It was very satisfying to see that the vast majority of the students had taken the time to practice what we had considered the previous week, I was especially impressed to see a number of individuals from each class quickly understand the names of fellow students as I finger-spelled the names with increasing speed. Many people are keen to learn a few signs, but it is easy to ignore the receptive skills that are equally as important. Conversations should be two way!
Thankfully the attendees increased in number this week and were keen to move on with this week's plan and I was happy to see that the varied activities seemed to work - time line on the floor, whole class conversation building and colour vocabulary linked to images.
This was my first week that I had some minor behaviour management issues to address. Both were to do with the use of mobile phones... So what did I do? Well I tried two different low key approaches from the PEP list - Proximity; Eye contact and Pose a question.
Firstly, I used the question approach. Using the student's name I asked a question, not one to embarrass, but asked whether what was being discussed was something they had personally experienced?
Secondly, I hovered, using the proximity approach.
Both worked a treat and I had to say very little.
It did come to my attention that one class this week was a little more rowdy. After a conversation with the students it became clear in my mind exactly why... They had just had a two hour English lesson and had been asked to come immediately to my lesson... I think I would have been a bit fidgety too. We agreed to give the class a 10 minute break, I am keen to see how this works in the weeks to come.
Areas for improvement :
I was given my observation this week, my areas for improvement and personal comments can be seen on the forms.
Petty,G. (2009). The learner's practical and emotional needs. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 68.
As was true in the original late 60's TV show and the later movie spin off, the mission was never impossible, just tricky. It was always made easier by having specialists added to the team that could successfully meet the challenge. This was not possible unless Mr Phelps knew his teams and knew the mission. One without the other would certainly have ended in disaster. For a tutor, the concept is similar. We have Goals and indeed as referred to by Petty, Medals or commendation are invaluable, but what takes things forward for any student is the Mission - what is the next step?... A blanket, class wide mission will not help, but tailored missions to the individual are best. This is why the class discussions this week were key. ASSESSMENT in it's various forms will allow the tutor to know the specifics of each student under their care.
Summative - a final measure / test of the progress, usually in the form of a grade.
Formative - steps along the way that prepare the student for the final Summative asessment - such as a mock test.
Summative, what's the point? was what we discussed. The benefits to the student are minimal, all they are aware of is that on one specific day they met a minimum standard. For example, you can pass a driving test one day, does it make you a good driver though?
The only true beneficiaries are the future employers, university administrators and clients that can look and say... " Oh, they have achieved this standard." end of story.
Education should never be just about summative assessments.
Within this assessment world exists various forms of referencing:
Norm referencing - this is the approach education has often used. It measures a student against his fellow peers, using the Government standard that has been set, for example a C grade in English is the standard for acceptance into colleges.
Criterion referencing - Using specific, objective criteria within a program of education to measure the student against. It's flaw is in that once an element of the criteria is determined by the subjectivity of a tutor, it reverts back to a Norm referencing.
Student referencing - Using the student's present accomplishments as a bench mark to build upon.
Like most things in life, there is a right and a wrong way to go about assessing a student and giving feedback.
From the class discussion certain key elements became very evident.
Be Kind, Specific and Honest.
Make the effort to give out medals - remember though to be sincere. Note the benefits referred to by Geoff Petty.
Petty,G. (2009). Praise and Criticism . In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 71.
It's interesting that the Medals referred to in the above quote are not Grades or Marks, these are measurements. Rather medals, written or verbally given are specific pieces of information about what was exactly done well. Then by following the same template by being clear, specific, constructive and honest in the mission assignments will only aid learning.
Despite the obvious nerves from meeting three new groups of students, plus trying to implement my newly created six week mini course... It went really well, I enjoyed the experience immensely. Monday was a gentle introduction, particularly as only two students had remembered to attend. Despite that, the session was productive and I was heartened to see even the most inexperienced student pick up some new skills and try them out. Tuesday and Wednesday presented a different challenge, especially Tuesday where I was faced by a group of fifteen students. Learning all the names is going to tricky, but I believe that by making an effort to use the names repeatedly they'll stick in the old grey matter. From the comments the students made, it would appear that the first week was enjoyable and informative for them, I hope they continue to feel as enthused. Areas for improvement : On the Tuesday I had the opportunity to receive some feedback from Michelle. She expressed an appreciation for my class and felt it progressed well, at a good pace with the early stages of a tutor and student rapport developing. Michelle encouraged me to give more attention to the assessment element of the class - make the objectives more visible, and give more time to revisiting these at the end of the lesson. She felt that students having the opportunity to practice again the language that they are learning, would build greater self confidence and give them satisfaction from achieving something new.
It was in the school hall of Ordsall Hall Comprehensive school, 25 years ago, that I was last asked to use 2πr... That was until this evening. Rusty doesn't start to describe the grinding cog like mental processes that were going on in my head. This week was set aside as a workshop week, allowing students to spend some time discussing their portfolio's and recent feedback. For me, it was time to grasp the nettle, the bull by the horns... to man up and do my Maths and English skills tests.
I was pleasantly surprised by the results. Maths was not as good as my English, nothing new there then. But overall, good for a first foray, for quite some time, into the world of core subjects.
Areas for improvement :
Punctuation. I have always enjoyed the creative side of writing, yet not always the technical side. To this day I have never found a clear explanation of the rules behind punctuation. So while I understand some elements, others are more of an educated guess, based upon how it sounds and reads. I'll now have to search the net or pester an educated friend for clarity.
The lower readings on the Maths paper are a little confusing. I was finding that much of the test was "data handling" based. So due to my perceived bias in the test towards this area, I was expecting it to be listed as a weaker aspect needing attention, apparently I was wrong. So it would seem that the confidence I had in the other facets of the exercise was misplaced. I'm sure that familiarising myself with some of the Mathematical methods of my schooling past will improve the results.
It was a really useful week for me. I appreciate that for some of the more experienced members of the group recapping may be a little dull, but for the truly "green" one among the group it was not. Having a lively discussion over some of the key areas not only reinforced key principles, but actually drew some new ideas out too. So we gave consideration to the following.
Active learning strategies.
Learning outcomes.
Alignment of learning.
Behaviour management.
Active learning strategies
Petty,G. (2009). The learner's practical and emotional needs. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 58.
Simply put... Give the responsibility of learning to the student.
Using activities that engage will speed up this process. Seeing your self as a facilitator of learning rather than a commander and chief will bring it's own rewards - Increased self belief, gives evidence that you respect them, they work more independently becoming more resourceful. These attributes are critical when the student eventually finds themselves in the "big wide world", less of a dependent more of a self motivator. As was said in class, "we don't want a class of clones."
Of course, moving away from classes dominated by "teacher talk" and into the realm of fun and stimulating activities, is going to increase the work load initially. But I am a strong believer in the adage " you reap what you sow". taking the time in the early days to build a class of engaged, eager and focused students will surely eradicate many of the negatives and subsequent hard work that would come later from a group of disinterested students that believe they are useless or that the tutor is.
Learning outcomes and alignment of learning
Aims may point you in the right direction, but they don't tell you how to get there.
It keeps being referred to - SMART - especially the M. It is vital that all outcomes are MEASURABLE. I found it fascinating that the need for specifically tailored outcomes and then knowing these well, was the first stage in the alignment of learning that results in the students taking ownership of the learning - see previous section. It's very satisfying to see the pieces fall into place and actually understand the relevance of it all.
So what was this rock of shame? Well, Gareth told us of a colleague that made people when they arrived late hold a squat position with this rock in their hands - with the words " rock of shame" emblazoned across it.
It made some laugh, others gasp, is that really the way we work these days? Well, Richard then stirred up the fires of debate further by telling us of a college that has had glowing OFSTED reports, partly down to initiating a scheme that makes latecomers queue up with a "late card". Initially the queues went around the college, now the numbers have significantly dropped.
Great! I thought... It works well, but how is it any different to the rock of shame? The conclusion we collectively came to was that it isn't really any different. Sometimes feeling inconvenienced or a little shamed can work in bringing some students back into line.
"Less is More", is a turn of phrase I have often come across and not one I have often felt inclined to agree with, who wants a slither of Gateau when a slab of it is on offer. It has often irked me when parents speak of "quality not quantity" when it comes to spending time with their children... No, it should be a Quantity of Quality. This lesson with Richard, on the subject of Communication and learning, has at last given me a satisfactory setting for such a statement, less can be more. TEACHING doesn't equal LEARNING, although they are of course associated. A chord was struck by the statement made by Richard, "learning comes from the moments of quiet, when a student can assimilate the information...". I whole heartedly agree, It has been my experience that the most efficient way to take on-board information has been in small, regular amounts with time to ponder over it. Long gone, it would seem, are the days of long arduous lectures from a monotone tutor, throwing information out in the vain hope that something would stick. Rather, lessons should be engaging and active, it returns us to the need for well planned lessons- SMART week 4 " Nuts and Bolts". What about during the class? Say LESS and achieve MORE. A vital method in stimulating and aiding further leaning is achieved by questions. Whether these are Open, Closed or Nominated, will depend upon the class and the subject matter. Sadly the art of skilfully asking questions is an art often neglected by educators, perhaps because they feel more comfortable in " Teacher talk mode" as they know where they are going and there is less likely to be a spanner thrown into the works.
Questions can add so much to the learning experience for the students and Tutor. " Knowing only involves remembering - understanding requires that students "own" the reasoning." -Petty,G. (2009). Questioning. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 192. Questions allow for a greater quality of learning, giving students transferable learning. This means that rather than just being given rigid facts, a student is encouraged to reason on the facts and principles behind them, they can then transfer the principle ideas to other situations. ( example - Petty,G. (2009). Questioning. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 190-191. ) Questioning has other valuable benefits too. Feedback is enhanced as the Tutor is quickly able to give feedback and receive feedback, as the students responses can tell him so much about the direction the class is taking. When a student makes a response to a question it contributes to the building up of their self confidence - content students can only be a good thing! During a class exercise we gauged the value of the different Question strategies - material from Petty,G. (2009). Questioning. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 197-199.
Next came the Origami frog... Why? Well communication isn't just about questions.
In pairs one of us described verbally the process to create our own piece of paper art, the "hands on" student was not allowed any hands on assistance or was permitted to see the diagrams. It was hard, not because my tutor was unclear, but this circle of communication kept being broken. With such a practical exercise, it really lent itself to a video clip or clear diagrams not just verbal instructions. Added to this, the numerous other voices of the other teachers made focusing on what my teacher was saying very difficult.
In essence, if as a teacher of the future, I am thinking of dropping routinely into " Teacher Talk Mode" and expect the lines of communication to remain... Think again. Mix up the techniques, utilise the varied resources, allow students to be active participants and listen...
It was the first time I had met Dan Hodge, he was certainly a man passionate about his field and while I feel as though I am quite up to date with all things technical, he introduced me to a few new approaches and concepts - Thanks.
This image made the biggest impression upon me and also sums up why education has no option but to move with the technological bandwagon. This generation now have mobile devices as extensions to themselves, they may as well be welded to their hands. This image isn't even of a concert, but rather what many would consider as a sombre, religious occasion... Still, out come the devices to record the event. Unlike times past when photographs may have been taken, stuck into an album and inflicted upon dinner guests... almost instantly, pictures, video and sound, along with personal comments and reflections are being recorded and circulated worldwide, not just for friends, but as in the case of me - a stranger to all those in attendance - here I am musing over an image and continuing the discussion in my own little way here on my blog. This is the technologically accelerating world we are in... Tutors too. "Digital natives" was a term used - in essence, all those born during or just after the general introduction of digital technologies and through interaction with these devices from an early age, have an understanding of it's concepts. The impact that this is having and will continue to have on the education fraternity, was commented upon by the educator Louis Fourie, He made comments that spoke of the classroom as no longer being an insular environment, but rather as having " walls that are porous". We are all becoming connected to our communities and a wealth of knowledge in the world. A lecturer's role is changing from a dispenser of information to a facilitator of learning. As you can imagine, the numerous applications out there can create a problem in itself. Attention must be paid to make sure that a persons most precious commodity - time - isn't frittered away on less important things. Care must also be taken so that personal information remains so, and a moment of carelessness doesn't result in painful repercussions. When care is take, it is very clear to see the benefits to students and teachers alike. For example:
For any with learning difficulties, using a variety of applications could assist them to overcome their personal barrier to learning - video, voice recognition software, mind mapping apps could circumnavigate some difficulties.
using blogs to regularly submit work can allow a tutor to monitor and offer feedback more routinely.
Less reliance on paper and printing, a real potential to reduce costs.
Possibly easier for some students training in more practical subjects to more accurately report upon their work using video, rather than trying to translate an exercise into a written essay.
While I love my technology and I am quite happy to hang out with the natives. I sincerely believe that technology should be embraced as a compliment to the more traditional academic skills and not mark their total demise.
It's interesting that this lesson fell on the same week we were informed, by the news media, that the UK had fallen further down the World league tables in the core subjects. It didn't surprise me when Zaeed took some time to fill us in on the shift in focus within Further Education.
English and Maths are critical
I'm sure most of us already knew that. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to convince those students that switched off at school that now is the time to switch back on. I don't believe it ends there though... I know from my own daughter's experience, at times Maths and Science seems to be taught strategically. As long as they retain information on certain carefully selected high scoring elements and then get it down in an assessment, some ( not all ) teachers see it as job done! Not really job done, when the same students struggle to translate and apply the complex exercises into everyday scenarios that call for an understanding of one of the core skills. I felt it was refreshing to hear that a shift in focus was on the way... Emphasis is to be placed on understanding the subject rather than the passing of an exam. It's a collective effort, as it's not to be left just to the core subject tutors. All tutors have an obligation to weave Maths and English into whatever subject they teach.
Thankfully it isn't and it never has been... Sadly, the idea of discipline has been distorted by so many, to convey the idea of punishment for crimes committed... Even back in ancient Greece, the original root meaning of the Greek word "Discipline" ( noun pai·dei´a and the verb pai·deu´o ) was to convey all that was needed in raising a child ( pais ) - namely instruction, education, correction, chastisement.
Whether as a parent or a teacher, to effectively fulfil the role, a person can never be an " angry man". In fact it is very evident that the greater success can be attained through an effective relationship with your child or student - nurturing them.
This week, the course was again highlighting the broad role of being a tutor, in essence we are responsible for pretty much everything to aid the learning environment through behaviour management. Many years ago, an old friend of mine once said, "...When you point the finger at someone else, just pause for a moment and remember how many fingers are pointing back at you..." That memory sprung back to my mind when the class was encouraged to do some self examination if we find our classes are falling apart.
Behaviour management
Petty,G. (2009). Discipline and problem solving. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 127.
While reading, I came upon this mindmap, which I felt summed up this section nicely. It conveys the true meaning of discipline, as a culmination of numerous methods in engineering the best teaching environment.
During class, we collectively produced a list of aspects that a tutor would need to keep in mind and act upon.
Much of the advice was again reminding us that a good class environment comes from sound, conscientious groundwork, this is echoed by many educators, for example Geoff Petty and Bill Rogers.
Petty,G. (2009). Classroom Management. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 103
Still, even with the best preparation, situations will crop up... This doesn't mean that you now have legitimate cause to do an impersonation of the incredible Hulk. An outward demonstration of frustration is an escalation too far... It's easy to say " you won't like me when I'm angry", but the likelihood is that students will choose just not to like you, full stop. Creating a situation that you can't win but equally can't loose isn't conducive to a harmonious classroom environment, friction will likely remain and hinder any future classes.
What about during the class?
We were introduced to Bill Rogers, an education consultant with a background in teaching. He is certainly well informed and experienced, His TOP TEN TIPS demonstrate this. Further to this worksheet, we were shown two of his educational videos - " Getting a class settled" & " When a student says NO"
An invaluable resource... watching these clips helped to reinforce much of what followed. In fact watching them again as I wrote this blog, I was able to identify the application of numerous techniques.
ABC
Antecedent - Trigger
Behaviour - plan to address any particular behaviour
Consequences - what is student planning to get from a particular behaviour?
We are back to planning with this acronym... Is there something that triggers a problem? It could be as simple as if I talk to much the students switch off, or noise levels rising when students are asked to setup equipment. Identify and avoid when possible. When it says consequences, we aren't necessarily talking about a stint in detention, rather ask yourself... "What do they get from this behaviour?" If we can remove the benefit to the student, the behaviour is likely to alter.
PEP
Proximity - moving into the space of a student.
Eye contact - Before, during and after instructions.
Pose questions - put student on the spot, although usually best done quietly and privately.
Petty,G. (2009). Classroom Management. In: Teaching Today a practical guide. 4th ed. Cheltnam: Nelson Thornes Ltd. 99
In the early days of teaching a new class, body language - non verbal - forms of demonstrating authority are invaluable. Look confident! This " Formal" approach sets the bench mark. The PEP approach will allow any tutor to convey instructions and gain the attention of the students without raising their voice.
This will hopefully progress towards a more " Personality " based rapport, where the power a teacher has will come from the desire a student will have to please the teacher and succeed. This will never happen by accident and should never be forced. From personal experience, the teachers that I had the greatest respect for, were those that knew their subject, taught well, demonstrated fairness and showed me respect... NOT the one that tried to be my best mate!
More positively, The simple acts of using a person's name and giving sincere praise at every opportunity can do so much for the classroom atmosphere, this following report presents some very compelling evidence...
When I asked about this subject the previous week, it's no surprise that I was asked to wait... It's an epic subject. I imagine that implementing much of what was discussed will take time and will come with application and experience.
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