Teacher Development A-Z
Stages of Development
Stages of Development
Teachers’ Stages of Development
Stage 1: ‘In at the deep end’
• Primary concern: survival - main focus is planning
lessons and implementing the plan; coping with
unfamiliar school culture; adjusting to new roles;
• Potential benefits: looking at teaching with fresh
eyes; enthusiasm and energy; often being close to
the students in age
Huberman, 1989
Ken Robinson, 2009
Csíkszentmilhalyi, 1996
‘Near gifts’ and ‘true gifts’
?
Duane Elgin, 2009
Stages of Development
Teachers’ Stages of Development
Stage 2: ‘Two feet on the ground’
Primary concern: impact on students – making sure
teaching benefits everyone; focus on individual
differences and needs; improving the quality of teaching
Potential benefits: established classroom routines;
confidence not easily shaken; feels safe in the classroom
Presentation name Presenter Name and
Date
11
Stages of Development
Teachers’ Stages of Development
Stage 3: ‘Ready to tinker’
Primary concern: exploration – trying out different
activities, new approaches; ready for new challenge;
wanting to understand how things work inside the
classroom
Potential benefits: curiosity and open-mindedness
towards other classrooms and different ways of doing
things
Presentation name Presenter Name and
Date
14
Keen to understand classrooms
The key to understanding classroom:
Mastering the ‘inner workbench’
Mastering the ‘inner workbench’
Directing our attention to the
processes of learning
Example: Two types of dictation
• Traditional dictation
• Delayed dictation
a/ Listen, then write
b/ Read, then write
Traditional dictation
Listen and write!
Delayed dictation
Listen, then write
Read, then write
The problem with the rat race is …
even if you win ….
you’re still a ...
Recall!
Now write!
Time to reflect:
1. How were you engaged during the different types
of dictation?
2. When was it easier to fulfil the task, i.e. write the
correct sentence?
3. Which quotation left the strongest impression?
Why?
?
Presentation name Presenter Name and
Date
26
NLP: 3 Positions
Stages of Development
Teachers’ Stages of Development
Stage 4: Branching out
Primary concern: new roles – looking for professional
challenge beyond the classroom; e.g. becoming a mentor,
an examiner; getting involved in wider community
Potential benefits: able to build on teaching skills;
discovering new talents, career advancement
Presentation name Presenter Name and
Date
30
The Reflective Practitioner
good listener
keen observer
sees the big picture
self-aware
masters the inner workbench
open-minded
asks for and listens to student feedback
has a questioning stance
able to step back
self-critical
interested in wider educational issues
ready to tinker
Presentation name Presenter Name and
Date
keen to understand
classrooms
31
References
•
•
•
•
•
•
Csíkszentmihályi, M.(1996), Creativity: Flow and
the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, New
York: Harper Perennial
Elgin, D. (2009) The Living Universe, San Francisco:
Berrett Koehler
Huberman, M. A. (1989). The professional life
cycle of teachers. Teachers College Record, 91(1),
31-57.
Robinson, K. (2009) The Element: how finding
your passion changes everything. London:
Penguin Books.
Schön, D.A. (1987) Educating The Reflective
Practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Underhill. A. (2011) Using the “inner workbench”
to enrich teaching and learning. Workshop given
at the IATEFL Annual Conference, Brighton.
Quotations used
“People may forget what you said,
people may forget what you did, but
people will never forget how you
made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)
“If you want to lead someone out of
the woods, you have to go in and find
him first.” (Guy Claxton)
“The problem with the rat-race is
that even if you win, you’re still a
rat.“ (Lily Tomlin)
Thank you for your attention!