IMPLEMENTING INSTRUCTION

My tutor at the school assesses my effectiveness in my preparation, my relationship with students, classroom management; however, there is nothing more important to consider than the actual act of teaching. I know I really need to have a great repertoire of effective instructional strategies to various purposes, but that is not the only thing that makes learning effective. Besides it, I need to give clear and adequate instructions and I need to anticipate to possible problems that may occur.

HOW CAN TEACHERS IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AND MAKE THEM CONDUCIVE TO MEANINGFUL LEARNING?

It is clear that the methods teachers use to keep students focused and engaged are very important in implementing instruction effectively. Direct teaching, for example, is an effective teaching technique. By implementing a variety of strategies, teachers reach more students because students have different styles. The focus of instruction needs to be on conceptualization in order to emphasize student’s knowledge of the world and have high achievement rates.

WHY IS COMMUNICATION OF CONTENT AND SKILLS KNOWLEDGE A CHARACTERISTIC OF GOOD TEACHERS?

Well, teachers’ ability to give clear and focused explanations to students and to clarify expectations for achievement is important aspects of effective instructional delivery. That is, teachers need to express what his or her expectations. Teachers need to present to the students the units or the lessons within a well-organized set. Communication is fundamental to any profession that requires interaction among people and organization. Communication of content is also very relevant. And if teachers want to communicate content or skills, they first need to know the subject matter, and then they need to know how to share it with students in a very understandable way.

HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN YOUR OWN TEACHING PRACTICUM, AS THE AGE OF YOUR STUDENTS IS A CRITICAL ONE?

I am aware that students are just entering a very critical phase in their lives which is puberty. This phase is characterized not only by physical change but also by psychological change.  Since I know I have make a big effort to make all students be engaged in the activities, I always consider that not all students work at the same pace.  The teacher’s attention to the momentum also helps keep students engaged. Students need to understand directions step by step; if don’t, they will be confused and therefore won’t be able to be focused on task.  Student engagement is maximized when students are involved in authentic activities regarding the topic they are studying. Now, after having read about this, I think that I’m doing very well since I involve all my students in activities.

ORGANIZING FOR INSTRUCTION

• How do you focus on instruction?

As academic instruction is the center of an effective teacher role, I know that I need to give instruction in a clear and understandable way. Good instruction begins with good organization and good planning. We teachers are responsible for focusing on instruction always remembering we have diversity of students with different needs, different objectives, and different learning styles. Planning for instruction is a continual process that must be focused on the students. Teaching is an art that is mostly leaned through experience.

• How do you maximize instructional time?

Teachers must use any resource that helps them maximize instructional time, which is very important for effective learning and is done by thoughtful and careful use of time. Another way of doing this is by setting routines that help teachers provide smooth transitions from one activity to another. This helps give priority to instruction, it is very important that teachers be organized. Being organized helps the teacher not only to plan but also to provide students who want to know what’s next in the class with this information. Besides, having an organized teacher helps students acquire this vital skill. A good lesson plan also helps teachers maximize instructional time.

• How do you expect students to succeed in your classes?

I have high expectations for my students, but my expectations are not unreachable. I see all of them as potential English speakers. They all have the capacity to learn; though they learn at a different pace, I am certain that they all can succeed if I become a good facilitator providing them with the tools to learn. I’m in agreement with the prophesy that says that when a teacher believes his or her students can learn, students really learn. Unfortunately, this works the other way around too. Therefore, when a teacher believes students are low performing and unable to learn, students perform poorly.

• How do you plan and prepare for instruction?

This semester in Didactics II, I learned about the importance of a lesson plan; however, it was until I got to my teaching practice where I experienced the importance of it. Without a lesson plan, I couldn’t fallow important steps to make students learning easier, I couldn’t provide appropriate time for each activity, I could forget important information I needed to convey, I could forget activities needed to develop important skills, etc. I have also learned that I need to think of my students during the preparation of the lesson, while I’m teaching the lesson and after I have taught the lesson. This is something that will help me improve my teaching and will help my students as well.

Do you make last-minutes changes when things are not working? Based on what premises, have you made such changes? Did they work? What needs to be done to better your instruction?

To be honest, I make changes to my lesson plan when I see students are having too many difficulties to complete their task. Adjusting the task doesn’t always mean making it easier, but most of the time it does. Having to make certain decisions to modify an activity is not easy, but I always take into consideration what the intended purpose the activity had and adjust it to meet their needs. Students sometimes show the activity needs to be modified; for example, my students were supposed to be working individually, but half way through the activity, some students began to ask their classmates for some help. I knew they were taking too long to complete it, so I allowed them to work in pairs. Everything worked well since they finish a few minutes after, giving me the time I needed to solve the activity with all the class. One important thing I have learned with my practices is that I need to monitor my speech.

MY PICTURES 

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION

Classroom management refers to the actions and strategies teachers use to solve the problem of order in classrooms. This also means room arrangement, discipline, the creation of routines and a plan to teach students how their learning environment is organized. Effective teachers must create an overall environment conductive to learning. For example, beginning educators tend to leap into the content the first week of school meanwhile experienced teachers first works on creating a positive classroom climate.

The first class I taught to junior high students was the best class I have ever taught. I was relaxed; I didn’t feel nervous at all. This helped me enjoy what I was doing. Well, I know that preparing fun activities avoids chaos in my class. I dislike disorder, but I like discipline in my class. I know that the more engaging the class is, the less time students have to misbehave. In the aspect of classroom management, I know I am doing well since I got students attention and directed to the topic which was classroom commands. However, teacher Mike told me to use more pair or group activities, which is my homework for next class. At the end of the class, I passed them a sheet of paper they had to complete to see what they had learned about classroom commands. Their learning outcomes were good. They met my expectations somehow because I expected them to finish faster than they did. In order to better my classroom management skills, I will always reflect before teaching the class, while teaching the class, and after teaching. Besides, I am always going to take into account teacher’s Mike observation of my class. I like the fact that he always gives me feedback or constructive observations.

My Classroom Observation at a Junior High School Level

My class observation took place at Centro Escolar Alejandro de Humboldt, which is a public institution located here in Ahuachapán. Teacher Mike is the English teacher in charge of teaching English to seventh, eighth and ninth grades in the afternoon. Conveniently with my schedule, I observed two of his classes with seventh grade. The first thing I notice when entering in the classroom is the typical arrangement of desks. After he introduced me to the class, he gave me the opportunity to talk to the students, but he told me to do it in English and so I did. During my speech, I quickly realized that they did not understand. Right there I saw the challenge I was facing. The class began at 1:15pm, and it was hot. Students had been playing soccer before, but they were anxious to begin the class. Teacher Mike first wrote the date on the board. Taking advantage of the numbers in the date, teacher Mike teaches the students the ordinal numbers. Then, he began teaching about personal items. He asked students to lend him some items. After showing to them the item, they repeated the word and he wrote a sentence on the board for each item they studied. He somehow tried to use the real objects to help students learn the words. I noticed that students were willing to participate. And they did, the teacher who is a very experienced teacher knows they need to practice in order to learn. At the end, I really enjoy the teacher’s class. I got to help him and help some students.

Chapter Two: The Teacher as a Person

The chapter 2 of the book “Qualities of Effective Teachers”, which is called “The Teacher as a Person,” states six characteristics of effective teachers as persons. They are  the Role of Caring, the Role of Fairness and Respect, Social Interactions with Students, Promotion of Enthusiasm and Motivation for Learning, Attitude toward the Teaching Profession and the Role of Reflective Practice. I know they all are very important, so it is very hard to choose only two out of them. But here they are.

1-     The role of caring for the students is very important. When a teacher cares for his or her students, it is very noticeable for everyone, especially for the students. A caring teacher can bring the best out of each student. Caring for the students involves not only knowing the students but also listening to them, being gentle with them, understanding them, encouraging them and over all loving them.

Effective teachers are must listen to the students. Not only do they have to listen about what happens in the class, but also they must always have the chance to listen to problems of theirs student’s life.

The students are smart, and they can feel when the teacher understands their problems. Understanding the students demonstrates genuine concern and empathy toward students. Teachers must be careful. They must be conscious that they can talk about their life too, but with self-disclosure.

Effective, caring teachers know students both formally and informally. Teachers can use every opportunity to keep communication lines open with students at school and in the community. Effective teachers care for the students first as persons and second as a student.

1-     Promotion of Enthusiasm and Motivation for Learning

This is a very important part of effective teaching. Teacher Edgar has emphasized this in class many times. The reason of this is that the teacher’s enthusiasm for teaching, learning and for the subject matter motivates students by encouraging them to be responsible for their own learning. An effective teacher recognizes that students vary in their motivation levels. An effective teacher knows how to support intrinsically motivated students and seeks ways to provide extrinsic motivation to students who need it. Therefore, I will always try to be very enthusiastic when teaching my class. I know if I don’t, the student may feel bored and I won’t be able to make them complete tasks. Losing control of the class is what I fear when I teach, but I know now that if I create rapport with the students, they will be more likely willing to learn.

What makes a great teacher great?

The video we watched in class is an interview to three teachers who have succeeded at what they do. They are there to talk about what makes a great teacher great, about the importance of good teaching in the development of children. Cheryl Jackson says research has shown that the quality of teachers is the dominant factor in a child’s success in school, meaning poor teaching is detrimental to the child’s learning. I have always thought that teachers are a role model for their students. Great teachers are the ones who have a tremendous element of care for the children, the ones who have big expectations for the students. Marry Kooy says that a teacher becomes great when he or she makes the first task to get to know the students deeply, what they like, what they want in life, where they are from, what they know, etc.  When a teacher shows he cares about his students, he creates a positive atmosphere in the classroom, which is something we learn in didactics and something I will practice every course I teach. Marry kooy calls this “The getting to know you session.”

There are two aspects of the teaching equation. First, the teacher has to know the subject areas very well. Though it is important, it is just a small part of what makes great teachers. And the second is the love teachers have toward the students. What really makes a great teacher is the passion he has, the sparkle of enthusiasm he brings to the class, the joy he brings to the students. In other words, rapport is pretty important.

According to Richard Gerber, teachers who have enough self-confidence to be themselves with the students are more effective. Richard helped a school become one of the top schools of that area. He says the quality of teaching was a very important factor. The quality of teaching made the difference. Being a great teacher is not an innate quality. Though some teachers have that passion for teaching since they were kids, being a great teacher can be learned. The love and the passion a teachers has inspires his students. It motivates them to learn.

Richard said that another factor that makes a great teacher is the positive atmosphere he creates. He says it is difficult to teach without this; plus, teachers have other pressures to deal. I know what I need to do now. I will never forget that being a long life learner is one key to be a great teacher.

Ricardo Vasquez.

QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHERS

Chapter 1

PREREQUISITES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING

Having read this chapter will help me become a better teacher.  As I have believed in my life, teachers have a powerful, long-lasting influence on their students. I leaned this through my life in school.  There are debates on which way to recruit and prepare teachers. The two ways it can be done are the alternative programs and the traditional way.  According to some researchers, the fact that teachers have high scores on aptitude tests is linked to the student success. Teachers whose training had courses on child development, instructional and assessment techniques, and methods and materials are better able to recognize students need. Though this has been under scrutiny because of those programs that suggest a brief, more practical and focused preparation, I believe it is very important to know of pedagogy. Teachers with no coursework in education consistently have difficulties in areas of classroom management, curriculum development, student motivation, and specific teaching strategies. I believe content knowledge and pedagogical skills are both vital aspects of an effective teacher. Teacher certification is very important, but it is useless when a teacher certified in an area teaches another. This may convert a highly qualified and capable teacher into an ineffective one. Subject matter knowledge positively affects teaching performance; however, it is not sufficient. There is always a need for pedagogical knowledge. Researches show that teachers develop from novices to masters at different intervals over time, taking from five to eight years to master a science, an art, etc. Through experience and awareness, teachers are able to improvise. This gives an advantage to expertise teachers over new teachers. New teachers often hesitate to deviate from a plan while experienced teachers can do it to meet the students’ needs. Which prerequisite seems most important to you? I believe they are all important, and they all should be applied by all teachers. According to figure 1.1 at the end of this chapter, most people believe that the content knowledge is the most important quality. Teacher Edgar’s words last class impacted me. He said a practitioner who brings enthusiasm to the class, who creates a positive atmosphere with the students and who connects with them can be more appreciated by the students. I believe all this balanced with knowledge of the content makes a great teacher.

RICARDO VASQUEZ