Hi Everyone!
What an eye-opener this week was!
In Monday's class session, We were visited by a very experienced teacher who had to complete observations in fulfillment of her Master's Degree in Education. We will call her Teacher X. While there, Teacher X shared some of the issues that are current especially in regards to Literacy teaching in Education. Three issues that stood out were:
- Most teachers after they are trained are afraid to teach Kindergarten and Grade 6 classes. This can be due to the fact that both classes would require the teacher to go the extra mile for the students. In Kindergarten, students may need assistance with learning to read and write. On the other hand, in Grade 6, students are preparing for placement into the secondary school system. Teachers, although they are trained, shy away from these classes because they feel as though they are "not qualified".
- Teachers do not like to be placed on classes with the majority of struggling students. They fell as though it is difficult because these students have difficulty understanding the already heavy curriculum.
- Our schools are being faced with inclusion. Inclusion is the event where no matter the ability of the child, meaning if the child is blind, deaf, wheelchair ridden, etc. - that child must be in normal classroom settings. We do not think we have to explain why teachers will shy away from this situation.
- the fear of not being a good enough teacher,
- the fear of thinking we will mess up the students; and
- the fear of not having the time to cater to all of our students' needs.
"Teachers are simply lazy. They do not want to take the time out to plan."We had to agree with Teacher X on this point. When you become a trained teacher you are exposed to the issues you may face in the classroom. Then you are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitude to help overcome the obstacles in your classroom.
"Teachers do not want to go beyond the call of duty and unlock their full potential not only as teachers but as an individual."
Teacher X shared a heartwarming story about a legally blind student that joined her class in Grade 4. Although the child could not see, someone who didn't know that the child was blind would not believe the conversations held by that child.
This not only showed that the student could have been taught, but, that the student had the ability to learn.
Teacher X further explained that the child would run the fingertips across the school to maneuver to the classroom, school walls and find the bathroom independently and would memorize instructions because there was not any way to see the instructions. The students also knew how to use braille, so, fortunately, it assisted with the memorizing of information.
This aspect proved that the student had develop the other senses so well that she could function as a "regular" student.
When we think of a scenario like this, it helps us to understand the true meaning of teaching. Teaching should be about changing and improving lives no matter how difficult or easy the task is. It also helps us not to take anything for granted and appreciate the simple things, for instance, having all our senses. Furthermore, we should understand that all students have the ability to learn just at different paces and teachers should foster the environment for learning to take place.
That's all for this week! We hope you enjoyed our post. Below is a link provided by UNICEF that speaks about inclusion in the schools.
Link:
https://www.unicef.org/eca/
Warrican, S. J. (2012). The Complete Caribbean Teacher Literacy. Pheonix: Pearson Education.
Spandel, Vicki (2012) Creating Writers in the Primary Classroom: 6 Traits, Process,
Workshop & Literature (6th edition). New York: Pearson
Until next Sunday... Goodbye!
This post is very captivating and highlights the important facts of how our teachers feel towards teaching in today's society. We deeply agreed with the facts as it relates to how teachers are afraid to teach kindergarten and grade six classes which is disappointing. A productive teacher should be able to withstand any challenges in the teaching profession. We as teachers should not fear to teach any grade level. However, the issues mentioned enriched our mind of the reality of how teachers think. It is very important for teachers to put fort their full potential to make teaching creative. This post is deeply appreciated and enjoyable. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is always shameful when teachers are referred to as lazy, but what is worst, is when it comes from another teacher. However, regardless of the fact that it is not something we like to hear, it is the truth. Your post has just shed light on excuses teachers utilize to employ their laziness, "we do not have time and we are not qualified" . In this technological world we live in, everything is at our fingertips, ready to be used. Your piece was edifying and interesting. Thanks for sharing about the blind student, this story give us full proof of how a differentiated approach can be utilized and succeed in our classroom once we are interested enough to meet the needs of the students around us.
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