philosophy on the theories of Glasser and Kounin. Glasser believed that the teacher’s roll in the classroom is that of a leader rather than a boss. He believed that students should be given power in the classroom and that the teacher should share it with the students. I will use his ‘7 caring habits’ specifically supporting and respecting to help my classroom feel safe and welcoming to my students. Meeting the individual needs of my students will be the focus of my classroom management routine. I will meet individual needs by promoting self management and self efficacy in my students by creating an environment that that has predictable and consistent daily routines while focusing on my student’s successes (Shindler, 2010). Having a predictable routine will encourage a success oriented environment and will reduce anxiety and help towards creating positive self efficacy in each of my students (Shindler, 2010). In Glasser’s Choice Theory he talks about focusing on the present and not bringing up the past (Glasser, 2010). Therefore, I will focus my classroom on being goal driven and will help each student obtain their goals. Thus, helping my students have positive self efficacy. I will apply Kounin’s technique of Momentum (Pressman, 2011). This involves the teacher keeping exercises short and moving around the room a lot so...
In order to be an effective teacher there needs to be an understanding that we all learn differently, this means that no single teaching strategy is effective for all students/learners all the time. This makes teaching a complex process because you need to understand and meet the requirements of all of your learners. Students learn best when they aren’t asked to simply memorise information but when they form their own understandings of what is being taught. When a student has successfully learnt a new idea they are able to then intergrate this information with their previously learnt information and make sense of it. To be an effective teacher you need to work jointly with students to asses where they are at, be able to give feedback on how the student is going and ensure that they are understanding the lesson (Killen, 2013) According to Lovat and Smith (2003) students learning must result in a change in a student’s understanding of the information being taught. In order to show understanding they must be able to share this information with others and want to learn more (Killen, 2013). In order to have a deeper understanding of what is being taught they need to be aware of the relationship that exists between what they knew previously and the new information that is being learned (Killen, 2013).. Students need to be given goals that they can achieve in order to feel a sense of mastery over their own learning, this gives students motivation that they are able to complete tasks and to keep going.
As teachers we plan our lessons and think to ourselves, "my students are going to love this lesson and will be able to understand what I am teaching", but sometimes that isn 't the case. You may plan a lesson in hopes that your students understand but it doesn 't go as planned. Every student learns differently and thinks differently and because of this we, as teachers must learn to differentiate our lessons. This may require us to change the way we deliver our lesson, change the activities for our lessons or even change the wording of our material so students understand. In this paper, I will be differentiating a lesson plan based on student readiness, student interest and student learning profile for content, process, and product.
As a teacher managing problem behavior in your classroom can be one of the most challenging tasks. Behavior problems can range from disruption of lessons to acts of violence against fellow students and teachers. Children’s emotional setbacks and life challenges can also contribute to behavior issues at school. A study done by the Justice Center and the Public Policy Research Institute found that six out of ten students suffered from an “emotional disturbance” and were expelled or suspended between seventh and twelfth grade (Firke, 2011). This same study showed that discipline varied greatly between schools. This report also revealed the urgent need for a more thoughtful technique in school discipline policies. In many cases teachers have exhausted their classroom management strategies without success. Behavior Modification is aimed at improving school and classroom behavior, and can give teachers additional tools to help them to deal proactively and effectively with behaviors that are disruptive to students and teachers in the classroom. When children are disruptive in the classroom it can cause a lot of problems for their classmates and their teacher. Yet, in the long run, it's the disruptive child themselves who is most impacted, on both a social and educational level (Epstein, Atkins, Cullinan, Kutash, & Weaver, 2008). Behavior modification techniques should be used in school, to change the negative behaviors, and increase the positive behaviors seen in these children.
This I Believe Philosophy statement will include my thoughts and beliefs about classroom management with comparison to other theorists’ models. The major theorists that will be mentioned are Barbara Coloroso, Linda Albert, and Lee & Marlene Canter. I highly agree with the Canter’s and Coloroso’s models of classroom management because it best fits my personality as an individual teacher. I believe that an affective classroom management plan is first practiced and then modeled for improvements. My ultimate goal for my Classroom Management Plan is to model self-discipline by teaching it through my daily actions so that students may be able to self-manage themselves accordingly.
My teaching career has been spent learning how to provide appropriate support, guidance, patience, & understanding, as well as to enhance academic growth & success, for all students. My purpose as a teacher is to enrich and inspire the lives of young students with moderate/intensive needs by providing access to information instead of functioning as the primary source of information for students to flourish. My teaching methods will be to create an environment ripe with opportunities for discovery and exploration which will allow all students to learn at their own pace, generate questions and construct knowledge, while providing hands-on practice of skills in authentic situations as well as to make learning intriguing and meaningful to all students. Carefully planned and constructed learning environment will also allow the teacher more time to meet the individual needs of each student. Another important factor to a well-prepared learning environment is to facilitate learning, and providing students with balance and consistency (2004). Young students require a balance between various classroom dimensions, including activities guided by the teacher and independent work, quiet work and active work, gross motor and fine motor activities, and open and closed aspects to the curriculum and classroom materials (2004). Consistency is also a required condition for learner success. Schedules (daily and weekly), the enforcement of classroom rules, and student expectations should not be in flux but remain consistent. Without a sense of consistency in the classroom, school life would lack the necessary feeling of safety and reliability young children need to focus, to take risks, and to t...
In many cases, it has become very complex to keep students interested in their education. So the teacher must be creative and find ways to keep pushing the student onward as well as upward. In order to devise the ultimate plan for educating students, a teacher must acknowledge that the “students” are what teaching is all about. The most important factor in the equation is unequivocally the STUDENT! All humans are different in some sort or fashion. But the fact still exists that we all have only this place to function in. So help by putting forth an effort to make it a better place for us all.
Over the course of observations, I learned that there is no one way to do anything in teaching. After a few weeks of observing, I was relieved because I thought that I could stop worrying so much about doing the “right” thing with the students. I saw a successful teacher doing, or neglecting to do things that went against what I had been taught. I incorrectly assumed that the choices the teacher made about how to organize the day, approach a lesson, or manage the classroom were mostly a matter of personal preference and that several approaches would produce equally desirable results.
...ng than in the content of their conclusion. Following these simple guidelines and objectives, I am able to plan engaging and stimulating lessons that not only motivate the students but are also meaningful to their personal and academic development.
In the process of completing this coursework, I have realised that every teacher should be all-rounded and equipped with adequate skills of educating others as well as self-learning. As a future educator, we need make sure that our knowledge is always up-to-date and applicable in the process of teaching and learning from time to time. With these skills, we will be able to improvise and improve the lesson and therefore boost the competency of pupils in the process of learning. In the process of planning a lesson, I have changed my perception on lesson planning from the student’s desk to the teacher’s desk. I have taken the responsibility as a teacher to plan a whole 60-minutes lesson with my group members. This coursework has given me an opportunity