The Effective Teaching and Learning Cycle
I used to think when I was a kid that teaching is easy. The teachers just get up in front of the class and teach us from a book. Not that I am going to school for teaching it has opened my eyes that there is more to teaching than an adult teaching from a book. I want my students to be engaged and understand what I am teaching. I have wondered how do I get my students engaged in learning. The effective teaching and learning cycle showed me how I can have effective teaching in my future classroom. I understand the importance of standards and unpacking standards even more now. Standards are important to teachers it tells educators exactly what to teach and what students need to know. Without standards, teachers would teach blind-sided. Teachers would not be able to keep track of the students learning. The effective teaching and learning cycle is connected to the NCTS. In standard, three teachers know the content they teach. Teachers need to plan and unpack the standard to be able to teach. In standard four teachers facilitate learning for their students through planning appropriate instruction. In standard five teachers reflect on their practice. After instruction teachers assess the students learning and the teaching style. Ask yourself do the students understand what I am teaching. Looking back at all my teachers I was not aware of all that happened before, during and after teaching. What surprised me is all that teachers go through to teach a lesson. I learn more and more about the process as I grow to become a teacher myself.
Hi Elizabeth! I agree with you on the point that you made about having your eyes opened to the truth now that you are going to school to be a teacher! I also used to think that teaching was easy. I remember playing "teacher" with my cousins when I was little and we would fight over who got to be the teacher because we would get to tell each other what to do. Now I look back and see how wrong I was about teachers. I see that there is so much that goes into a lesson. There is so much that you have to consider and so many needs that you have to meet. I find myself doubting my skills a lot, and thinking that I don't know how I'll ever be able to be such an effective teacher. But I believe that if we really stick to this cycle and put all of our effort into each step, it is possible!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI have never related to something as much as I do with your comment "Standards are important to teachers it tells educators exactly what to teach and what students need to know. Without standards, teachers would teach blind-sided." As I mentioned in my blog post, standards are almost non-existent in private school. With last year being my first year as a teacher, I felt so lost. I had no idea what it was my students most definitely needed to know and I found myself teaching a bunch of fluff that didn't really matter. Of course, it was fascinating to me because I love history, but to some of my kids, they could have cared less and it was information overload. I had to rethink this about halfway through the semester and I started pulling standards from DPI's website and aligning my lessons with those. I felt a lot better as I had a clearer picture of what was important and what wasn't. It's so easy to get lost in all the little details and miss the big picture or the big idea. Standards, as confusing as they may be sometimes, are critical to giving teachers a roadmap for the curriculum!
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the ETLC is an eye-opener. Teachers put in a lot of work "behind the scenes" so that it goes well when they are with the class. I can't imagine teaching with standards, because I would find it hard to determine exactly what students needed to know and learn. That's why I always tell you all to start with the standards. Next time, see if you can make more specific connections to the NCTCS. Which indicators did this information connect with directly? What outside research did you to do support your understanding of the ETLC? Also, don't forget to edit. Remember, this is a public document.
I really enjoyed reading your blog.
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great reflection of the ETLC. I agree that teachers do more than people realize. I also said that the knowing the content standard was one that connected with the ETLC. I did was not aware of all of this as a child until now, if I was not an education major I still do not think I would know. Becoming an education major has really opened my eyes on how much a teacher really does just to be an effective teacher for their students. Teacher really do go above and beyond of what they are expected to do. Although I do not remember my teacher doing a lot of this but the school times have changed and I see it in teachers now. I am excited to read more of your posts.