When learning is traditionally measured by marks and the 'A's, contemporary education psychologist often remarks that classroom teaching is nothing but merely information transfer. "Initiative to learning is said to be driven by systematic teaching (not sure what that means!)", said student-teacher instructor. "In order to make sure that your students learn, the teaching aids you used, the technological gadgets enplaced ought to be interactice", she added on.
I pondered, "have you ever tried team-teaching for your class?" The teachers who filled my staff development session, looked at each other, could be wandering ("what on earth is this fellow talking about?"). "In a class of 25-30 students, English lesson for year one pupils is taught by five teachers. The lesson went for 2 hours with flexible breaks in between skills they planned," I continued to make more sense of my earlier question.
I continued with my elaboration:
A teacher who taught writing (English), began by grouping her pupils. The second and third teacher helped her by distributing printed materials, colourful and big enough that I could see letters printed on them. While the fourth teacher arranged some of the materials on a display table at one corner of the classroom.
The five teachers interacted so lively with the 28 year one students. After writing skills lasted for almost half-an-hour, the grammar English teacher led the class for another hour. She switched on the TV set stationed at one corner of the classroom (I reckoned it was about 40x60 feet in size!). It was screening video-taped animated story "the hare and the tortoise". She later paused the video tape and moved the students attention by looking at the chart prepared at the other corner of the classroom. She asked some questions related to what was shown in the video. The students responded actively non-choral as she politely said out each name who raised their hands. The story telling lesson(for grammar and comprehension) went impressively well that I did not realised I had been observing them for almost 120 minutes!
The class was very lively. I observed only one student seeked permission to go to the toilet, adjacent to the classroom. Students followership and leadership were remarkable. The five teachers (all ladies) facilitated the class so well that the whole episode that was supposed to be traditionally teaching (in Malaysian context) seemed to be scripted and dramatised! During break was amazing. Each student took a marker and dropped some words they have learnt on the blank chart placed in front of the classroom. Some wrote good comments (remember they were year one kid!). It was 1145 am. Lunch time was 15 minutes earlier for the class because they found that the planned activities for the morning were completed and the students learned the lesson very well commented the senior class teacher. I joined them for noon recess with five of them kept on discussing and relating on some students during the lesson.
The basic foundation for effective teaching-learning environment as I observed was: (1) The use of collaborative and cooporative learning strategies employed by all teachers. (The 120-minute lesson was filled with group works with student kept on moving tirelessly at each instruction given by the teachers. The eye-movement and body language displayed were testament of effective instruction at each level.) (2) Teachers' competency and disposition were remarkable in the sense that they mastered both knowledge and skills, implemented well all the classrom managing strategies, and most importantly they controlled too well of the psycho-social climate in the classroom. (3) I observed learning was facilitated and order was established.
(Moved from medang.blogspot.com)
I pondered, "have you ever tried team-teaching for your class?" The teachers who filled my staff development session, looked at each other, could be wandering ("what on earth is this fellow talking about?"). "In a class of 25-30 students, English lesson for year one pupils is taught by five teachers. The lesson went for 2 hours with flexible breaks in between skills they planned," I continued to make more sense of my earlier question.
I continued with my elaboration:
A teacher who taught writing (English), began by grouping her pupils. The second and third teacher helped her by distributing printed materials, colourful and big enough that I could see letters printed on them. While the fourth teacher arranged some of the materials on a display table at one corner of the classroom.
The five teachers interacted so lively with the 28 year one students. After writing skills lasted for almost half-an-hour, the grammar English teacher led the class for another hour. She switched on the TV set stationed at one corner of the classroom (I reckoned it was about 40x60 feet in size!). It was screening video-taped animated story "the hare and the tortoise". She later paused the video tape and moved the students attention by looking at the chart prepared at the other corner of the classroom. She asked some questions related to what was shown in the video. The students responded actively non-choral as she politely said out each name who raised their hands. The story telling lesson(for grammar and comprehension) went impressively well that I did not realised I had been observing them for almost 120 minutes!
The class was very lively. I observed only one student seeked permission to go to the toilet, adjacent to the classroom. Students followership and leadership were remarkable. The five teachers (all ladies) facilitated the class so well that the whole episode that was supposed to be traditionally teaching (in Malaysian context) seemed to be scripted and dramatised! During break was amazing. Each student took a marker and dropped some words they have learnt on the blank chart placed in front of the classroom. Some wrote good comments (remember they were year one kid!). It was 1145 am. Lunch time was 15 minutes earlier for the class because they found that the planned activities for the morning were completed and the students learned the lesson very well commented the senior class teacher. I joined them for noon recess with five of them kept on discussing and relating on some students during the lesson.
The basic foundation for effective teaching-learning environment as I observed was: (1) The use of collaborative and cooporative learning strategies employed by all teachers. (The 120-minute lesson was filled with group works with student kept on moving tirelessly at each instruction given by the teachers. The eye-movement and body language displayed were testament of effective instruction at each level.) (2) Teachers' competency and disposition were remarkable in the sense that they mastered both knowledge and skills, implemented well all the classrom managing strategies, and most importantly they controlled too well of the psycho-social climate in the classroom. (3) I observed learning was facilitated and order was established.
(Moved from medang.blogspot.com)
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