Book Information / Buy the book
Chapter 6
Click on the tabs below to view the content for each section.
PowerPoint
Flash Cards
These Flashcards have been decomissioned and are no longer supported.
Multiple Choice Quiz
Short Essay / Discussion Questions
- Do you see teaching primarily as work, a profession, or a vocation? Think about why you want to become a teacher. Which of these depictions do you most closely relate to? Describe an experience you’ve had that helped you to see teaching in one of these three roles.
- How does your “Teaching Self” help you view the role of the teacher?
- How could this knowledge of your “Teaching Self,” with all of your personal strengths and weaknesses, help you join the subject (content) and student (background) in a meaningful way?
- Chapter 6 discusses attending to students. Think about your time as a student, and narrow your focus for a few “critical educational incidents.” Did you have some teachers who focused on you? Did some of your teachers focus more on content? Describe your experiences with each type and describe which style helped you to learn best.
- The authors assert that that insufficient attention is paid to the context and social conditions of schooling. They talk about the difference between teacher training (instructional practices) and teacher education (context in which students learn). Think of your own teacher preparation, professional development, and/or graduate education programs. Were you exposed to both views? Explain why it is important to move beyond just the process of teaching and explore the social context of teacher and student.
Video Case Studies
As I entered the classroom that day, I knew behaviors were peeking and redirection was needed in order for my students to continue to learn for the rest of the year, since the end of the year was approaching. I tried to remember to stay calm, move slow, and stop and think about what the children were telling me based on their actions. Slowly and steadily throughout the day, we continued to discuss, identify, practice, and reflect on what was happening in our class and the effects it was having on others. I knew that the children would need to be able to understand their part in our classroom, and they needed to visualize and understand how they were part of the whole group. They needed to understand that it only takes one child to take the class on a detour. The day went very well; no one was frustrated, it was respectful, and it remained calm throughout the day.
That was a far cry from the days that led up to this event. I had to step back and think about what was important and to whom it was important. It was more important to me that the children came to school and left school with a positive and happy mindset. It was important they felt comfortable and safe so they could be open to learning. It was important that the children could be children and that I made sure I understood the language that was not always spoken but shown through actions. It was important to keep a calm voice and body language to set a good example for them. It was the reason, after all, that I liked to teach. It was my calling and mission to help children learn and explore while helping them understand the world around them. The money is important because we all need it to live, but the children and their well-being is top priority. To me, a child can be a genius, but if the child lacks social skills and is not well-adjusted and happy, chances are, the child will have issues along the way and academics will be irrelevant.
—MAT Student
Questions
- Would this teacher be more vocational or professional?
- Do you feel this teacher’s self is in the way of student, school, district, and state objectives for learning?
- How would you label teachers you had in the past? Why?
“I have had enough”—veteran teacher tells school board
Posted by Valerie Strauss on March 10, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Questions
After reading the article above, answer the following questions.
- What type of teaching self does the teacher in the article demonstrate?
- How does this article relate to other chapters you have read?
Video
Profession vs. Vocation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0fJKvdjQgs
Video
Teacher Philosophy and correlation to other chapters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBSgchJe2Z0
Questions
Would this teacher be considered vocational, professional, work, or a mixture of all three?
Video
Teaching Self Interviews