The Reflection:
After listening to Ellen’s situation and performing researches on the types of teaching method best suited for the scenario, I have tried to simulate an identical situation with applications of different teaching methods as her teacher. From Ellen’s story, her year 10 drama teacher was a ‘non-interventionist’ and did not have adequate preparation prior to the lessons. Ellen’s teacher would pick random topic without following the curriculum. Apparently, his teaching method made his students uncomfortable and experienced difficulty in understanding the appointed tasks. Nevertheless, the same teacher taught Ellen in year 11 media class and it was noted that this teacher enjoyed teaching media very much. The teacher followed the outlined curriculum in the latter and as a consequence, the students were able to engage easily in his teachings. This case instigated several provocations in my mind. First of all, I have been thinking of the provocation 6: what will students want and need from me? What would I do if I was not interested in teaching the particular subject? What could I do to engage my students in the classroom?
As Andrea (2006) stated, “Use routines for all classroom activities so students know what to do at all times, e.g. where to put materials, when to transition, what the schedule is, and so on, should be familiar and routine to all students. Using routines allows students increased comfort level.” I believe that most students would prefer to understand what and why they are given particular tasks. If they have gotten used to the routines in the classroom, they will be able to engage and contribute more in their studies.
Sara also mentioned about Glasser’s theory in the presentation which I found very useful. Glasser’s choice theory is based on five points that emphasise on student’s prime needs: safety, belonging, power, fun, and freedom. Once we know what are the students’ prime needs, we will be able to come up with a well planned lesson that meets their desires.
“When students like the topics being studied, and thus want to learn about them, they almost always do well and rarely misbehave seriously.” (Charles, 2005 – Glasser)
This statement is very true. Pupils will only be motivated if they are interested in the subject. There are three main reasons of motivation in their studies: 1) they choose the subjects they are really interested in; 2) taught by teachers who are nice, useful, and able to help them; 3) they are confident in the subjects and will be able to score good grades. Thus, lesson planning should not be only covering students’ educational needs; but also to consider methods that will motivate students in their studies.
“In an educational context, motivation may be described as a student’s desire, intention and behaviours directed to learning and achieving their full potential. Motivation plays a significant role in student interest and enjoyment, is subject to influence from peers, teachers, parents, subjects and schools and is informed by ethnic and cultural background.” (Churchill, 2011 – MacCallum 2001; Martin 2007, 2008)
Ellen has revealed that all of her classmates were motivated in the drama class and were really keen on learning initially. However the disorganisation of her teacher has led them to lose their interests and desires to learn.
The creation of a positive classroom environment is also very important in students’ learning. Alfie Kohn has emphasised on “developing caring, supportive classrooms in which students are able to pursue topics of interest in depth.” (Charles, 2005) It is always beneficial to the students if they understand the purpose of learning, be less restrictive in their teachings, and be well-organised with a tinge of flexibility at times. Providing students with opportunities to present in front of the class and infusing them with a sense of belonging and involvement will undoubtly boost their motivation and engagement for that particular subject.
Ellen has made a comparison of her year 10 drama teacher with one of her favourite teacher. She stated that she preferred to have group discussions and interactive teachings which were absent in her year 10 drama class. I personally reckon that group discussion is very important as students will benefit from their exchange of ideas and learn from each other as students originate from different backgrounds. As Michael Reynolds (1994, Pg17) stated, “a group of people could make prior experience available for learning, could generate fresh material through experiential activities and could provide a forum for collective decision making about the content and direction of learning and development.”
In Zach’s presentation, he stated that making clear boundaries between teacher and students are very important. I was gobsmacked on listening to Ellen’s story about her classmates asking the teacher to sit in a corner and stop teaching, which then the teacher heeded their suggestions, adding to my surprise. As a teacher-in-training, I was initially offended with the rudeness of the students because this is unacceptable from my culture, considering the Asian background I was brought up in. I also felt that this teacher was unprofessional as he could actually reason with the students and notify the students that their behaviour was inappropriate. Ellen has also revealed that they have a close relationship with this teacher and thus treated him as a ‘friend’ instead of a teacher, giving them the courage to spit such words at him. This made me recalled the twenty tips from Andrea’s (2006) article: “Make clear boundaries for acceptable student interactions with you and with peers.” As a teacher, I am there primarily as a tutor, role model and secondarily as a friend. If the boundaries of a teacher and their students are non-existent, it will lead the pupils to misbehave and the teacher may end up losing control of the situation.
In conclusion, in order to create a positive classroom environment, we ought to contemplate on the students’ primary needs and to attempt to adjust our teaching methods accordingly. It will be good to have a well planned out lesson for both the students’ and the teacher’s benefits. In general, Ellen’s class can be categorised into the “fight” category. Thus, clear and concise instructions are utmost important for their education. Moreover, a well organised but flexible lesson plan is best suited for them.
References:
1) Babkie A.M. (2006), Be Proactive in Managing Classroom Behaviour, http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.canberra.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b656af4c-23d0-49ee-b3da-b9efebfc1400%40sessionmgr113&vid=2&hid=111
2) Charles C.M. (2005), Three Bridges to Twenty First Century Discipline (Ch5). In Building Classroom Discipline (8th Ed) (Pg. 72 – 92), Pearson
3) Churchil R., Ferguson P., Godinho S., Johnson N.F., Keddie A., Letts W., Mackay J., McGill M., Moss J., Nagel M.C., Nicholson P. and Vick M. (2011), Teaching Making A Difference, John Wiley & Sons, Australia.
4) Renolds M. (1994), Groupwork in Education and Training: Ideas in Practice, Kogan Page, UK.
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