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The essential characteristics of effective teachingCoghill_Lauren_16435616_ EDP120

The essential characteristics of effective teaching.

There are many definitions and thoughts about what makes an effective teacher.

However, most definitions include that an effective teacher strives to achieve successful

learning from their students. All students have the right to learn, regardless of their

ability, accessibility or social status. To enable learning to happen, a teacher must be

professional in all that they do. Professionalism relates to the standard o,f and

commitment to teaching (Whitton, Barker, Nosworthy, Sinclair, Nanlohy, 2010). This high

standard of teaching extends to the characteristics of an effective teacher and how they

plan their lesson, to the strategies and approaches used in this lesson and how they

motivate their students. An effective teacher can form positive relationships with their

students whilst promoting positive classroom management and achieve a student’s

sense of belonging in the classroom. These characteristics promote student learning and

accomplish success for students.

An effective teacher is professional. Achieving results and maximising student learning

should be the main focus of the teacher, whilst upholding professional standards. “The

meaning of professionalism is frequently noticed in the context of its absence” (Phelps,

2006). The professional standards can be divided into categories to include academic

standards, ethics, legal, professional, personal and cultural. All of these divisions play a

role to ensure that learning can be achieved and that all factors are considered within

the teaching profession (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). No student should be

discriminated against or treated differently as a result of the categories above. As a

teacher, it is essential that there is the commitment for continual learning.

An essential characteristic for a teacher to be effective is full preparation through lesson

planning. The first step in planning is deciding on what approach will be used within the

lesson (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). There are two broad approaches to teaching.

These are the expository approach and the inquiry approach (Whitton, Barker, et al,

2010). The expository approach refers to the teaching strategy when the teacher gives

the information to the students and they record the information in a certain way (Whitton,

Barker, et al, 2010). An example of this approach is during the lesson ‘Knowledge and

understanding of the world’ by teacher Mrs Karen Whitehouse (Schoolsworld TV., 2008).

Mrs Whitehouse discusses the differences of each living thing and names them from the

whiteboard.

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The inquiry approach refers to the student strategies of learning. The inquiry approach is

more student focused. The teacher becomes a resource person and offers the students

relevant learning practices to develop their understanding of the topic (Whitton, Barker,

et al, 2010). An example of the inquiry approach is used in Mrs Whitehouse’s lesson with

the students exploring the inside garden and naming and categorising the living things

into groups that slither, crawl or fly. The students can identify which living thing goes into

which category, and if they need assistance, they can ask for it (Schoolsworld TV.,

2008). A combination of both methods can be used during the lesson and will assist with

increasing student learning.

An effective teacher needs to consider the allocation of time in the lesson planning. The

individual lesson plan should be broken down into minutes and take into consideration

how long the actual lesson is, how much time is available to you and how long do you

want sections of the lesson to go for? (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). Teachers need to

ensure that they have allowed enough time for all of the students with different learning

capabilities to complete a task and also ensure that they have not overestimated the

timings. Lulls in concentration often happen when the students has completed the task

and do not have anything else to continue on with (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010).The

Science – Mini Beasts lesson plan (See Appendix 1) is an example of how the lesson

plan timing should be considered.

Questioning, question time and how to incorporate these questions into a lesson is

another characteristic of an effective teacher. The reasons for questions in a lesson can

vary. Questions may attract the attention and interest from the students to the topic

being learned. Questions can be used to measure the student’s knowledge of the topic

and questions can be used to get students to recall information or facts learned

previously. The skill of good questioning should increase learning and encourage the

students to think (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). The teacher must ensure that the choice

of question is appropriate to the learning content and is asked in the correct context. The

effective teacher should use questioning to encourage the students interest in the topic.

Mrs Whitehouse used questioning at the start of her lesson ‘What is the difference

between bees and caterpillars?’ This question got the students attention and interest

about the topic of Living Things (Schoolsworld TV., 2008).

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There are two main types of questions. Convergent questions are known as closed

questions and the responses are limited (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). In the video of the

lesson, Mrs Whitehouse asked convergent questions when she had diagrams on the

whiteboard and asked the students what each of them were (Schoolsworld TV., 2008).

The other type of questions are divergent questions. These are open ended questions

and require higher-order thinking skills (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). Mrs Whitehouse

used an example of divergent questions when she asked the students about what types

of living things could live in the garden (Schoolsworld TV., 2008). Billings and Roberts

(2006) emphasise on the importance of open-ended questions and the possible

responses. These divergent questions allow students to think and speak for themselves.

In the lesson plan (Appendix 1), a divergent question is asked about where insects and

mini beasts live. This open-ended question enables the students to think and recall prior

knowledge and relate it to the current topic of ‘Habitats’. To be an effective teacher, both

types of questions should be incorporated into the lesson. Effective teachers should

ensure that the questions have been planned and developed and put in an appropriate

order so that they follow the sequence of the lesson (Fetherston, 2007)

Classroom management is essential for effective teaching and learning. Students need

to feel a sense of safety and belonging in the classroom as this will influence the way

that students interact with each other and how they learn in such an environment (Lyons,

Ford, McCarthur-Kelly, 2011). All classrooms are different. Effective teachers must use

their knowledge of the students and set tasks to engage the student’s different learning

ability levels. “A good teacher in our view is a teacher who engages all students fully in

the teaching and learning dynamic of the classroom, leading to successful educational

outcomes” (Lyons, Ford, McCarthur-Kelly, 2011, Pg. 43). When the students know what

to expect in a lesson, this gives them a sense of familiarity and consistency of the

structure of the lesson. This increases the student’s sense of belonging in the

classroom. This structure is evident in the lesson plan (Appendix 1) by the students

entering the classroom and sitting straight on the mat as they know this is how the

lesson always starts.

The Lyford model of classroom management allows the effective teacher to create a

positive learning environment. This model implies that students who have a sense of

belonging in a happy and safe place will increase learning. Students that recognise that

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they are valued and belong are happy and ready to learn well. In Mrs Whitehouse’s

class it is evident that the students feel part of the classroom. They were all confident to

put up their hands to answer the questions and to engage in conversation with the

teacher. Mrs Whitehouse allows the students to take ownership of their tasks by

breaking up into smaller groups and working their way around different work stations.

The students were able to experience much more by moving freely and discussing their

findings with each other. This showed that students were comfortable in their surrounds

and demonstrated that they felt like they belonged to the classroom (Schoolsworld TV.,

2008). According to the Lyford model, this type of classroom management would

increase the students’ morale and the students would have higher motivation to learn.

“Motivation is the process whereby goal-directed activity is instigated and sustained”

(Schunk, Pintrich & Meece, 2008 as cited Eggen & Kauchak 2010, Pg. 284). If students

are not engaged and motivated to learn they can become bored and thus not

concentrate on the content and instructions being given. Motivated students are willing

to learn new concepts, have positive attitudes, process information in greater depths and

have a greater sense of self efficacy (Eggen & Kauchak 2010). Students in Mrs

Whitehouse’s class were all eager to be involved in activities and in class discussions.

This showed that the students had motivation for the concepts being taught

(Schoolsworld TV., 2008). An effective teacher can achieve and maintain the student’s

motivation to learn. It is important for teachers to recognise the fact that the levels of

motivation in students decreases through their school years (Anderman & Midgley, 1997

as cited Whitton, Barker, et al 2010, Pg. 209). This means that teachers of later years

need more emphasis on motivating students. An effective teacher needs to ensure that

the students believe they can achieve, as students who believe this tend to be more

motivated (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). To motivate students will more than likely

involve encouraging the students (Whitton, Barker, et al, 2010). This may be as simple

as a smile when they walk in the room or communicating words of praise so the students

believe they can achieve the task being taught. A teacher who shows a real interest in

their students will quickly develop a positive relationship with them. Hattie (2009)

recognised that high quality positive and constructive feedback had a significant

influence in improving student achievement. By implementing a positive interaction with

each student and providing direct feedback during each lesson teachers will ensure they

develop strong, positive relationships where students are motivated to learn and be

successful.

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In the Science lesson with Mrs Whitehouse, the students were always encouraged and

if the students did not answer correctly or have an answer they were never made to feel

uneasy. Mrs Whitehouse would just say “I will give you some more thinking time and

come back to you’’ (Schoolsworld TV., 2008).

Motivation is increased if students are informed of the benefits of learning the concept or

the skill, and motivation is increased again if the student can relate such a concept of

skill to their life. For example, in the lesson with Mrs Whitehouse, she had the students

learning their WOW words for the body parts of the insects. With the word Abdomen,

she pointed to the insect body part and then she also pointed to her abdomen showing

where it was on the human body. Students could then see firsthand what this word

meant and how is correlated to their learning (Schoolsworld TV., 2008). An effective

teacher can maintain motivation throughout the whole lesson.

In conclusion, to be an effective teacher you must have positive attitudes towards your

students and what you are teaching. The effective teacher must maintain a professional

standard at all times. Achieving results and maximising student learning should be the

main focus of an effective teacher. In order for successful learning, the teacher must aim

to have a positive impact on the student. This impact can come from simply motivating

the students a simple smile or more in-depth feedback. An effective teacher has the

ability to make the students feel like they belong and by careful planning of lessons,

teachers can inspire and encourage students to learn. An effective teacher can maintain

motivation and knows the benefits of having informed students. Informed students

recognise the benefits for learning and hence will achieve greater results. Teachers are

lifelong learners, they need to learn along the way and adapt their lessons with the

students’ needs.

Word Count: 1966

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References

Billings, L., & Roberts, T. (2006). Planning, practice, and assessment in the seminar

classroom. The high school journal, 90(1), 1-8. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/220219704?accountid=10382

Davies, P. (Producer). (2008). Knowledge and understanding of the world. [Streaming

video]. schoolsworld.tv. Retrieved from http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/2065?

terms=644

Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2010). Educational psychology: Windows on classrooms

(8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Education

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to

achievement. New York: Routledge

Lyons, G., Ford, M., Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011). Classroom management: Creating positive

learning environments. South Melbourne: Cenage Learning

Phelp, P. H. (2006). The three rs of professionalism, 42, 69-71.Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/232033665?

accountid=10382

Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, Sinclair, C., Nanlohy,P. ( 2010). Learning for

teaching: Teaching for learning. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning

ICT for science schemes of work (2000). Retrieved October 16, 2012 from

http://www.thegrid.org.uk/learning/science/ks1-2/resources/examples/livingthings/

habitats.pdf

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http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/2065?terms=644

http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/2065?terms=644


Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2011).

Science Year Level Description Retrieved from

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Elements/ACSSU211

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http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Elements/ACSSU211


APPENDIX 1: LESSON PLAN

Learning Area Year Time/Session Date

Science – Mini Beasts Pre Primar

y

Period 2: 9.45am-10.30am

22/10/12

Topic/Lesson Title:

PREPARATIONFollow up lesson forhttp://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/2065?terms=644Classifying Mini Beasts and WOW words - Thorax, Abdomen, Wings, Antenna

Rationale / GoalThis lesson extends the students’ knowledge of Mini Beasts and where they live and why they live in that habitat. Students can use their previous knowledge of classifying Mini Beasts into the categories to assist with their learning about which Mini Beast lives where and why that environment best suits them. The goal of this lesson is for students to gain the knowledge of habitats and how certain habitats work, for example Ant colonies, and be able to communicate why each Mini Beast lives this way. This lesson will prepare them for the following lesson of walking around the School identifying habitats and Mini Beasts.

Learning area links as per Australian CurriculumACSSU211 – Biological Sciences - Living things live in different places where their needs are met

Children’s prior knowledge/experienceName living thingsName the parts of some Mini Beasts – Thorax, Abdomin, Wings, AntennaClassify Mini Beasts into categories ‘Slither’, ‘Crawl’ or ‘Fly’The Butterfly life cycle

ObjectivesAt the end of the lesson the children will be able to:

- Explain what a habitat means- Use the WOW words Habitat, Environment, Hive, Colony- Discuss the types of habitats Mini Beasts use- Explain why a Mini Beast lives in that type of environment

- Preparation / ResourcesSource Book ‘Bugs are Insects’ by Anne Rockwell and Steve JenkinsPut together 2 page pasting worksheet of Mini Beasts and HabitatsCopy 23 of each, 20 for students plus 3 spare20 x Scissors20 x PasteInteractive Whiteboard Setup with Pictures of habitats on slides

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PROCEDUREIntroduction/MotivationStudents will arrive at class and as per our class charter, will sit themselves on the mat. The question ‘What do we know so far about Insects and Mini Beasts’ will be asked. The students will discuss their prior knowledge from the last 2 lessons. They will then listen to the Picture Storybook ‘Bugs are Insects’ by Anne Rockwell and Steve Jenkins (5 minutes)

Main Body of the lessonThe book touches on where Insects and Mini Beasts live; we will discuss this further by asking the question ‘Does anybody know where Insects and Mini Beasts live?’ After a small discussion, a display of different environments will be shown on the interactive whiteboard, for example, wetlands, hive, web, desert, garden, and colony. These will each be discussed briefly with what types of Mini Beasts could possibly live there. The WOW words of Habitat, Environment, Hive, Colony will be explained. (10 minutes)

Students will be asked to go to their work stations while the Teacher’s Aides handout the worksheets with scissors and paste. Whilst sitting at their stations, instructions will be given about the cut and paste worksheet. They are to cut out the Mini Beasts and paste them in their correct habitat. Students can work in groups at their tables to discuss which Mini Beast goes where. Teacher Aides to assist with scissors especially with Ned Adams and Bronte Cail. I will move around the room from group to group asking questions and assisting with any difficulties. (15 minutes)

Students will be given a two minute warning before the time is up.

Students will be asked to return to the mat with their worksheets and the correct Mini Beast and habitat will be discussed. A variety of students will be called upon to answer each question. The students will be given the opportunity to state why they put that Mini Beast in that habitat and to use WOW words of Habitat, Environment, Hive and Colony. All completed worksheets handed back to the Teaching Aides for filing (10 minutes)

Closure/ Student reflectionA leading discussion for the next lesson, ‘Think about the school, and the Mini Beasts that could be living in this environment. Can anyone name a place and the Mini Beast that could be living here?’. A variety of students are called upon for their answers. Finish the lesson by reminding them to bring their gardening gloves for Thursday’s lesson as they will be walking around the School trying to find Mini Beasts (3 minutes).

Ask the students to slowly move back to their workstations and collect their belongings; push their chairs in and move on to Music. (2 minutes)

Assessment Worksheets Student Feedback How involved the students were in the class discussions How well they managed their time How well they listened to instructions Teacher observation Convergent Questions

- Can you name this mini beast?- What at the parts of an insect?

Divergent Questions

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- Where do mini beasts live?- What type of environment suits a beetle best?- Where in the School would be best to look for a mini beast?

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APPENDIX 2: WORK SHEET

Cut out the living things below and paste them into their habitat. Some living things can live anywhere so decide on which habitat suits them best.

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Habitats for pasting

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eportfoliolcoghill.weebly.com · Web view2018-09-09 · The essential characteristics of effective teaching. There are many definitions and thoughts about what makes an effective