COOPERATING SCHOOLS

COOPERATING SCHOOLS

            Teacher training institutions prepare teachers for primary and secondary schools. So practice teaching should be organized in schools. These schools are called as cooperating schools. The cooperating schools provide all materialistic and moral support that they can offer to train the student teachers in schools.

The following criteria may be used in selecting cooperating schools for practice teaching.

§         School management and staff should be willing to assist in the programme of practice teaching.

§         Provision of adequate physical facilities should be there.

§         The staff-members should be experienced and willing to cooperate the student teachers.

Moreover the selected schools should not be far away from the residences of the most of the student teachers.

Role of Cooperating Schools

§         The cooperating schools retain the legal responsibility for the safety and welfare of its pupils.

§         The cooperating school assures that cooperating teachers and student teachers understand and follow established school policies and procedures regarding

o       punctuality

o       handling of absences

o       personal and professional conduct

o       dress codes

o       classroom control etc.

§         They provide challenging experiences for the student teachers to apply the theories and methodology acquired during the professional preparation under the guidance of effective cooperating teachers.

§         They provide an opportunity for student teachers to enrich their understanding of the professional responsibilities of the teacher.

§         They provide access to cumulative records of students, students’ handbooks, instructional materials and teachers’ overall plan for the year.

§         Cooperating teachers provide an opportunity to observe the totlal operation of the school such as conduct of school assembly, extra curricular activities, attending staff meetings etc.

Cooperating Teachers

            Cooperating teachers are selected on the basis of the following criteria:

1.      Cooerating teacher should be specialized in the area of supervision.

2.      He/She should have a minimum of three years of successful teaching experience.

Responsibilities

§         Model effective teaching behaviours while allowing the student teacher to develop his/her own teaching style.

§         Provide regular feedback and advice about their teaching on a regular basis.

§         Evaluate the performance of student teachers’ during the internship.

§         Orient the student teachers regarding the total school setting and school policies.

§         Work with the teacher educators in guiding the progress of student teachers throughout the field experiences.

PRACTICE TEACHING

PRACTICE TEACHING

Practice teaching constitutes a hub of multiple activities comprising the total programme of teacher education. It is interconnected with theoretical study, field work and practicum and a wide range of institutional experiences involving school students, student teachers and teacher educators. Practice teaching is considered as the pivotal component of the B.Ed. programme.

            Practice teaching is a course or a programme in which the student trainees are posted to schools to teach the students subject areas of their specialization for a specified period. During this period the student teachers assume the position of normal subject teachers at the same time engage in all the lawful assignments given by the cooperating school authorities.

Preparation of trainees for teaching

            Practice teaching is the most important part in the teacher education programme. The practice teaching should be divided into three phases:

1. Pre-Practice Teaching Preparation
2. Actual Practice – Teaching
3. Post practice Teaching

1.      Pre-Practice Teaching Preparation

This phase should be very practical and should include:

• Instruction in philosophy of education – meaning aims and objectives of education.
• Psychology of education – development of child learning and theories.
• Components of successful teaching and teaching theories.
• Instructional strategies, skills and tactics of teaching.
• School organization and class management strategies.
• Demonstration lessons and observation of the same.
• Preparation of micro, mini and complete lesson plans

2.      Actual Practice – Teaching

Actual practice teaching should be organized in three phases. At first phase 4 or 5 complete lessons should be taught in simulated situations. At the second phase, 15-20 micro lessons may be taught in simulated situations. In the final phase of practice teaching, 25-30 lessons should be conducted in realistic situation in a block which is referred to as block teaching. During this phase the trainee has to function as a junior teacher of the school, participating in its entire programme such as organizing co-curricular activities, understanding recording and evaluating the child growth and performances and communicating the same to the pupil and their parents.

3.      Post practice Teaching

At this stage practical work connected with theoretical courses such as construction and administration of tests, case studies of students, preparation of improvised teaching aids, action research etc, should be organized.

Objectives of Practice Teaching

• To enable the student teachers learn the art of teaching.
• To acquaint the student teachers with different approaches of teaching and communication techniques and help them to develop skills and competencies which may turn them to effective teachers.
• To develop an ability to organize the content according to respective level of teaching.
• To provide training in the process of evaluation its significance and techniques.
• To develop classroom management techniques for effective teaching and learning.
• To develop the ability to organize the content according to respective levels of teaching. 

Models of Teaching - Taba and Turner

MODELS OF TEACHING

Introduction

            Teaching is not just to sit on an armchair with a cup of tea in hand to sip. It is an art and skill to be learnt. It requires the knowledge of subject content, method, techniques and teaching aids to be used for making teaching interesting and effective. This is the main objective of education. For this purpose, the teachers need a variety of approaches. Educators and psychologist have designed several types of teaching models which provides suitable guidelines to the teachers for modifying the behaviour of the learners. In simple language, models of teaching may be defined as a blueprint designed in advance for providing necessary structure and direction to the teacher for realizing the stipulated objectives.

Meaning

            Models of teaching helps a teacher to improve his capacity to reach more children and create a richer and more diverse environment for them. Model of teaching consists of guidelines for designing educational activities and environments. It is meant for creating suitable learning environments.  

Definition:

            “Model of teaching can be defined as instructional design which describes the process of specifying and producing particular environmental situations which cause the students to interact in such a way that a specific change occurs in their behavior”.

Assumptions of Teaching Model

1. Specification of learning outcomes: Models of teaching specify what the students should perform after completing an instructional sequence.
2. Specification on environment: Models of teaching specifies in definite terms the environmental condition under which a student’s response should be observed.
3. Specification of criterion of performance: Models of teaching specifies the criterion for performance which is expected from the students.
4. Specification of operation:  Models of teaching specifies the mechanism that provides for the reaction of students and interaction with the environment
5. Scientific procedure: Models of teaching is based on a systematic procedure to modify the behavior of the learner. It is not a haphazard combination of facts.

Uses of Models of Teaching

Teacher Benefits

•         Systematic approach to planning for instruction.

•         Facilitates awareness about students’ learning needs.

•         Assess impact of instruction.

•         Offers alternative ways of representing content/skills.

•         Develop learning experiences that yield successful outcomes.

•         Explicit use of teaching models can accelerate rate of learning.

Student Benefits

•         Increases aptitude for learning and retention.

•         Facilitates different kinds of learning.

•         Builds academic self-esteem.

Fundamental Elements of Teaching Models

Focus: Focus is the central aspects of a teaching model.  Objectives of teaching and aspects of environment generally constitute the focus of the model.

Syntax: Syntax includes the sequences of steps involved in the organization of the complete programme of teaching.

Principles of reaction: This element is concerned with the way a teacher should regard and respond to the activities of the students. 

Social system:  It is related to the description of the following:

1.      Interactive roles and relationship between the teacher and the students.

2.      The kinds of norms that are observed and student behavior which is rewarded

Support System: The support system relates to the additional requirements other than the usual human skills or capacities of the teacher and the facilities usually available in the ordinary classroom. Teacher requirements refer to special skills, special knowledge of the teacher and special audio-visual material like films, self-instructional material, visit to special place etc…

Application: Several types of teaching modes are available. Each model attempts to desirable the feasibility of its use in varying contexts.

Types of modern teaching models;

1.      Information processing models

2.      Social interaction models

3.      Personal development models

4.      Behaviour modification models

• Information processing models refer to the way people handle stimuli from the environment, organize data, sense problem, generate concepts and solution to problems and use verbal and nonverbal symbols.
• Concept Attainment Model               - Jerome S Bruner
• Inductive thinking Model                   - Hilda Taba
• Inquiry training Model                        - J. Richard Suchman
• Advance Organizer Model                 - David ausubel
• Memory model                                     - Jerry Lucas
• Biological Science Inquiry Model     - Joseph Schwab
• Cognitive development model           -Jean Piaget, Kohlberg, Siegal
• Social interaction models stress the relationship of the individual to other person and to society.
• Group investigation model                 -Herbert Thelen
• Role playing model                              -Fannie & Gerorge Shaftel
• Jurisprudential inquiry model            -Donald oliver
• Laboratory training model                  -National training laboratory
• Social simulation model                      -cyberneticcs psychologists
• Social inquiry model                            -Thelen, Oliver, Sharer
• Personal development models assist the individual in the development of selfhood; they focus on the emotional life an individual.
• Non-directive teaching model            -Carl Rogers
• Synetics model                                     -William J. J. Gordon
• Awareness training model                  -William Schutz and George Brown
• Class room teaching model                -William Glasser
• Behaviour modification models stress changing the external behaviour of the learners and describe them in them of visible behaviour rather than underlying behaviour.
• Contingency management model                      -B. F. skinner
• Self control through operant methods             -B. F. Skinner
• Stress reduction model                                       -Joseph Wolpe
• Desensitisation model                                         -Rimm & Master
• Assertive training model                                    -Wolpe & Lazarus

Conclusion

Development of models of teaching is the recent innovation in teaching.  An important purpose of discussing models of teaching is to assist the teacher to have a wide range of approaches for creating a proper interactive environment for learning.  An intelligent use of these approaches enables the teacher to adopt him to the learning needs of the students

Hilda Taba Model – Inductive Thinking Model

Hilda Taba is a curriculum theorist, a curriculum reformer, and a teacher educator. she had a strong belief that students could be taught to think — specifically to analyze information and create concepts. She believed that students make generalizations only after data are organized.  She believed that students can be led toward making generalizations through concept development and concept attainment strategies. According to Taba, the best way to deal with increase in knowledge is to emphasize the "acquisition, understanding, and use of ideas and concepts rather than facts alone."

Assumptions

1.              Thinking can be taught.

2.              Thinking is an active transaction between the individual and data.

3.              Processes of thought evolve by a sequence that is "lawful."

Teaching Strategies

Taba developed three effective strategies in the inductive model that enable students to form concepts, interpret data and apply principles. they are:

Concept Formation: This stage includes three major steps: listing items (exemplars of concepts), group similar items together, label these (with a concept name).

Phase 1: Identifying and listing: differentiation

What did you see? What did you hear? What do you know about...?

Phase 2: Grouping: Identifying the common attributes

What belongs together?

Phase 3: Labeling & Categorizing: Determine the hierarchical order of items.

How would you name these groups?

Interpretation of Data: This stage includes interpreting, inferring, and generalization and leads to concept attainment (i.e. students develop deductive capabilities).

Phase 4: Identifying critical relationships: differentiating

What do you notice about the data ? What did you see ?

Phase 5: Exploring relationships: Relating categories to each other or See the cause-effect relationship

Why did this or that happen? What do you think this means?

Phase 6: Making inferences: Going beyond what is given. Finding implications.

What can you conclude?

Application of Principles

Phase 7: Predicting consequences, explaining an unfamiliar phenomenon, hypothesizing: Analyzing the situation and retrieving the relevant knowledge

What would happen if?

Phase 8: Explaining and/or supporting predictions: determine the causal links.

Why do you think this or that would happen?

Phase 9: Verifying prediction: Using logical principles to determine the necessary conditions.

What would it take to make this generally true ?

Hilda Taba Model

Focus: Its focus is to develop the mental abilities and lay emphasis up on concept formation.

Syntax:  Teaching takes place in nine phases. The first three phases are related to concept formation they are: 1. Listing and enumerating the examples 2. Grouping 3. Labeling & categorizing. The second three phases are related to the interpretation of the data by 1. Identifying relationship 2. Explaining relationship 3. Drawing inferences. The last three phases are concerned with an application of principles by 1. Hypothesizing 2. explaining and/ or supporting predictions 3. Verifying the prediction.

Social System: In the all nine phases, the classroom climate it is conducive to learning and co-operation. A good deal of freedom should be given for pupil-activities. The teacher is usually the controller and initiator of information. Teaching activities are arranged in a logical sequence in advance.

Principles of Reaction: Teacher matches the tasks to the students’ level of cognitive activities. Teacher senses the students’ readiness for new experiences and monitor how the students process the information using appropriate eliciting questions.

Support system: The teacher should help the students in dealing with the more complex data and information. He should encourage them in processing the data, designed to develop thinking capacity. A particular mental and cognitive task requires specific strategy to improve thinking.

Application: The primary application of this model is to develop thinking capacity. This can be used in every curriculum at all levels of education. This model enables students to collect information and examine it closely, organize it into concepts and manipulate those concepts. When used regularly the strategy can increase the students abilities to form concepts efficiently.

Turner’s Teaching Model

            Turner and Fattu were initially interested to develop a diagnostic test for teachers to identify the learning difficulties which students had to encounter. The mastery over the subject matter is essential for teachers to diagnose the students learning difficulties. It is an assumption of this model. Turner establishes the following postulates about teaching:

1. Teaching is a form of problem solving behaviour.
2. The problem-solving skills may be measured by teacher performance.
3. The teaching performance of the teacher is the criterion for teacher effectiveness.

This model of teaching utilizes stimulated teaching to develop problem solving skills. The learning difficulties are diagnosed and suggestions are given for improvement. This model is more useful for teachers rather than classroom teaching.

Qualities of a Good Teacher

Qualities of a Good Teacher

            Good teaching is one of the best ways to create and develop critical thinking among students. Enthusiastic, intelligent and well educated teachers inspire and prepare students for the technological world. A teacher should first and foremost possess the following basic qualities:

            T – Truthfulness / Tolerance

            E – Enthusiasm

A- Accuracy / Aptitude

C – Confidence / Commitment

H – Honesty / Hard work / Humour

E – Empathy

R – Rational Thinking

The common important qualities of a good teacher are:

E     Empathy: Teachers should have the ability to bond with students, to understand and resonate with their feelings and emotions. They should be able to communicate on their level and be compassionate with them when they are down and celebrate with them when they are up.

E     Positive mental attitude: A good teacher should think more on the positive and little less on the negative. When things get tough, they should be able to keep a smile on their face and see the bright side of things. They should strive io seek positives in every negative situation.

E     Open to change: Teachers should be aware that the only real constant in life is change. They should know that there is a place for tradition but there is also a place for new ways, new ideas, new systems and new approaches. They should be open and willing to listen to others’ ideas.

E     Creative: Good teachers should motivate students by using creative and inspirational methods of teaching. They should follow innovative pedagogical practices that make them stand out from the crowd.

E     Sense of Humour: Great sense of humour reduces barriers and lightens the atmosphere. Good teachers should be able to make the students laugh which gains them respect and increases their popularity.

E     Presentation skills: Body language is the main communicator so a good teacher should keep it positive at all times. Teachers should create presentation styles for visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.

E     Calmness: Teachers should be able to control their emotions when they come across students with negative attitude and aggressive behaviour. They should help their students to distress.

E     Respectful: Teachers should know that everyone has a place in the world. They should respect their peers and students.

E     Inspirational: Good teachers can change their students life helping them to realize their potential and help them grow and find their talents, skills and abilities.

E     Sound Mental Health and Personality: The teachers’ entire personality and mental health is a reflection on the minds of the students. So they should have sound mental health and pleasing personality.

Characteristics and demands of teaching profession

Characteristics and demands of teaching profession

            Teaching is the most vital and strategic profession for national development. This is so because teaching is an important activity which makes possible the acquisition of knowledge and skills that brings about the mark of an educated and useful person in the society. The characteristics and demands of teaching profession are as follows:

1. Professional knowledge: Professional knowledge is vast in scope, begins with the pre-service aspect of a teacher preparation program, and expands with experience. Examples of experiential knowledge include an awareness of the climate, issues that affect the role of teaching, a passion for teaching, an ongoing curiosity about the world, the confidence to become a risk-taker and change agent, and a belief that all students can learn.
2. Instructional Effectiveness: An effective teacher should teach well.  This demands again a very high level of flexibility and a wide range of expertise from the teacher. Teachers should construct new knowledge on the basis of their experiences, observations and reflections and encourages their students to do the same.
3. Good communicator: Teachers need to be highly skilled in the art of communication involving listening and speaking as well as reading and writing to excel in their profession. Proficient communicators make excellent teachers because they are able to transmit knowledge, skills and values at the same time they communicate their caring for their students.
4. Critical Thinking: Teachers must practice critical thinking in all content areas; they must be able to ask appropriate questions, gather relevant information, reason logically from this information, and come to reliable and trustworthy conclusions. Additionally, the teacher should teach the process of critical thinking and inspire students to be responsible citizens who contribute to society.
5. Interpersonal Skills: Effective interpersonal skills are also essential in the act of teaching. The capacity for empathy, a belief that every child can learn, attention to individual needs, sensitivity to home and community issues, ability to be at ease in the presence of children or young adults, and the ability to provide a positive, caring atmosphere for learning are examples of these skills. The teacher also must possess interpersonal skills that foster peer collaboration.
6. Integration of Discipline: Knowing content is important for a teacher; however, broadening the context and applicability of content through integration of disciplines provides students with a richer academic experience. Integration fosters ongoing reinforcement of skills learned in one area of study and utilized in other areas.
7. Technology Integration: Integrating technology into classroom instruction means the usage of technology to engage students and facilitate their thinking and construction of knowledge.
8. Organization and Classroom Management: This requires effective skills and supportive affective relationships. The teacher should adopt a proactive organizational and managerial style that involves interventions and strategies designed to include positive expectations, self-evaluation, and growth.
9. True Compassion for Students: Teachers should have a sixth sense when a student needs extra attention. They should not expect their students to leave the thoughts of the outside world at the doors of the classroom. They should take time to discuss subjects outside their teaching and understand that sometimes lessons can be taught without following the textbooks. Teachers should be well-versed in providing guidance and counseling to students and help them to solve their problems.