Continuing with my positive commentary from my previous post.
My basic points where as follows;
-Preservice teachers wheren't being equiped for rural teaching.
-Jane needed to teach the fundamentals of learning, she needs to engage in the community by connecting the classroom learnings into community needs.
-Jane has been given an opportunity to understand what the community wants for their children and from the teachers.
- Parents are involved and know what the kids are doing at school, They have an opinion that is relevant to the community.
- A discussion with them would shed some light on the history of the school.
- Homework is'nt catering for the distance kids are traveling to school.
- Some kids maybe suffering malnourishment, A opportunity for group exercise in nourishment possibly etc. (this was missed in the last assessment)
What 's becoming apparent with this scenario is the huge opportunity to use reflective practice's. Jane is tired, despondent and is overlooking the needs of the students. The past year's work load with no apparent gains and the overheard feedback have clearly rattled her self efficacy.
I will give a brief view of my thinking on the avenues for reflection in context to the modules of the course that we should do at the end of every year.Human development just the ones I like.
-We have Piagets four stages of development most of the kids will be in formal operational.
-Then we have Vygotsky where development is linked to social interaction.
-Erickson's phychosocial stages, who I think probably has the broadest sense of what happens to us linked to our emotional spectrum coupled with a persons mental development. This is the crises for the students Jane Identity vs Confusion.
The main point I believe is that students are still in the best zone for learning they learn differently and gradually and socially.
Learning theory behaviourist/cognitive or humanist approches.
I believe essentially this is the point that Jane take a long hard look at her self.
The fact that the scenario hasn't mentioned any other faculty is a concern.
I don't think jane is taking a constructivist approach, I don't believe she is registering Maslows hierarchy of needs or Rogers watery freedom's to learn.
The situation needs a frank review of the past years work. Jane needs to ask for support from the community and the school faculty. The learning theory is just that it's not a support network Jane is operating solo and she shouldn't be.
Teaching all learners!!
This module is the most provocative and the most time consuming and emotionally taxing part of teaching.
My experience is showing me that a lot of teachers are taking the path of least resistance.
I believe they think that;
-The students can't learn what they are teaching.
-The students don't want to learn what they are teaching.
-That they are maintaining a standard of education.
This thinking remove's the teacher from the responsibility of the job. The thinking also relies on children to make adult decision on there future are we mad and blind?
Can the nine provocations help us understand these implications better?
Will I be allowed to be the teacher I want to be? Will I allow myself to be the teacher I want to be.
What will students want and need from me? What will I want and need from my students.
What kind of teacher do I want to be? What kind of teacher do students want me to be.
I think Jane needs to step away from her preconceived idea's, of what the role of a teacher was going to be in a rural community.
On a final point I think that what Jane needs to do is locally adapt to the needs of the students and remember.-Relevence and emotion are the gate keepers to the mind learning.( something Sam in class said to me)
- Make connections with the community and use social constructivism theory.
-Introduce a food bowl program learning, growing and most importantly eating.
thanks........
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