Overview:
In this chapter, we shall cover
• The mastery of professional skills by teachers in the school
Key Terms
• Learning skill
• Thinking skill
• Planning
• Facilitation
• Communication
• Management
Further Reading
Cullingford,C. (1995). The Effective teacher. London: Cassel
Dean, J. (1991).Professional Development in school. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
Ghaye,K. & Ghaye,A. 1998. Teaching and Learning through Critical Reflective Practice. London: David Fulton Publishers.
Schon,D.A. 1987. Educating the reflective practitioner. San Franscisco: Jossey-B.
Travers,J.F., Elliot,S.N. & Kratochwill,T.R. (1993). Effective Teaching, Effective Learning. Iowa: Brown & Benchmark Pub.
Suggested Input
1. Learning Skill
1.1. Learning skills refer to the skill that teachers have to attain when collecting, processing and summarizing data with the aim of developing oneself towards life long learning. It is also the ability to obtain knowledge in the field of cognition, affection and psychomotor through observation, reading, writing, imitation, memorization, understanding, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and memory.
1.2. It refers to the ability to receive accurate signals, process information, and store in the memory and to apply it in problem solving. There is the need to acquire learning skills such as observing, making assumptions, and understanding, remembering, thinking and interpreting to produce effective learning.
1.3. Importance of learning skills:
- enable a teacher to obtain knowledge systematically and meaningfully.
- inculcate interest and liking for learning and always increase their knowledge and life long intellectual skill
- apply learning skills in all types of situation
- inculcate self discipline
- train individual to read with speed and aptly
- train individual to obtain data efficiently
- train individual to process data effectively
- increase one’s memory
- promote and sharpen one’s interest and potential
- help individual to attain referencing skills in the library
- train individual to encounter learning challenges
- motivate individual to life long education
- train individual to manage time effectively
1.4. The three processes in learning skills are collection of data, processing data and making report. The collection of data consists of:
- active listening
- note taking
- make reference
- interview
- questioning for information
- speed reading
- critical reading
1.5. Active listening
- listen with purpose
- listen to obtain direction
- listen to identify elements in a text
- listen to be able to repeat
1.6. Note-taking:
Note-taking while reading, listening or viewing is a strategy for recording and organizing information in order to understand and remember it. As such, it is a way of using writing as tool learning. There are different strategies for note-taking but regardless of the type used, a key to successful note-taking is regular review and revision of notes, which is emphasized here.
Note-taking enhances one’s comprehension of instructional material. It helps he/she use one’s notes as learning/study aids and shows he/she how to use note-taking independently.
- Cornell system of note-taking- 5 R’s : record, reduce, recite, reflect and review.
- Record: draw a vertical line down your paper. The left side of your paper , should be 1/3 the width of the paper, the right side 2/3. Jot down notes on the right side of the line.
- Reduce: Use the column on the left side of the line to ‘reduce’ your notes to key words and phrases that describe the most important information you need to remember.
- Recite: Fold back or cover the note taking column with only the key words showing, read each one in turn and recite anything that you understand or remember about the concept.
- Reflect: Take a break. Think about the information in your notes without looking back at them. State what you do and don’t understand about the topic. Decide how you are going to clear up any misunderstandings and do it.
- Review: Review your notes at regular intervals so that you stay familiar with the information that they contain.
1.7. Make notes:
Making notes is an activity done after note-taking. It consists of the process of arranging, completing and refining notes taken. Process in making notes are: check notes taken; arranging the notes in order; arranging information according to categories or specific order; taking notes with reference to the original information.
1.8. Notes as graphics
- Teachers can keep notes in the form of graphic organizers, arranging ideas in the page in ways that make relationships clear. Graphic organizer is a scheme for arranging information on a page so that the relationships among the concepts are made clear visually. For instance, a causal relationship might be shown with an arrow pointing from the cause to the effect, or subordinate details might be shown radiating from a main idea like spokes from the center of a wheel. For some learners, information is easier to process if the ideas are arranged graphically instead of in a linear fashion as is the case with traditional outlines, lists or pages of notes. For most learners, such visual displays can be aided to comprehension and retention of information. Graphic organizers help teacher understand relationship among ideas, refines and extends comprehension of information, helps teachers see learned information from new perspectives and encourages teachers to try them as an independent study strategy.
1.9. Make References:
It refers to usage of books from the library. Teachers should be able to make references on books from public libraries, school libraries, libraries in higher institute of learning, teacher activity centers.
1.10. Questioning skills
Teachers are able motivate student learning and thinking. Teachers should be able to use questions of higher-order so that students think critically such as able to explain, expound and voice their own opinions.
1.11. Speed Reading:
- There are two types of speed reading that is: skimming and scanning
- Skimming means speed reading with the aim of obtaining facts generally while scanning refers to speed reading with the aim of obtaining specific information from any resource.
1.12. Critical Reading:
- Critical reading helps teachers to understand content of the subject matter faster and will remain longer in the memory. There are two techniques of critical reading, that is: SQ3R and KWL.
- SQ3R refers to survey, question, read recite and review
- Survey: Get a good idea of the chapter’s content . Survey the title, the introduction, the summary, pictures and maps, chapter questions, heading, subheadings and words in special print (boldface, italics, capital letters)
- Question: After carefully surveyed the material change all the headings into questions. Questions help you learn because to find the answers, you need to read actively. Questions challenge you and give you a purpose for trying to master material. Write a list of all your questions and keep them in the same order that the headings appear in the book. Leave enough space after each question for answers.
- Read: Read the question you wrote for the heading. Then read the text that follows the heading to find the answer. Do the same thing to find the answers to other questions written.
- Recite: Once you read a section, stop and describe in your own words the major ideas that were presented. Since text books are divided into sections with headings and subheading, recite whenever you reach one of these convenient stopping places.
- Review: you are ready to go back over the material and review it. Survey again what you have read. Skim over the headings of the chapter- and ask yourself what they mean and what information they contain. Recite important ides under each heading.
- KWL (developed by Donna Ogle) prepares you to learn by helping you tap into your present knowledge, identify what you need to find out and sort through the information you’ve learned. K stands for what you know; W stands for what you WANT to learn; L stands for what you’ve learned. The KWL process allows you to zero in on your study topic and use your time most effectively. Each step keeps you focused on your study goals.
2.0 Thinking Skills
2.1 Thinking skill is a cognitive process broken down into a set of explicit steps which are then used to guide thinking. Thinking skills allow one’s cognitive system to function more efficiently.
2.2 Teachers need thinking skills and strategies that will enable them adapt to constant change. Critical thinkers are self-correcting and they discover their weaknesses and act to remove obstacles and faults.
2.3 Critical thinking is reasonable reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. It has become an activity both practical and reflective that has reasonable belief or action as its goal.
2.4 It comprises the mental processes, strategies and representations people use to solve problems, make decisions, and learn new concepts. It has to do with organizing, analyzing, evaluating or describing what is already there. Among the critical thinking skills are inferring, comparing, compare and contrast , analyze, supporting a statement, decision making, ordering, evaluation, creating groups, investigation and experimenting.
2.5 Teachers have to internalize the reflective thinking until reflective questions and analysis become like the “inner speech” or “self talk” which occurs frequently and spontaneously for the experienced teacher.
2.6 Dewey contends that teachers should be trained in analyzing and defining principles behind the reflective techniques. Reflecting involves active, persistent and careful consideration of behavior or practice. It is the means for meeting and responding to the problems. The more reflectivity that occurs, the better the quality of teaching.
2.7 The teacher as a reflective practitioner is seen as thoughtful persons intrinsically motivated to analyze a situation, set goals, plan and monitor actions, evaluate results and reflect on their own professional thinking. The reflective practitioner is one who can think while acting and thus can respond to the uncertainty, uniqueness and conflict involved in the situations in which professionals practice.
2.8 There are five components of reflective thinking: (1) recognizing an educational dilemma;(2) responding to a dilemma by recognizing both the similarities to other situations and the special qualities of the particular situation; (3) framing and reframing the dilemma,(4) experimenting with the dilemma to discover the consequences and implications of various solutions;(5) examining the intended and unintended consequences of an implemented solution and evaluating the solution by determining whether the consequences are desirable or not.
3.0 Planning
3.1 Effective planning is essential to good time management. It can be broken down into long-term, medium–term and short-term planning. Teachers have to plan what they want to achieve for the year.
3.2 A useful technique for planning in the long-term is to list all the tasks that have to be accomplished to achieve the long-term goal. Write them on a grid so that you can see the deadline for each aspect.
3.3 Having set the long term plan , the teacher need to transfer the tasks to a medium term plan. In transferring the tasks from the long term plan to the medium term, one is aware of the times of term which are busy enough without adding in extra work.
3.4 Short term planning amount to listing out all the tasks for the week. The effectiveness as a planner will depend to an extent on whether one can do the tasks without interruption in the times that have been allocated.
3.5 In short, a teacher as a planner performs the following tasks:
- teaching strategies that are congruent with purpose;
- plans that reflect the diversity of the classroom;
- shows an ability to speak and write about the significance of acquired knowledge and cumulative experience
- understands theoretical and practical aspects of curriculum development and implementation;
- demonstrates a thorough understanding of one or more teaching models;
- makes conscious, creative decisions about the components of lesson design;
- develops on a continuing basis a repertoire of effective and positive classroom management techniques
- presents materials in a variety of ways to accommodate different dominant learning styles;
- exhibits high standards of professional ethics regarding colleagues
4.0 Communication Skills
4.1 Communication refer s to social interaction performed through messages. Messages are formally coded events, symbols or signals or representational events which are of shared significance in a culture and which are produced for the purpose of evoking responses.
4.2 The ability to communicate is not just a matter of being able to articulate or demonstrate great wit. It is a two way process, of listening as much as talking, of encouraging others to talk as much as talking oneself.
4.3 Skills in communication also include interpersonal skills. Teachers need to effectively interact with his students and colleagues. The types of interpersonal skills are:
- Attending behavior: teacher shares students’ feelings and he wishes to help
- identifies and accepts the different emotions or objectives underlying each student’s answer, through eye contact, facial expressions and verbal encouragement
- Reflection : teacher states an opinion, a wish, a belief or preference to the class or when he asks a question which reflects his personal view. The teacher provides direction, suggest alternatives or redirect thinking among students towards the real issues.
- Inventory questioning : Teacher uses a set of questions to help students describe more clearly or to become more forthright in thought feeling or action. He rephrases questions and uses different words which seek to assist students.
- Encouraging alternatives : teacher acts to get student to clarify further what he is saying, for example, a teacher will provide an answer or a suggestion as an alternative, then seek two or more alternatives from students.
5.0 Management Skills
5.1 Management means making things work or creating opportunities for the organization, which means enabling it to function efficiently and effectively.
5.2 Management skills are as follows:
- ability to articulate and implement aims and policies. Teacher must be able to lead their colleagues in thinking about the aims of the school and how to turn them into action.
- Articulation of the curriculum philosophy. Teacher should be able to lead thinking about curriculum, including continuity and progression, so that coherence is ensured for the individual student
- Management of care and discipline
- Management of people : managers need to deal with people not only within the school, but also outside it, such as parents, governors. They need skill in eliciting ideas from colleagues and drawing them together; such skills as counseling, discussion leadership, presentation skills, negotiating skills and communication.
- Management of resources
- Evaluation is an important part of management, whether individuals or of the school as a whole.
6.0 Facilitation
6.1 Facilitator of learning means that the teacher’s role is to provide the type of the environment conducive to the kind of learning the teacher wishes to encourage. Frank Smith(1983) identifies three aspects of the learning process, which he refers to as demonstration, engagement and sensitivity. For learning to take place, the environment must provide demonstrations of what is to be learnt.
6.2 The quality of any learning experience will depend on the nature and clarity of the demonstrations, the degree of sensitivity that learners display towards them, and the opportunities afforded for using and experimenting with new knowledge. Although teachers may not have a great deal of control over the sensitivity of learners, there is much they can do to create demonstrations which increase, or focus, the learner’s sensitivity, and to provide opportunities for learners to experiment with and use new knowledge.
6.3 Facilitator assesses the needs of their learners before initiating classroom strategies to meet these needs. Teachers who facilitate learning do not set up demonstrations that are unnecessarily repetitious and boring for children. They provide only what the children need, even if this means that some of the best prepared demonstrations go unused because the children already know what they show
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