One does not become a master teacher after four semesters
in a teacher preparation program. Learning to teach and to teach well
occurs over time and involves four components: knowing, planning, doing,
and reflecting.
Teaching = knowing + planning + doing + reflecting
Knowing. Teachers need to
have an organized body of knowledge related to teaching and learning
(Darling-Hammond, 1999; Sternberg & Williams, 2002). This organized
body of knowledge will enable you to align the approaches and strategies
you use with a body of research and to make decisions that are more
likely to enhance your students’ learning. Research should inform your
teaching practice. There are four areas of knowledge that are
necessary to become an expert teacher: (a) content knowledge, (b)
pedagogical knowledge, (c) pedagogical content, and (d) knowledge of
learners and the learning process. Each of these is described below.
Planning. Good teaching does
not happen by accident (lesson plan design will be addressed in Chapter
20). Effective teachers plan their learning experiences (Hay/McBer,
2000). They decide exactly what they want students to learn, the
teaching strategies they will use, the questions they may ask students,
and related activities and assignments. Planning enables you to create
more purposeful and effective instruction and results in fewer behavior
management issues.
Doing. This third element is
where you actually teach the lesson. Here you present the material to be
learned using a variety of research-based methodologies and teaching
strategies (pedagogical knowledge). However, the first two elements need
to be addressed before you can function well here.
Reflecting. Effective
teachers are reflective teachers (Sternberg & Williams, 2002;
Zeichner & Liston, 1996). Reflection occurs on three levels: Level I
- lesson effectiveness. You reflect to see what things worked in a
particular teaching episode and what things could be changed or
improved. Level II - research base. You reflect to see if what you're
doing is aligned with a body of research related to best teaching
practice. And Level III - philosophy and values. You reflect to see if
what you're doing and how you're doing is is in harmony with your
values and educational philosophy
Master Teachers Possess Four Types of Knowledge
Master teachers possess four types of knowledge (Bruer, 1999; Darling-Hammond, 1999; Eggen & Kauchak, 2007):
Knowledge of content. The expert teacher
has a body of knowledge related to the content or subject matter that is
to be taught. The math teacher knows a lot about math, the social
studies teacher knows a lot about social studies, etc. This body of
knowledge guides the expert teacher in deciding what is taught and in
what order. Elementary and special education teachers must know a bit
about many things.
Pedagogical knowledge.
Pedagogy is
the art and science of teaching. Expert teachers know a variety of
skills, strategies, techniques, and methods to impart knowledge or
enhance learning. Effective teachers have a toolbox filled with a
variety of pedagogical skills they can use with a variety of students in
a variety of situations.
Pedagogical content knowledge. Pedagogical
content knowledge is an understand of how to teach specific content or
skills. For example, you know the best strategies for teaching reading,
science, math, or writing. Also, you understand how to convert your
knowledge into information that students can understand. You can break
things into manageable parts, use kid language to make things clear and
simple, and design activities that help students understand.
Knowledge of learners and learning. You
understand the learning process, you know how students best learn, and
you recognize link between what you do and student learning. Here you
understand human development and theories of learning. That is, the
basic elements of educational psychology.
VIDEO MINI-LECTURES RELATED TO LEARNING TO TEACH
