| CREDO Nov. 23 |
| Role of Teacher Build Strong Connections and Trust with Students This is something the teacher must work very hard to do, as dicussed in the previous Credo. High school student are very sensitive, especially in the junior grades. Teachers tend to be focused too much on their own things, such as getting sheets handed out and getting through a lesson. A teacher must be thoughtful at all times in the classroom, taking care to interact with students in ways that make them feel valued. It should be mentioned that this applies to the difficult student, who seems only interested in destroying what the teacher attempts to create. Such a student does not want to be disliked or excluded, despite the way he/she acts. A good teacher will demonstrate respect for this student's motivations while encouraging the student not to act on them. That is to say, the teacher should be understanding about the humor or anger the student's behavior is rooted in, which is something necessary for gaining that student's respect, while moving them towards respecting the teacher's motivations. In most classrooms, there isn't time provided for connecting with students. This is not acceptable, just as finding out about students just at the start of the semester/year is insufficient. The teacher must actively form bonds with students and maintain them over time. This is especially true for students that feel like they have no place in school. It is very easy to miss these students and create yet another classroom they are alien to. The teacher who can do the above things will find that his or her job gets much easier. During class time, having a strong connection is crucial. A teacher may be trying to decide how exactly a lesson is to be presented, and if the connection is their he or she can just look out into the class and figure out where the students are. The lesson will unfold from there. Allow students to form their own connections with the subject matter Students must be given the chance to discover subject matter for themselves. A teacher will have a deep and close connection to the subject matter that is very useful, but few students will develop that exact connection. A good teacher will provide opportunities for these connections to be formed. Having students create their own presentations will allow them to internalize the subject matter. The goal of giving students the sense that they have control over the material will likely be reached if they must teach the material themselves. A key of this part of the teacher's approach is to allow students to have full control over the presentation. Students may come to the teacher for help but should otherwise be left to be in charge of every detail. Get students to figure things out Create fodder for their minds, such as problems to solve and explanations to critique. Students must learn to be critical of what they are presented with. They should also begin to rely on their own thinking to bring them to new solutions. How lessons should be created Decide on objectives - what you want students to get out of the lesson. Generate a list of modes of presentation suitable to the topic and sketch how each would work. Choose the approach suited to the class and develop it into a complete lesson. If there are repeats of the same lesson (in different blocks), it may be better to devise a general approach that assures emphasis on the parts of the material that will take the class towards achieveing the objectives. Then use this as a framework for each class: adapt the lesson on the fly. This doesn't mean that learning resources can't be created or obtained ahead of time. Anything that must be prepared ahead of time should be applicable to a range of classrooms. Key points for the student/beginning teacher Never lose sight of what you want to achieve as an educator. There is a tremendous amount to look after in the classroom. Because of this, a teacher will quickly become a machine, reducing his or her approach to the simplest level. It is necessary to constantly remind yourself of what you are in the classroom for. You're not there to keep things under control and hand out marks. Don't let the expectations of students formed in other classrooms deter you from what you think is best. Students enter you classroom with a broad experience with teachers and teaching styles. If your approach is new to them, they will often be taken aback, confused, apprehensive, and even resistant. A teacher must address these responses carefully, but should not think assume that his or her approach is unworkable. Students will learn a great deal just by learning to manage in an unfamiliar environment. Role of Assessment Questions that a teacher who evaluates must ask before creating an assessment are: What do I wish to encourage by giving good marks? What are the criteria? Who should set them? What should motivate students to get good marks? |