Essay on Learning to Teach

Using experience gained from lesson observations, lesson planning, delivery, reflection and wider reading, this essay will explore two factors that I consider to contribute to effective teaching and learning. Firstly, the relationship that exists between class and teacher, and secondly the ability to adapt lesson delivery to maximise engagement with the class, and individual students. The essay will discuss how my understanding and ideas have developed throughout the course and how this new knowledge will affect my future practice.

Based on observations recorded from lessons witnessed during my student tracking day I have concluded that, underpinning any successful form of effective teaching and learning, is a working relationship between class and teacher, where there exists an understanding of the lessons “rules, codes of behaviour and their boundaries” (Capel et al, 1995: 50). Such a relationship is established and cultivated through the actions of the teacher and the expectations they set for the students.

However, in most cases a teacher will bring their own set of skills and personality traits into the classroom and these will influence the specifics of the framework. This became very apparent through comparing two specific lesson observations with very different approaches to teaching, but despite this, both deliveries produce an effective lesson in which learning took place.

Lesson A maintained a very formal atmosphere, with both strong content classification and framing, resulting in a rigid, teacher driven structure and pace. Off-topic discussion was addressed instantly and directly through warnings and reminders of possible reprimands. Students did not interact with each other, unless specifically asked to do so. Conversely, whilst retaining a strong classification, Lesson B allowed for a weaker framing, resulting in a more informal structure and a student driven pace (Swanwick, 1988: 21). Minor misbehaviour was addressed with equal efficiency, but through use of jokes and friendly behaviour that emphasised the teacher’s belief in, and expectations of, the student. The benefits of which are discussed in Kyriacou (1991: 66). Lesson B allowed quiet discussion, even off-topic, as long as work was generally progressing.

There were some important similarities on display, including re-seating consistently misbehaving students, using positive re-enforcement and encouraging students who have completed their task to help those who hadn’t, known as peer coaching. From this I can conclude that they are well-tested and proven forms of class management, and are well employed as part of any teaching arsenal.

In examples A and B, each teacher, with their class, will have developed the lesson framework over a period of time. As has been discussed, the specifics of the framework can differ greatly but regardless of style and personality, it is important to stress that all rules and codes should be applied in a manner that is seen as consistent and fair. This is because students are most comfortable and productive when they are familiar with their environment, and are more likely to react in a positive fashion when they clearly understand what is expected of them (Capel et al, 1995: 62).

The requirement for familiarity and defined lesson objectives was further proven to me when observing lesson C, delivered by a cover teacher. Even though the teacher had adequate knowledge of the lesson content, there had been no time to produce a lesson plan, and they were not familiar with the individual students, or their prior learning.

Behaviour clearly deteriorated as the lesson progressed because the lack of a defined lesson structure led to unfocused and confused students. Generic calls for silence were not as effective as addressing individual students in the manner of lessons A and B. This was further compounded through several miscommunications between teacher and class, especially where prior learning had been assumed incorrectly, meaning the new information had no foundation to build upon. Whilst the teacher succeeded in having the students record the necessary data into their workbooks, it is unlikely to have been engaged with and fully understood, in a manner that will allow for the information to be easily retained and applied in future lessons.

Through these three observations, I have been able to appreciate the need to develop a standard lesson framework that includes clearly defined, and well enforced, rules and codes of behaviour, which are well understood by both the teacher and class. Regardless of delivery style, students need to be comfortable, and familiar, with what is expected of them. If this is achieved, students will more readily engage in the lesson, without becoming distracted or confused.

Considering this new appreciation, the preparation for my first lesson delivery focused mainly on planning successful classroom management. It was my explicit wish to copy techniques and standards I had seen the original class teacher use in prior lessons. Such as entry to the classroom, calls for silence, actions that indicate to stop playing instruments, and the general format of the main task. By doing this I intended to keep the lesson delivery within a framework that was familiar to both the students and myself.

In practice, gaining silence and attention was consistently successful via vocal requests as, in general, the class received my teaching without challenge and conformed to what was expected of them. Using familiar signs such as a hand in the air was effective in creating silence and drawing attention, a technique used by their usual teacher. Whilst, waiting patiently for a prolonged period of time helped me demonstrate that I expect total silence before beginning any task or discussion (Robertson, 1989: 56).

However, managing the few who repeatedly lost focus and began to talk was not as straight forward, and here my inexperience became apparent. A fully competent teacher would be able to put into practice several techniques to stop this behaviour, but I quickly ran out of ideas, and it is here where my reflections and further reading have been concentrated.

In the short term, it is possible to minimise such actions using an authoritarian management style and adopting a behaviourist approach, using classroom control methods and punishments in an attempt to control poor behaviour (Cohen and Manion,1989: 204). In the best scenario, this may quieten the individual student, but not encourage them to engage willingly in the subject. At worst it could be the start of a consistent and petty battle for control that could potentially harm the pace and quality of learning.

These are necessary techniques to understand, and use as a reactive measure, to control behaviour, but in the long-term, the challenge is to find ways to access and engage the struggling student’s interest, so that behaviour becomes no longer a concern. Currently, planning such differentiation into my lesson structure is a step beyond my experience, but as individual students become more familiar and it becomes possible to develop an understanding of their needs, I can begin to adapt and incorporate delivery styles that better suit their needs (Kyriacou, 1991: 43). It should also be noted that the ability to tailor your teaching strategy to suit the needs of individuals is not only a practice reserved as a positive way of dealing with misbehaviour, but should also be employed where SEN or gifted and talented students are concerned.

The idea of engagement applies just as much to class teaching as it does to individual situations, and again, a good teacher will be able adapt and change to make learning more accessible to students. It is at this point that I began to consider what types of delivery style exist and which I might wish to develop and begin to practice with classes.

 As part of the session materials provided by university I received an extract from ‘Jennie’s story on becoming a music teacher’, which addressed and discussed “issues surrounding ‘informal learning’” (Appendix A). The extract concentrated particularly on the practical means to begin, and the potential benefits of, this form of facilitating. In essence this is a move away from a standard teacher-centred delivery, where “the teacher speaks and the pupils listen” (Cohen and Manion,1989: 169), and towards an emphasis on active learning and independent planning where the teacher “acts more or less exclusively as an expert-consultant” (Cohen and Manion,1989: 171).

When exploring her student’s opinions and expectations of informal learning Jennie found that “having choice… was seen to be of most importance” (Appendix A), whilst they found “teacher structured topics ‘dull’ and ‘uninteresting’ because they had no say in what was being studied” (Appendix A). Furthermore, Jennie discussed the potential pitfalls of lessons with a weak classification and framing and believes her students appreciated the dangers of “not getting much done if there were no constraints at all” (Appendix A).

Once a topic and mode of work was agreed and begun, Jennie (Appendix A) comments that “there was a high level of commitment” displayed by the group, potentially more so than in a teacher-centred learning environment.  With this being the case, informal learning could be considered a viable option in attempting to interest students who have yet to become engaged with a subject, or simply as means of diversifying and evolving lesson delivery.

Further consideration also brings to attention the wider benefits of informal learning. Rather than simply listening, memorising and regurgitating information provided by the teacher, an informal learner would be exposed to the challenge of developing team based and leadership skills, such as group discussion, problem solving, the ability to set an appropriate pace for task progression and general responsibility for their own learning (Cohen and Manion, 1989: 171). Such skills can improve the student’s interaction with not only the subject in question, but also in a cross-curricular context, and later in the workplace.

Once I become accomplished in basic classroom management and consider myself to have a good arsenal of teaching tactics available, I will consider moving my classes towards a more informal learning environment. I consider this to more suit my personality and natural style of teaching, and believe, if delivered well, it can have a positive impact on wider learning.

This essay has focused on how the relationship between class and teacher greatly affects a student’s willingness to co-operate and work within a framework, resulting in more effective learning. The essay has continued to examine the variety of influences that affect the creation of such a framework, from teacher personality to mode of delivery, and how it is important to evaluate, reflect and evolve these modes in light of student engagement. These two key factors of effective teaching and learning have been applied to my own practical teaching, and this essay has discussed how I intend to use these considerations and reflections to continue to inform and evolve my teaching.