The Teacher Learning

I have been teaching high school for only one year. During this time, I have taught grammar, literature, vocabulary and writing skills. I used to think that the content I was teaching took priority over the skills I was teaching. Now, I think that encouraging thinking skills is the most important aspect of my job.  I used to think that there was only one ‘successful’ way of teaching, but now I think that there is are a multitude of diverse methods of teaching.  Learning is complex and varied. It is not as simplistic as delivering subject-specific knowledge. It is a reciprocal relationship based on a dialogue between teacher and learner.

            I have no formal education as an educator. The first week of my job was a blur of training, and as an IB teacher, most of that training was filled with buzzwords, and had little practical application. The one piece of information I gleaned was that “Learning Happens in Context”. This tidbit was my biggest armour for my first year of teaching, and I taught Julius Caesar through reference to “Mean Girls” and social hierarchies (what I thought an ideal basis for teenage girls). What I did not know was what to deliver afterword- how to link the context to fundamental and lasting thinking skills. In essence, I was able to connect, but stopped before I could extend or challenge.  I realize now that I have done my students a disservice; they will remember Brutus as Lindsay Lohan, but will not remember the analytic skills needed for complex writing.

              I think that it is hard for teachers to recognize the diversity of learners’ abilities and attitudes. It is difficult for us to know what are important conditions for some learners. As a teacher in the Middle East, my lesson plans were often a quagmire of cultural difficulties. It was difficult for me to understand that the learning environment of my classroom in Jeddah would be so vastly different from my North American high school. I used to think that learning was a solitary activity, and that in order to absorb knowledge, the room must be silent and the attention remain steadfast upon the illuminated teacher and her lecture. My own learning reflected this: I used to groan at the idea of group projects or pair work. In essence, my own learning was anti-social. Now I think that learning can and should have a social aspect, and that chatter is not detrimental to the learning process.  Indeed, I know think that “pair share” is a valuable and integral part of the classroom.

            I used to think that Chris Woodhead’s mantra, “Teachers teach and children learn. It is as simple as that.” (Class War) was the bottom line of my profession. Through this course, and through Steve Denning’s concept of “sticky knowledge”, I understand know that learning, and knowledge itself is not a one-lane highway., and as teachers, we are not the road that is travelled on. Instead, learning, and knowledge is a pathway, to which there are many routes, many obstacles, and many methods. As teachers we are the guides along the pathway, and the storehouses of supplies needed for the journey. I used to think that some children were simply performing better in my class. Now I think that when I return to the classroom I need to be sensitive and aware of the unique learning paths of each learner. I need to check for misconceptions, or obstacles on the path, and I need to diversify my storehouse to provide skills for a more diverse group of learners.

            I am both an English teacher and a Theory of Knowledge teacher, which is essentially a course on epistemology. In my TOK class, questions about thinking abound, but I was unable to translate these questions and activities into my English classes, much to the detriment of my teaching. As a learner myself, I had learned critical thinking skills in the context of TOK, but had failed to extend my knowledge to my other classes. I used to think was that the foundations of one subject were completely separate from another subject. Now I think that learning strategies and critical thinking about knowledge is central to all subjects. The content might change, but the fundamental aspects of learning are the same.

It is one of the IB requirements that my class does monthly reflections on their learning. I used to think of these tasks as horribly perfunctory and of little real value. I would never give students feedback on their own reflection, and would never bother to fill in my own reflection. Through this course, and particularly this assignment, I realize that reflection is a serious task. It is difficult to think critically about the progression of knowledge, and it is valuable to understand why thinking has changed, and through what means. Reflection has use as formative, summative and ongoing assessment, but more importantly, it is crucial as a habit for effective learning.

Teaching for Learning should be thought of in two ways. As educators, we are learning how to teach for the benefit of the students, but also we are teaching in order to learn more about our students and the way that they learn. In my development as a teacher, I should learn from my students as partners in knowledge; what is or isn’t successful in the classroom or different perspectives on an issue or on learning in general. Together, my students and I should create an environment that is conducive to learning. Therefore, I must be a learner too. I used to think that my job as a teacher was only delivering knowledge, but now I think that my job is to create conditions and provide skills needed for learning, and that I too must participate in learning. I must challenge myself to be a part of the process, not of the final result.