The image I chose represents a teacher who is well-groomed, friendly and
approachable, and highly engaged with student learning on a personal level. To me, these are critical qualities I feel that every teacher needs to have. In order to be an effective teacher, one must be open and approachable (and physically appear this way too). They must be constantly reflexive in all aspects of their practice and motivate students through building strong relationships and learning student interests.
As a prac student beginning my first week at my placement school, my
biggest focus initially was my physical appearance. Like the teacher in my chosen image, I made sure I was well-groomed and dressed professionally, to make a good impression on both my mentor teacher, the school staff and the students. Once I was certain I had gained a good first impression aesthetically, I moved on to creating what Clare M. Kosnik and Clive Beck refer to as a positive classroom environment which they note (and I believe) are essential for the wellbeing of the students and teacher alike (Kosnik and Beck, 2011, p. 44). I did so through my engagement with the students. For me to effectively create an environment that was safe, positive and engaging, I needed to demonstrate that I was a positive and approachable teacher. So beyond the professional attire and well-groomed appearance, I put my best foot forward and was open and friendly to all students. I would go around the classroom assisting students that needed it and engaging in friendly banter with each student in order to get to know them. This is why the image I chose is appropriate. The teacher in the photo is central in the classroom, closely surrounded by students and everyone in the photo is interacting and engaging. And for me, this social engagement is a quintessential quality I feel every teacher needs to have. Being friendly and approachable not just aesthetically, but mentally/emotionally is needed to effectively engage individual and whole class student learning.
Reflexive practice, is where a teacher constantly reviews their
pedagogical methods and strategies to improve their teaching(Churchill, 2011, pp. 437-438). I feel that this is critical for all teachers to do, no matter how experienced, in order to ensure that their teaching is always effective. The image I chose illustrates this in the way the teacher is highly engaged with the task at hand. I interpreted her thoughtful disposition to be a reflective one, where she considers how well her lesson is going. This reflexivity is the first thing I have learnt to acquire as a prac student. While on placement, I observed my mentor in practice and began reflecting on what I would do differently and what I admired about their teaching approach. It only occurred to me how valuable this exercise was when I conducted my first lesson with the year 10s and was met with what I dreaded most: a silent and apparently disengaged class. I was fortunate enough to reflect on this experience and teach the same class (more successfully) a few weeks later. This experience made me realise that it is important to reflect on each and every lesson, not just for the teacher to improve their own practise, but also to see what kind of students they have so that they approach each lesson with optimal teaching strategies to ensure the whole class is engaged.
In order to teach effectively, I believe that a teacher must engage
effectively. The primary method for a teacher to do this, is through learning about their students interests. Examples include building positive relationships through which interests can be integrated into the activities/tasks wherever possible. Churchill states that student motivation stems from behavioural management strategies. One notable strategy is the external stimuli teachers use commonly referred to as rewards (Churchill, 2011, p. 119). In my chosen image, the teacher appears to be happy as she speaks. Her facial expression suggests that she is likely to praise her students for good effort, maybe when they read aloud. For me to become an effective teacher I feel it is vital for me to praise my students for doing good work, with intrinsic or extrinsic rewards. This way they are aware of what is expected of them, and are rewarded when they have achieved more than that. This also shows that the teacher values the student and thus a positive relationship is formed. This positive reinforcement is important as it is likely to effectively increase motivation and productivity in students. Thus teachers need to build a positive relationship with students through a reflexive mindset and a friendly/approachable demeanour so that they can teach students effectively and engagingly.
References (APA):
Churchill, Rick. (2011). Teaching: making a difference. (2nd ed.). Milton,
QLD, Australia: John Wiley and Sons.
Kosnik, Clare M., and Beck, Clive. (2011). Teaching in a nutshell:
navigating your teacher education program as a student teacher. New Tork, USA: Routledge.