Becoming a Teacher - Week 13 Tutorial Notes

Key Questions and Initial Assumptions

• Why become a teacher? Initial motivations are often rooted in past experiences as students, shaped by parents, peers, and personal 'theories of teaching'. These theories, while valuable, are often incomplete and based on limited perspectives.
• Personal Theory of Teaching: Shaped by beliefs about teaching, influenced by experiences.
• Reflection: Have your reasons for teaching evolved this semester? What beliefs have changed?

Adapting to New Information

• Over the semester, various aspects of teaching have been introduced to broaden understanding.
• Assimilation: Absorb and modify beliefs about teaching.
• Filtering: Accept new information that aligns with existing beliefs.
• Blocking: Disregard information that contradicts existing beliefs.
• Important Note: Critically evaluate information; your beliefs will evolve, especially during practical experiences.

Evolving Theories of Teaching

• Gen Z Students: Tech-savvy, risk-averse, desire instant gratification, empowered, global citizens. Rapid social changes impact their mental wellness.
• Neuroscience: Highlights the strong connection between emotion and learning, especially in adolescence.
• Intelligence: Includes Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Social Intelligence (SI).
• Motivational Drivers: Relevance and competence are key.
• Growth Mindset: Emphasize effort and strategies over inherent ability to improve student achievement.

The Changing Role of Teachers

• Information Revolution: Impacts the role of teachers.
• Curriculum: Subject to change based on social and political climates.
• Reflective Practice: Essential for making sense of teaching (Donald Schon's 'messy swamps' metaphor).
• Impact over Content: Student learning is more important than what is taught. Quality assessment evaluates both student learning and teaching effectiveness (formative assessment).
• Educational Tensions: Shift from teacher-centered ('sage on the stage') to student-centered ('guide on the side') approaches. Conflicts exist between traditional 'back to basics' and progressive 'whole child' education.

The Role of Schools: Environment and Culture

• Physical Environment: Factors like paint colors, lighting, furniture, space arrangement, temperature, and noise levels affect learning.
• Class Size: Smaller classes have more social impact, especially for younger students.
• Formal and Informal Signals: Schools send signals about subjects through facilities and literature.
• Emotional Environment (Culture/Climate): Culture represents the school's values, while climate reflects its atmosphere.
• Positive School Culture: Encourage collegiality and cooperation.
• Classroom Culture: Teachers have the power to shape classroom culture and climate.

Enduring Aspects of Teaching

• Basic Student Needs: Safety, security, friendship (connection), and respect (Maslow's hierarchy of needs).
• Learning Theories:
  • Behaviorism: Learning is a change in behavior due to external stimuli.
  • Cognitivism: Learning involves internal processes like memory and retrieval.
  • Cognitive Constructivism: Learning occurs in developmental stages (Piaget).
  • Social Constructivism: Learning occurs through interaction (Vygotsky).
• Motivation: Intrinsic motivation fosters long-term engagement, unlike extrinsic motivation (rewards) which is short-term.
• Curriculum: Includes pedagogical (formal teaching), lived experience, and the hidden curriculum.

Enduring Aspects of Teachers

• Motivations: Reasons for becoming teachers remain consistent.
• Teacher Identity: Linked to subject specializations.
• State Influence: Government bodies (ACARA, SCSA, AITSL, TRB) determine curriculum and policy. Teachers can participate in policy-making.
• Central Role: Teachers are still central to learning, shifting from knowledge imparters to facilitators of applied knowledge (helping students transform information into knowledge).
• Relationships: Building strong relationships is crucial, based on a personal values framework.

Conclusion: Revisiting and Understanding

• Reflect on learning and motivations for teaching.
• Consider personal theory of teaching and evolving understanding.

The Importance of Personality and Awareness

• Personality matters, but teaching is a developmental process based on interaction and practice.
• Five Teacher Awarenesses (Rodrigues, 2014):
  • Awareness of self as a teacher (strengths and weaknesses).
  • Awareness of the teaching process (general & subject-specific pedagogy).
  • Awareness of the learner (students and their characteristics).
  • Awareness of interaction (social dimension of teaching).
  • Awareness of context (what and when you teach).
• These operate on a continuum, improving with experience.

Final Thoughts

• Remember why you chose teaching.
• Take courage; teaching has a positive impact.
• Education improves lives and communities.

Exam Information

• Exam Timetable: Find it via SIMO account in the Student Portal.
• Exam Format: 2 hours, on usual campus.
  • Part A (Extended Answer): 20% - Choose one of two questions.
  • Part B (Short Answers): 20% - Answer both questions.
• Exam Content:
  • Lecture content from weeks 7-13.
  • Lecture slides (including those not covered in lectures).
  • Hint: Reflective practice is always a question.
  • Lecture recordings will be released for study.