Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself
– goes a Chinese proverb.
Is it possible to be an effective teacher in practicality without compromising on the standards of teaching? The answer is a resounding Yes!
As teachers, if we could base our teaching strategies around the standards and principles of teaching, we have hit the nail right on the head. Here are some of the things I learnt and would like to share for the benefit of ready-to-start teachers:
"Give me everything": There has to be a balance between time spent in actual teaching and the time required to be given in assimilating the taught matter. Talking of balance, it is also important that all aspects of a program be included in the time allotted to it. For example, a literacy program needs to include reading, writing, speaking and listening and work around modeling of these components by the teacher, guided work, shared work and finally, independent work.
"Tell me again": Students won’t remember if you don’t remind them. Tucking their chairs in, putting away their books in the right place, not to interrupt when two people are talking – these are some of the things that the students need to be told constantly.
"I see you": I was reading the book Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul the other day and was particularly struck by the following paragraph:
A mother once asked Gandhi to get her son to stop eating sugar. Gandhi told the child to come back in two weeks. Two weeks later the mother brought the child before Gandhi. Gandhi said to the boy, “Stop eating sugar.” Puzzled, the woman replied, “Thank you, but I must ask why you didn’t tell him that two weeks ago.” Gandhi replied, “Two weeks ago I was eating sugar.”
Teacher is the model that the students have. Modeling behaviour, modeling language, modeling activities and even modeling attitude – all this is the teacher’s work.
"We are different": Students have different needs. In a Math program, for instance, one might not even be able to count up properly while the other might be done with 25 sums of ‘subtraction by borrowing’. Manipulatives need to be handy for the former while peer tutoring opportunity should be available to the latter. The lesson taught has to be customized to benefit every single child in the classroom.
"Put us together": Mixed-ability groups have to be created so that students can teach and learn together. Not only does this provide wholesome learning experiences, but also helps in better classroom management.
"Best step forward": Opportunities have to be provided to all students to come forward by creating situations that enable all of them to participate individually or in groups. Students who perform better than others should be encouraged even more and those who are not able to really come up should be motivated. Extra time can also be devoted to them during the independent working time.
"Let's remember": Rules have to be created and applied firmly. The things that a particular classroom needs in specific can be implemented throught rules that are created by every memeber of the classroom community which should be put up in a visible place in the classroom. Review the rules as a whole group in a suitable frequency.
"Cast the spell": The magic of education lies not simply in curriculum teaching but in actual transformation. How you bring about that transformation is entirely a personal perspective. Every teacher can develop his or her own methods with the course of time which best suit his/her own personality and based on the specific classroom dynamics.
Remember, when you walk into the classroom, you mean the world to someone!
