A new study from three actual academics and one TNTP analytics director who's also at Annenberg Institute, looks at what sort of factors influence the early career development for teachers.
Right on the mark as usual, Peter. I used to talk to my student teachers about classroom momentum. If you are well organized, know where the materials are ahead of time, have whatever technology you're using cued up and ready, have a simple system for distributing materials, and, as you say, know your stuff, you can maintain lesson momentum and good classroom engagement is the result.
This reminds me of a video of Education Minister Ghana, Yaw Adutwum, discussing his views on how best to innovate the Ghanaian school system. He states, “in all my encounters in Ghanaian classrooms we have tamed the children. We just want them to write down what we tell them on the day of exams. They should put down what we have told them. We say you are the best student the country has ever known. That kind of education system will not transform Ghana.”
I don't want to tame my students. My job is to empower students in their education. Still, this is a real challenge when I encounter recalcitrant behavior.
Classroom management is a skill I'm still working to improve, even after 22 years in the classroom.
A whole bunch of truth about classroom management. Thank you.
I read a study, some time ago, that I have looked for since, but cannot lay my hands on.
The gist was: it doesn't matter so much if a teacher is strict and rigid or loosey-goosey and casual, in front of the class. What matters is how comfortable the teacher is with what they're doing, and how authentic the students believe the teacher's behavior is.
In other words, the teacher who tries to be a hard ass, because someone told them not to smile until Christmas, cannot be trembling inside. Because the kids will spot a phony instantly. Likewise the too-friendly
This explains why it takes a year or two of classroom practice to establish confidence in how to be the authentic adult in the room-- its trial, error and persistence. It does get easier with time, but it's never simple.
Absolutely true! Classroom management is essential to achieving any success with students.
Right on the mark as usual, Peter. I used to talk to my student teachers about classroom momentum. If you are well organized, know where the materials are ahead of time, have whatever technology you're using cued up and ready, have a simple system for distributing materials, and, as you say, know your stuff, you can maintain lesson momentum and good classroom engagement is the result.
This reminds me of a video of Education Minister Ghana, Yaw Adutwum, discussing his views on how best to innovate the Ghanaian school system. He states, “in all my encounters in Ghanaian classrooms we have tamed the children. We just want them to write down what we tell them on the day of exams. They should put down what we have told them. We say you are the best student the country has ever known. That kind of education system will not transform Ghana.”
https://ms-my.facebook.com/Ghonetv/videos/ghanas-education-minister-dr-yaw-adutwum-in-a-speech-at-the-77th-un-general-asse/1039814196700553/
I don't want to tame my students. My job is to empower students in their education. Still, this is a real challenge when I encounter recalcitrant behavior.
Classroom management is a skill I'm still working to improve, even after 22 years in the classroom.
Yeah, that process never ends..
It may get a bit easier, but it never ends.
This was such a good piece Peter. I will copy it and hand it to any student teachers I am fortunate to work with in the future.
A whole bunch of truth about classroom management. Thank you.
I read a study, some time ago, that I have looked for since, but cannot lay my hands on.
The gist was: it doesn't matter so much if a teacher is strict and rigid or loosey-goosey and casual, in front of the class. What matters is how comfortable the teacher is with what they're doing, and how authentic the students believe the teacher's behavior is.
In other words, the teacher who tries to be a hard ass, because someone told them not to smile until Christmas, cannot be trembling inside. Because the kids will spot a phony instantly. Likewise the too-friendly
This explains why it takes a year or two of classroom practice to establish confidence in how to be the authentic adult in the room-- its trial, error and persistence. It does get easier with time, but it's never simple.