What It Means to Be a Teacher

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What It Means to Be a Teacher

• Maureen M. Meade, M.A.
• California State University , Bakersfield
• EDEL 411 Into to Multiple Subjects
• Fall, 2002

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What makes a good teacher ?

• Brainstorm in your learning circle your groupss
  ideas .
• Write them down on poster paper using markers.
• Share with the whole class
• Place your poster up on the south wall of the
  classroom for display ?

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What Makes a Good teacher?

• Learning what to teach
• Learning how to teach
• Acquire knowledge about
• Students
• Educational settings
• The teacher profession and the foundations of
  education
• Collaborate with the parents and the community
• Reflect on your teaching practices
• Practice good decision making
• Engage in problem solving ---Be proactive
• Engage in research activities
• Use self-knowledge , in which you will reflect
  on, test, and improve teaching practices

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What are effective teachers?

• In your learning circle , brainstorm what
  effective teachers do .
• Write out your groups ideas on a large poster
  paper. (10 minutes)
• Share with another group your groups ideas (5
  minutes)
• The other group will share your groups ideas
  with the whole class.
• Six Group presentations ( 10 minutes)
• (Six groups created out of 60 students in the
  class).

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Effective Teachers

• Accept responsibility for teaching students
• Allocate most of the their time to instruction
• Organize their classrooms for effective
  instruction
• Move through the curriculum as quickly as
  possible without frustrating students
• Actively instruct and pace instruction
• Maintain a positive and peasant learning
  environment
• Focus on the students needs and interest
  relative to your students
• Provide opportunities for practice and group work
  (scaffolding )
• Provide opportunities for feedback on
  performance.

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What Does A Teacher Do ?

• Teachers perform many roles and functions as they
  develop knowledge and skills which enable them to
  perform well as an elementary teacher

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What do Teachers Need?

• Knowledge and Skills subject matter, how to
  teach (approaches strategies) knowledge of the
  growth development of children and youth ,
  knowledge of lesson planning and assessment.
• Together , these form a knowledge base ?

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Metaphors for Teaching

• Learner ( lifelong)
• Facilitator
• Coach
• Decision maker
• Leader
• Reflective practitioner
• Researcher

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Teaching paperclip chain

• What does each color represent for you ?
• Review the SIX Educational Philosophies in
  Chapter 10 and decide on a different color bead
  to represent each one of the six different
  philosophies.
• Construct your own personal bead chain in class
• Use a reminder to reflect upon and develop you
  own personal philosophy of education.
• Philosophy of Education paper is due on WEEK 5.

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Building a Learning Environment

• A positive learning environment is reflected into
  a classroom climate or atmosphere
• Positive Factors include
• Safe physical environment
• Effective use of classroom time
• Cooperative relationships among students and
  between students teacher
• A nurturing political environment (justice for
  all)
• Creative use of economic resources
• Respect for and interest in differences in
  cultural heritages lifestyles

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Planning Learning Activites

• Teachers must think about
• Goals
• 2) objectives
• Outcomes
• Teachers must make decisions about them before,
  during, and after providing instruction.
• It is through this process that you will develop
• Insight, knowledge, and skills and integrate what
  you have learned into a theory of teaching and a
  system frp applying theory to classroom practice.
• You will most likely experience many AH
  HAS!!! And lots of trials and errors during
• Phase II (half day student teaching and
• Phase III (full day ) of the MS Program.

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Why have you choose to serve as an elementary
classroom teacher?

• With your group members , share your individual
  responses.
• ( 5 Minutes)
• Whole-class sharing

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Why Do People Choose to Teach ?

• Intrinsic Rewards - Internal feelings of Joy and
  Satisfaction
• Extrinsic Rewards-Teaching Lifestyle, the school
  calendar
• Community respect, job security ( tenure)

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How is Teaching Changing?

• Patterns of Educational Reform cyclical process
  (every 10 years or so) focus on State standards
• Teaching in Restructured Schools changes in
  response to reform movements (i.e. Middle School
  Concept)
• Teaching in Diverse Schools
• www.kcnc.org
• Using a variety of Teaching Methods and Materials
• Using Instructional Technologies
• Working with colleagues, Families, and
  Communities
• Teaching in inclusive classrooms- all Ss served

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Branches of Philosophy relating to EDUCATION

• Philosphy is a love of wisdom the pursuit of
  knowledge
• ( Morrison, 2000)
• Philosophy has 3 main branches
• 1) Metaphics What is Real ?
• Cosmology (nature the origin of the universe
• Ontology ( the nature of existence being )
• 2) Epistomology- How do we Know ? (The sources
  of knowledge learning )
• Axiology- What is right ? Examines questions
  about human conduct ( ethics ) beauty
  ((aesthetics )

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The Impact of Cultural on Philosophical Questions

• Our cultural background helps to determine our
  knowledge and our behavior/cultural beliefs ,
  which has many implications for how you and
  others teach .
• Individuals who have experienced living with many
  cultural groups and individuals have broadened
  their horizons and levels of awareness.

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What are the Basic Philosophies on which
Educational Philosophies are Based ?

• Idealism Ultimate reality is the world of
  ideas. (basic truths are absolute and unchanging
  )
• Realism Knowledge is gained via empirical data
  that leads to ideas.
• Pragmatism - emphasizes practical knowledge as a
  way of knowing (discovering truth on our own
  time table)
• Humanism Emphasizes the humanness of existence
  and promotes a natural approach
• Existentialism - emphasizes responsibility and
  choice as the basis fro defining individuality

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SIX Major Philosophies of Education

• 1)Perennialism See truth as eternal and
  unchanging (ie Classics common core curricular
  areas)
• 2)Essentialism There is a common body of
  knowledge all students need to know in order to
  function effectively in society ( 3 Rs )
• 3)Progressivism Students are the center of
  learninginterest experiences are fundamental
• 4)Social Reconstructionism Schools are KEY
  factors in reconstructing society building a
  better world.

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Additional philosophies

• Humanism (a basic philosophy)
• Existentialism ( a basic philosophy )

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Build a Philosophy of Education Tree

• Students are engaged in the construction a
  Philosophy of Education tree in order to
• Construct to form an understanding of the
  roots of Educational Philosophies including the
  
• six major branches and
• five basic roots and
• While acquire meaning of each as well as
  distinguish the differences of each separate
  philosophy.

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Student Supplies needed

• Large sheet of manilla paper
• Construction paper
• Markers
• Glue
• Scissors

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Share your tree with group members.

• Discuss the value of a learning circle
• (4-6 students)
• Scaffolding
• Student work displayed.
• Construction of a project/assignment
• PLAY ?
• Visuals constructed by student VS. teacher

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Class assignment due next week