Appendix 2: Preparing Oneself to Positively Experience a
First Teaching Practice
Introduction
Preparing oneself to experience a first teaching practice (TP), is a challenging prospect for many
student teachers; and for some other students possibly daunting. However, armed with
knowledge and tips about what to expect in school and in classroom environments that
necessitate working alongside head teachers, teachers, support educational staff and parents for
pupil achievement and pupil education is likely to lessen stress during your first TP. The
knowledge that student teachers require during their first TP experience is likely to range from
the depths of pragmatism to the heights of instruction and pedagogy. Somewhere between these
pragmatic and educational concerns the stark realism of student teacher assessment also sets in,
in the personal and professional psyche of the fledgling student teacher. The picture that this
presents is one of cognitive, social and affective complexity. Therefore, the student teacher must
learn how to grapple and deal with the varied teaching for learning processes that occur within
the broader organisation of schooling and instruction across a variety of subjects.
Common concerns about broader student teacher issues Many student teachers approach and experience their first teaching practice driven by their enthusiasm to
train as teachers and with the intention of learning, to the best of their ability, how to attend to the
educational and learning requirements of pupils. Given that most student teachers approach their first
experience of TP with a serious attitude, most students are also likely to exhibit some concern about how
to:
•
integrate as a student teacher within the broader classroom and school environment
•
establish and sustain a positive relationship with my host teacher, the head teacher, other members
of staff
•
deal with the ‘grind’ that daily school and classroom routines might pose after some time
The above are merely three of the many ‘how do I learn…?’ questions that student teachers ask
themselves some time prior to their first experience of classroom observation and increasingly more so as
TP approaches. In response, to the first above mentioned question the student as a learner of educational
approaches must learn how to choose and practice learning strategies that will allow them to make
positive choices with regards to the social skills and strategies that they must adopt and hone within the
broader community of a school. For example student teachers must learn to:
•
gauge the culture, climate and ethos in a school and observe relations amongst head teacher,
teachers, other staff and parents and adapt one’s personal and professional manners accordingly.
•
take initiative, voice their needs and concerns in an assertive yet positive and courteous manner and
to adopt an attitude that appreciates critical feedback that may be offered by more experienced
professionals from time to time.
•
familiarize oneself with formal routines such as: time for assembly, time for pupils to play, time for
pupils to eat lunch, etc. Also, to sensitize oneself about unspoken rules within schools such as:
how pupils address teachers, the type of attire that professional staff generally wear.
•
appreciate that teaching is a professional occupation that demands a substantial amount of drive
and dedication of an individual. Therefore, students must learn how to look after themselves in
order to be in a good position to care and support their own cognitive, social and affective needs as
beginning student teachers and in turn support the cognitive, social and affective needs of the
pupils that student teachers will come into contact with during TP.
Common concerns about educational issues pertinent to the student teacher as learner
Having established that the majority of student teachers are dedicated learners, it is useful to keep in mind
that student teachers are university students who are required to adhere to the rules and regulations that
govern teaching practice. Ultimately, student teachers must demonstrate to an examiner that:
•
planning and preparation of material within the ‘teaching practice file’ is of sufficient quality to be
useful as a ‘teaching resource’ throughout their TP and during lessons for delivery.
•
To develop appropriate attitudes, behaviours and values required of individuals who are beginning
to teach pupils and that they are willing to understand and implement recommendations for
development made by examiners in a speedy and thoughtful manner.
•
lesson delivery is sufficiently developed for the competence level that is required of them.
•
observations about specific pupils and their reflections about their own practice are sufficiently
developed for the competence level that is required of them.
Common concerns about educational issues pertinent to the student teacher as beginning
teacher
Besides the intention and the dedication to train as a teacher, student teachers must ultimately acquire the
instructional strategies affiliated with a broader pedagogy that reflects their qualitatively diverse approach
to teaching and which ultimately impacts upon the attainment and the progress outcomes of pupils
associated with them in a manner that is positive to pupil achievement and hence conducive to their own
effectiveness as teachers practising within classrooms nested in schools. Even though this might appear
daunting as a task, ideally student teachers should take it upon themselves to become aware by means of
reading literature of the behaviours that have been associated with effective teaching.
Aims and objectives
By the end of this tutorial you should:
•
•
•
exhibit self-awareness as to identifying your concerns about your forthcoming TP and devise
positive strategies that help you to cope and to deal with your broader and more specific issues
arising out of these concerns.
be clear as to what is required of yourself by your examiner/s as a student during your first
experience of TP.
familiarise yourself and start to practise the implementation of instructional behaviours associated
with the effective practice of teaching.
Dealing with common concerns about broader student teacher issues There are various ways that student teachers are likely to deal with common concerns. An appropriate
strategy is to: (1) highlight the concern, (2) devise a strategy to deal with the concern and (3) evaluate the
outcome (positive, negative or neutral) arising from the application of the devised strategy to deal with
the concern. For example, in some schools the environment feels warm and welcoming to pupils, staff
(inclusive of student teachers and other staff) and/or parents. In this case, school level and possibly
classroom level structures and systems are in place to support the various stakeholders. However, how is
the student going to behave if s/he does not feel welcome within the school and/or classroom
environment? Is this due to reasons resident within the student teacher, the host teacher or other teacher
colleagues, the head teacher, parents of pupils in schools? How should student teacher attribute reasons to
deal with areas of concern?
Task 1 – Identifying your areas of personal and professional concern
1.
2.
List five to ten issues that are personal to you which are likely to influence the manner in which
you approach your first experience of teaching practice. For example: ‘I am an anxious person in
situations where I feel or I am being examined’, ‘I enjoy teaching but I find it stressful to be
constantly under observation by others including pupils and/or adults’, or ‘I would like to attend
school very smartly dressed to project a professional image however dress culture within the school
is smart casual as reflected by the attire of the majority of staff.’
List five to ten issues that lie within your professional sphere of concern which are also likely to
influence the manner in which you approach your first experience of teaching practice. For
example: ‘I feel overwhelmed by the amount of planning that is required of me and feel that I will
not be able to cope with the planning and preparation of schemes of work, lesson plans, teaching
resources, child profiles and self-evaluations’ or ‘I feel that I will not be able to deliver lessons
because I do not feel well-versed in classroom management.’
Task 2 – Strategising for a positive solution to your concerns
After having identified concerns within your personal/professional sphere as a student teacher it is useful
to devise a strategy to help you deal with your concerns. For example: ‘I am an anxious person in
situations where I feel or I am being examined.’ Some student teachers find it unsettling if they are facing
the examiner directly. Some other student teachers might find it unsettling if they are not facing the
examiner. Many student teachers describe how they find it comforting to attend school well-prepared
with particular regard to schemes of work, lesson planning and production of resources. Whatever the
strategy or strategies that you choose to deal with your concerns, it is essential that after you identify an
area/s of concern you also identify what triggers off reactions associated with your areas of concern.
Only then will you be in a position to refine your strategies which will help you to cope and deal
positively with your concerns. The best way to monitor the quality of your strategy is via your emotions.
How do you feel after implementing your strategy? Do you feel positive, negative or
indifferent/ambivalent about your implemented strategy? Why? What further strategy/strategies should
you adopt and implement if you feel positive? What strategy/strategies should you adopt and implement if
you feel negative? What strategy/strategies should you adopt and implement if you feel indifferent and/or
ambivalent?
For example your concern is that you: ‘feel that I will not be able to cope with the planning and
preparation of schemes of work, lesson plans, child profiles and self-evaluations.’ Your strategy is to
organise yourself in ways that allow you: (1) start as early as possible since you expect that your first
stint at planning and preparation could take some time to think, write and organize appropriately in the
teaching practice file, (2) base your planning and preparation on the advice offered by your tutor, your
class teacher and work of fellow student teachers and (3) you keep wording simple and clear and focus on
organizing your planning and preparation around the objectives for learning and the objectives for
teaching. However, sometimes even after having devised appropriate strategies the student might not feel
so positive. First, it is useful to give yourself some time to try out your chosen strategies. If after a
couple of sessions you still feel that your strategies are not as positive in outcome then it is time to go
back to the drawing board to see what factor you might change to alter the outcome of your strategy. For
example: you have allowed yourself four hours per day to plan four to lessons. However, in so doing you
discover that because of this you are going to bed late at night which is making you feel irritable and not
being able to face the school day. What could you change so that you do not sleep late and therefore feel
less tired at school?
Dealing with common concerns about educational issues pertinent to the student teacher as
learner and initial teacher
Student teachers are also likely to hold an array of concerns about educational issues that
concern them from a student perspective as well as from an initial teacher perspective. It is
important that the student teacher is aware that these two sets of concerns require diverse coping
strategies. Though students might feel overwhelmed by their concerns it is important that they
learn how to prioritise concerns so that they focus on issues that are truly fundamental and
critical for their progression as student teachers. As students who are learning the act of teaching
during their first-ever TP students must then become familiar with the criteria for assessment that
they will be examined on.
Task 3 – Achieving Familiarity with TP Assessment Criteria
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The TP report book in which your tutor who also wears the hat of examiner is to provide you with
feedback is organised in two broad sections. The first of these sections is comprised by a checklist.
The second of these sections is comprised by space for examiner comments. Why do you think
that it is useful to be provided with general and more specific comments?
In the first section what are the main categories that head the checklist?
Which of the above listed categories refer more to the professional, the pedagogical and to the
instructional?
Each category comprising the checklist is in turn comprised of a variety of statements that are
intended to describe student performance during the lesson observed. Please read carefully each of
these statements. Make a list of those statements of which you are unclear as to their meaning.
Ask about or research appropriately the meaning of each. Seek to establish a common
understanding with your tutor the assessment criteria.
Schemes of work, lesson plans, school/class and child profiles and reflections about one’s practice
and self-evaluation are key aspects of T.P. Which of these areas of planning and preparation are
you more confident about? Which areas of planning and preparation are you less confident about?
Do you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of planning and preparation? If yes, ask ‘why’ and seek a
solution promptly.
Task 4 – Learning to deal with ‘teaching myths’
Just as with any other real-life situation, teaching also has its myths. It is important that
the initial teacher acquires the skills to be able to separate the chaff from the wheat with
regard to the advice that will most certainly be proffered by a variety of well-meaning
practitioners; including than tutors and/or mentors. It is useful for the student to be in
receipt of any good advice. However, it is also important for the student to develop a
critical and questioning attitude when offered advice. The following list of common
educational myths coupled with questions that facilitate their approach should help
students to navigate successfully through them
Myth 1 -­ Don’t smile ‘till Christmas •
Do you think that first impressions are important?
•
Do you wish to build a positive rapport with your pupils?
•
Do you think that your body language and facial expressions are important in establishing a
positive and warm classroom climate?
•
Do you think that pupils will take to you more if you smile?
•
Do you think that you will be able to communicate better with pupils if you smile?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to most of the above then you have a set of good reasons to de-bunk this first
myth.
Myth 2 -­ Good teachers are born, not made •
Do you think that only a select number of individuals have natural teaching ability?
•
Do you think that teaching is an art form?
•
Do you think that teaching is a science?
•
Do you think that the majority of individuals may be taught something as long as they are
interested in what they are doing and are motivated to succeed by working hard and investing
effort?
•
Do you think that this myth was invented by individuals who lacked self-confidence or who were
not willing to work systematically towards achieving their goal?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to most of the above then you have another set of good reasons to de-bunk the
second myth.
Myth 3 -­ Teachers should know the answers •
Do you think that teachers know everything about the subjects that they teach?
•
Do you think that you should ignore pupils who ask you a question that you cannot answer?
•
Do you think it wrong or shameful to admit to pupils that you do not know an answer?
•
Do you think it wrong to admit to pupils that you do not know an answer?
•
Do you think it wrong to ask pupils to wait until the next day for an answer so that you have the
time to conduct some research and brush-up your knowledge?
If you have answered ‘no’ to most of the above then you have another set of good reasons to de-bunk the
third myth.
Myth 4 -­ The only way to find out what your pupils really know is by testing them •
Do you think that tests are important?
•
Do you think that teaching is more important than testing?
•
Do you think that summative or test-type of assessment should be administered sparingly (for
example once or twice per year)?
•
Do you think that formative and ongoing assessment should be an important and ongoing aspect of
teaching (for example once a month)?
•
Do you think that teachers learn about their pupils from observation of them; even during less
formal instances such as during delivery of lessons?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to most of the above then you have another set of good reasons to de-bunk the
fourth myth.
Myth 5 -­ All lessons should be fun •
Do you think that it is more important for lessons to be engaging rather than fun?
•
Do children learn more when they are being mentally challenged rather than when being
entertained?
•
Do you think that engaging means interesting with a motivation for pupils to succeed, finish the set
activity and/or task and to encourage pupils to find out more.
•
Is it more important to be academically relevant with examples rooted in real-life contexts than to
keep children happy?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to most of the above then you have a set of good reasons to de-bunk this fifth
myth.
How would you re-phrase each of these myths so that they reflect facts? For example, the first myth
might be re-phrased as: ‘A smile a day keeps pupil blues at bay.’ What other myths are you aware of?
Why do you think that your list of myths qualify as such?
Task 5 – Familiarising oneself with instructional behaviours of teachers associated
with effective classroom environments
Initial teachers need to focus on developing self-awareness that some teacher behaviours
are more likely to be effective than others for pupil achievement. It is important for the
student to note that choosing and adopting certain instructional behaviours over others do
not guarantee their increased effectiveness as teachers. However, when teachers
implement instructional behaviours known to support pupil progress this is conducive to
establishing an instructional and teaching climate that positively conditions effectiveness.
The following is a partial copy of Part B of a reliable and valid classroom observation
instrument called MECORS (Mujis & Reynolds, 2000). This instrument was
successfully used to rate the instructional behaviours observed of primary school teachers
in the UK during lessons of mathematics. The version that is provided hereunder has
been adapted slightly by Said (2006) for the local primary education context with regard
to mathematical instruction. During classroom observation, trained researchers rate the
instructional behaviours observed of teachers on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1
to 5. In this case, students are required to agree with, express uncertainty or disagree
with the 57 behaviours listed hereunder; organised under eight instructional categories.
The objective of the following exercise is to engage the initial teacher in a personal
conversation about the utility and ease of adopting behaviours known to be positively
associated with pupils’ mathematical progress.
Excerpt from the Mathematics Enhancement Classroom Observation Record from Mujis &
Reynolds, (2000) and as adapted slightly by Said (2006)
Classroom Management Techniques. Teacher…
1
sees that rules and consequences are clearly understood
2
starts lesson on time (within 5 minutes)
uses time during class transitions effectively
4
takes care that tasks/materials are collected/distributed effectively
5
3
sees that disruptions are limited
Classroom Behaviour
6
uses a reward system to manage pupil behaviour
7
corrects behaviour immediately
8
corrects behaviour accurately
9
corrects behaviour constructively
10
monitors the entire classroom
Focus Attention on Lesson
11
states the objectives/purposes of the lesson
12
checks for prior knowledge
13
presents material accurately
14
presents material clearly
15
gives detailed directions and explanation
16
emphasises key points of the lesson
17
has an academic focus
18
uses a brisk pace
Review and Practice
19
explains tasks clearly
20
offers assistance to pupils
21
checks for understanding
22
summarises the lesson
23
reteaches if error rate is high
24
is approachable for pupils with problems
25
uses a high frequency of questions
26
asks academic mathematical questions
27
asks open-ended questions
Skills in Questioning.
28
Probes further when responses are incorrect
29
Elaborates on answers
30
Asks pupils to explain how they reached their solution
31
Asks pupils for more than one solution
Agree
Disagree
Not Sure
32
Uses appropriate wait-time between questions/responses
Teacher…
33
Notes pupils' mistakes
34
Guides pupils through errors
35
Clears up misconceptions
36
Gives immediate mathematical feedback
37
Gives accurate mathematical feedback
38
Gives positive academic feedback
Agree
Disagree
Not Sure
Enhancement Strategies
39
Employs realistic problems/ examples
40
Encourages/teaches the pupils to use a variety of problem-solving
41
Uses correct mathematical language
42
Encourages pupils to use correct mathematical language
43
Allows pupils to use their own problem-solving strategies
44
Implements quick-fire mental questions strategy
45
Connects new material to previously learnt material
46
Connects new material/ previously learnt material to other areas of
mathematics
Variety of Teaching Methods
47
Uses a variety of explanations that differ in complexity
48
Uses a variety of instructional methods
49
Uses manipulative materials/resources
Positive Classroom Climate
50
Communicates high expectations for pupils
51
Exhibits personal enthusiasm
52
Displays a positive tone
53
Encourages interaction/communication
54
Conveys genuine concern for pupils
55
Knows and uses pupils' names
56
Displays pupils' work in the classroom
57
Prepares an inviting/cheering classroom
Issues for further consideration and discussion
•
For Task 5. Which behaviours have you marked as ‘not sure’. Why? Provide
written reasons. Then, consider with your student teacher colleagues.
•
For Task 4. What other myths did your student teacher colleagues identify? What
were their justifications? Are you in agreement with your fellows? Why?
•
For Tasks 3, 2 and 1. Are you coping or do you feel that you are able to cope with
the planning and preparation demands of your forthcoming TP? Why do you think
that you are experiencing this? What are your fellows experiencing? Are strategies
adopted by yourself and your fellow student similar or dissimilar? Are issues
identified by yourself and your fellow student similar or dissimilar?
References
Muijs, D., & Reynolds, D. (2000). School effectiveness and teacher effectiveness in Mathematics: Some
preliminary findings from the evaluation of the Mathematics Enhancement Programme (Primary).
School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 11(3), 273-303.
Said, L. (2006). Influences on pupils' mathematical outcome: a description of challenges. Educate, 6(2),
42-60.