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Pädagogik

Curtin Western australia

2011

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Putting meaning to being an effective teacher


Introduction

What does it mean to be an effective teacher? Answering this question is not as straight forward as expected initially. There are other questions that need to be asked in order to response to this initial question. What instructional and teaching strategies would help contribute to the most effective teacher? Does a teacher possessing professional attributes and understanding of ethical and legal aspects make for an effective teacher? Or is more required?

These questions are all relevant to becoming an effective teacher and this analysis aims to review important strategies and techniques to enable and assist a teacher to become the most effective teacher they can be.

It will take into account proactive classroom management, behavioural management and low-key responses to misbehaviour, also instilling respect and pride to students for their own and classmates, studies outcomes and property. It will also touch on why these are important and effects if they are not utilised.


Professionalism within teaching

An effective teacher requires professionalism in their own behaviour, whether within their school environment or community. Professionalism includes ensuring that their knowledge and skills are current and that they have enthusiasm for their job. Professionalism can be broken down into five different aspects: professional development, behaviour, personal presentation and punctuality.


Professional development can extend from reading and research of current educational theories and practises through to further studies. (Whitton et al. 2010) The teacher should already have a strong foundation of knowledge of the curriculum but it is important for a teacher to stay up to date with current teaching methods so that their students are not disadvantaged by aged educational techniques.


Professional behaviour encapsulates day-to-day preparation and administration tasks are maintained regularly. By ensuring their paperwork and notes are up-to-date they are prepared for any legal obligation under ‛Freedom to information’. This process requires certain information to be made available for purpose of publication under the law. (Whitton et al. 2010)


Personal presentation relates to how a teacher dresses, acts and speaks. A teacher is a role model for students and in doing so should take into account their own presentation. By ensuring their presentation is appropriate and adopting some parts of mandated student presentation requirements, such as makeup, jewellery and hair, the teacher demonstrates dress protocol for a work environment.

Appropriate attire is also required by law, so as if in the event of injury all precautions where take to avoid injury. (Whitton et al. 2010)


Punctuality should be dealt with in a similar way, what is expected of students should be expected of the teacher, after all teachers should lead by example. An effective teacher should be punctual to school, classes and meetings. However, in the event that the teacher may be held up they should have activities the class can do until they arrive. (Whitton et al. 2010) This will earn respect from peers and ensures that the class is occupied until they arrive.

The alternative may lead to an unsettled classroom and when the teacher does finally arrive there may be wasted time in settling and redirecting students’ attention.

Ethics and legal requirements

A teacher should ensure that their own ethics are relevant to the schools own code of conduct prior to employment. Confidentiality plays a significant role for a teacher, both their own private life and events within a school environment. A teacher must have control over what they talk about in all situations, both within both the school environment and the community.

Commonly confused with ethics is obligations of a teacher by law. ‛Total compliance with child protection legislation or laws on working with children is mandatory in many states’ (Whitton et al. 2010 pp123). There are many legal aspects which teachers require knowledge of and must follow, such as: discipline, bullying, harassment, sexual assault, physical contact, discrimination, restrain, searches, confiscation of student property and defamation of colleagues, students and parents. (Whitton et al. 2010 pp122-128)

However, an important legal requirement that teacher are required to know and abide by is ‛duty of care’. This common law legislation encompasses the requirement of a teacher to protect students from reasonable foreseeable harm. This care is due whenever a teacher is representing the school and in control of students and their actions. (WA DET, 2007)

Due diligence by a teacher applies to relevant situations, such as:

- within the classroom and school boundaries

- excursions and school camps

- school sporting events on school grounds or a designated area outside the school grounds (Whitton et al. 2010 p124).

Professionalism, ethics and knowledge of the law are important qualities to posses but are not the only requirements to becoming an effective teacher. There are other teaching techniques and strategies both in and outside the classroom which need to be considered.


To be an effective teacher a classroom should be well thought out and feel welcoming and safe to students entering it. Four factors that should be taken into account when considering the classroom environment are psychological, social, physiological and pedagogical. (EDP120 2011, Topic 3).

Psychological factors ensure the classroom environment is safe both physically and emotionally for students. (Abdi 2011, Feedback for Week 3 Tasks and Conversations) The teacher needs to build mutual respect between themselves and student, student to student and towards others property.

Social factors covers group activities, encouraging individual participation, relevant praise for participation and a knowledge of students social interaction. This also extends to some knowledge of the students parents and community activities. (Abdi 2011, Feedback for Week 3 Tasks and Conversations)

Physiological factors extend to planned layout of the classroom, to ensure full visibility of the classroom by the teacher and that there are designated study areas. Displaying student work promotes pride by the students so this should be in a suitable area. (Abdi 2011, Feedback for Week 3 Tasks and Conversations)

It could be argued that the classroom environment can create itself over time but by having a preconceived environment ensures students feel welcome from their first lesson and helps them to feel secure within their classroom. By planning the classroom environment the teacher will demonstrate skills attributed to an effective teacher in the eyes of students, parents, peers and school administration.


Effective classroom behaviour management

A preferred teaching technique when dealing with student behaviour within the classroom environment is the authoritative approach. This technique has proven to be most effective in both power of a teacher and care of the individual students needs, as shown in Diana Baumrind (1971, pp199) analysis of child-rearing. It allows the teacher to care for each student rather than the class as a whole.

This approach is not to say the teacher would not have disciplinary issues but when problems do occur the teacher would speak to the student separately from the class, public reticule is not acceptable. The teacher would ask the student for an explanation of why expectations were not adhered to; ask the student how they would like to remedy the problem and agree on the new requirements for this task but acknowledge the original expectations still apply in the future. (Whitton et al. 2010 pp220)

Authoritative teaching approach reflects a respect between the teacher and student, which is not shown in Baumrind's alternative teaching techniques: authoritarian & permissive. These alternative techniques are based on either the teacher in a dictator role and relying on the students fear of punishment [Authoritarian] or the teacher taking a submissive role, commonly associated with lack of planning or confidence on the teacher behalf, by trying to 'win' the student over and/or trying to be their friend [Permissive].


Proactive classroom management

Jacob Kounin (1970), an educational theorist, developed a list to assist with effective management of a classroom which reflects the proverb 'prevention is better than cure' and is a great proactive teaching tool. Kounin’s theory on classroom management requires a teacher to be organised and classes planned while utilising proactive behaviour and student participation.

This list consisted of five main skills which assist a teacher with fluent lesson movement: 'withitness', 'overlappingness', 'smoothness', 'momentum' and 'slowdowns'. These skills reflect on the teacher knowing what is happening within the classroom, planning for the unexpected, keeping the lesson clear, precise and on-track and multi-tasking. Without use of these skills the lesson is at risk of constant disruption and the students losing interest and focus within lesson.


Another technique to be considered is the Low-Key responses or Bump techniques which compliments Kounin's list, above. By the teacher using subtle gestures, such as, but not limited to, proximity, student's name, gesture, glance or even as subtle as a pause, when misbehaviour starts acknowledges that the students behaviour is unacceptable and allows them to stop it without incident or interruption to the lesson’s flow.

Low-key responses must be used when the behaviour is minor and when it first initiates, rather than when the behaviour escalates otherwise it will not be effective. (Bennett and Smilanich 1994 pp190)

This technique utilises the four concepts of: winning over, cohesiveness, inclusiveness and a safe environment, all while dealing with misbehaviour. (Bennett and Smilanich 1994 pp190) Both Kounin’s list and low-key responses enable a teacher to stop misbehaviour before it interrupts the lesson and enables proactive measures for unforeseen interruptions.


Effective instructional strategies

Two strategies that work hand in hand with each other are constructivist teaching and collaborative learning. Constructivist teaching employed with collaborative learning and activities that encourage discussion enables the students to challenge each other in both knowledge and understanding. (Fetherston, 2006) Use of these strategies together highlights to the student that by speaking in open forums it allows them to be more informed on topics and, with the teacher overseeing these discussions, assists students in developing more educated and broadminded views of certain topics.

This type of teaching techniques encourages students to understand that they are free to have their own opinions but that they should be opened minded as to others beliefs too.



These strategies shift away from the traditional classroom environment, of the teacher facilitator and the student being a receiver of information and, moves toward the teacher having more of a coaching role. The teacher provides the relevant information and resources to the groups and then supervises only intervening when discussion is getting stale or off track of the topic.

This not only enables students to have a deeper understanding of topics but assists in improving retention of the information, self-esteem, inclusiveness and enjoyment of learning. (Briggs & Potter 1999 pp254-255).


The outdated overview of ‛one-size fits all’ style of teaching is no longer applicable due to the level of diversity within classrooms. Diversity which is more commonly integrated and acknowledged by schools, such as, but not limited to: cultures, religions and learning abilities. This diversity needs to be adequately distributed among the groups, more diversity within each group, will enhance sharing of differing information which will ensure more informed outcomes.


It is a realm of factors, strategies and techniques which contribute to becoming an effective teacher. Recommended by this analysis is an authoritative teaching approach, combined with constructive and collaborative strategies to enable students to build their own knowledge, pride in their work and respect for others.

By utilising proactive and low-key behaviour management it will assist with misbehaviour and fluency of the lesson. The classroom environment requires prior thought to layout and security for students, which ties in with attributes to a classroom: psychological, social, physiological and pedagogical. If a teacher can master these strategies and techniques then they would be well on their way to becoming an effective teacher.




Bennett, B. & Smilanich, P. (1994). Classroom management: A Thinking and Caring Approach. Toronto: Educational Connections. Bennett & Smilanich (1994, pp. 187-218).
Whitton,D., Sinclair, C., Barker, K., Nanlohy, P., & Nosworthy, M. (2010). Learning for teaching: Teaching for learning. Victoria: Thompson


Whitton, D., Baker, K., Nosworthy, Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010). Learning for teaching: Teaching for learning. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning


Kounin, J.J. (1970). Discipline and Group Management in Classrooms. New York: Holt, Rinehart Winston, Inc.


Jacob Wilkins (n.d.). The Educational Portfolio:Jacob Kounin, Overview/History of Jacob. Kounin's Work. Retrieved from



Briggs, F. & Potter, J. (1999). The early years of school. Australia: Pearson. (Briggs & Potter Collaborative Learning.doc )


Smith, B.L. & MacGregor (2001), J.T. What is Collaborative Learning. Honore BrownRetrieved from


Briggs, F & Potter, J. (1999), The early years of school. Australia: Pearson. Pp254-255


EDP120 (2011,) Module Two - Topic 3 (Creating a positive learning environment), EDP120: Introduction to Teaching. Retrieved from


Western Australian Department of Education (2007 Version1.1)Duty of Care for Students policy, Perth Western Australia. Retrieved from


EDP120 (2011) Feedback for Week 3 Tasks and Conversations. EDP120: Introduction to Teaching. Retrieved from



Fetherston, T. (2006). Becoming an effective teacher. Sydney: Thompson


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