EDU 11 Teacher as a learning facilitator and classroom manager

 EDU11: DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION

Teacher as a learning facilitator

 

        The teacher facilitator is an educational visionary who explores and invests in innovative practices and coaches learners through challenges. The teacher facilitator provides and educational atmosphere where students have the opportunity to fulfill their potential for intellectual, emotional , physical and psychological growth; evaluates the needs and abilities of students and determines methods and techniques to best present and provide instruction to students within assigned subject areas; ensures students show continuous improvement in learning basics and essential skills; embraces technology and looks for purposeful ways to engage students; welcomes the challenge of creating an engaging and rigorous curriculum that makes connection to important concepts and ideas within and across disciplines.

Enumerate the role of teacher as learning facilitator

Teachers must see themselves as facilitators of learning who possess knowledge, not as the keepers of knowledge. Teachers must provide students with opportunities to be in charge of their learning, discover new ideas, gain insight and make connections

1. Plan ahead and think about the needs of our students: we know students have various strengths and challenges. We gather this information by collecting informal and formal data to inform our instruction. As we plan ahead, we must consider how to use their strengths to address their challenges.

2. Model what we want students to do: before we can hold students accountable, we must provide explicit instruction using “i do, we do and you do" model. Model for student with one focus in mind. Give them the necessary guided practice until they are able to navigate their way independently.

3. Monitor the amount of talking we do: students need time to articulate their thoughts. Therefore it is important that we provide directions and then give students time to work through them. They may work through them by writing, talking, or creating a product.

4. Give student opportunities to take responsibility for maintaining their classroom: Establishing routines that help students maintain their classroom is essential to creating a learning community. Many teachers spend a great deal of time staying after school or coming in early to clean up after student. But with routines and time they can maintain an organized, learning environment.

5. Teach students how to use classroom materials: Students should know how to use materials that will facilitate their learning. Tape recorders, overhead projectors and dry erase boards are all typical items that students have in their classrooms, and students benefit from knowing how to use and return them to their proper place.

6. Implement a workstation management board: Management boards are very effective in helping students know where they are supposed to be when the teacher is working with a small group of students. It gives students and opportunity to work independently and manage their learning experience.

7. Teach students at ask questions to acquire information: Students spend a great deal of time answering questions. They need more time creating questions and discussing answers with their peers. "Ask three before me" is a great routine to implement to get students to move toward greater independence. It requires students to speak to or try three strategies to solve a problem before coming to the teacher.

8. Begin by asking questions: At the very beginning of any class or training session find out who our learners are what is their background and level of knowledge and experience with the topic? why are they in this training session today: Explain to them what they need to understand and why. This opening encourages participation, and creates the initial connection between us and our learners.

9. Introduce our information slowly: Try using a flow chart or simple mind map of the subject to introduce creativity and make associations perhaps even let the students select the order in which we discuss the information. As we speak, solicit experiences from the room, and add our own facts, statistics, and stories as we move through the content.

10. Make the content applicable: spend time asking our learners for ways in which they can apply the content to their current environment. This helps encourage direct application and prevents learners from leaving class without an idea for how they are going to apply their new knowledge.

11. Learners as Teachers: Allow our learners to actively share their experiences effectively leverage the knowledge and experience of our learners to help they teach each other. Experience, truly, is the beast teacher.

Teacher as a classroom manager

A classroom manager is a teacher who focuses on planning and carrying out a detailed plan of how her classroom will operate. This includes expectations on behavior, responsibility, work environment, classroom jobs and appropriate consequences. Teachers who are classroom managers know the value of clear and concise goals and measurable outcomes for students’ progress. Effective classroom managers also work to maximize their classroom space for ease of movement for the teacher and students. Classroom managers model the importance of organization as a way to promote educational success.

Classroom routines; teachers who are well trained classroom managers establish a morning routine early in the school year. Even the youngest students can understand and implement a morning routine to get the school day started off right. Write out the morning routine on a large poster and place it in the front of the classroom for everyone to see for elementary and other self-contained classrooms. The morning routine should include things like putting up coats and lunches, doing classroom jobs, beginning seat work or coming to a circle to start the day. For older elementary students the morning routine should also include turning in all homework to an "in basket," before starting any seat work. A well planned and well executed morning routine cuts down on confusion and gives students a focused working environment at the beginning of the day.

 

Classroom expectations: Along with a daily routine, clear classroom expectations are an important part of a classroom manager’s plan. Classroom expectations should include things such a behavior, homework, grading policies, tardy policies, late work policies and missed work due to absence policies. Classroom expectations should be clearly posted in the front of the classroom. For teachers in upper elementary, middle and high school, classroom expectations should be handed out in written from on the first day of school again to parents at open houses and also posted on the teacher’s website. Use these expectations as a contract for older students by having parents sign that they have read and understand your policies and have students turn them in for extra points.

 

Detailed planning: Along with clear expectations and procedures, a competent classroom manager creates detailed plans for the entire day. Detailed plans make students feel comfortable and safe in their environment. When students feel this way they learn better. Detailed plans help teachers reach daily goals, curriculum benchmarks and required student outcomes efficiently. Detailed plans should include time slots with beginning and ending times for each subject and activity with travel time to and from lunch, special classes and recess included in the daily schedule. Although there are occasions when doing something spontaneous is appropriate, especially in the event of an emergency or a surprise for the children, detailed plans must be the rule and not the exception to be an effective classroom manager.

 

Positive discipline plan: the teacher who focuses on being an effective classroom manager takes a proactive and positive approach to discipline. Discipline plans are clearly written and posted in a visible place in the classroom along with detailed consequences. Desired outcomes are written in language that positively reinforces the type of behavior desired. All areas of behavior are covered in the positive reinforcement plan and students know exactly what is expected of them. A good example of a positive discipline plan includes these types of statements; be prepared, respect each other’s right to learn and the teachers right to teach, respect each other’s person and property, listen, cooperate, follow instructions, use appropriate language and respect all adults in the room. Within each category write down what those behaviors look like and discuss them as a class at the beginning of the year and any time behavior needs some adjusting. By using action words and giving examples, the teacher who is an effective classroom manager empowers her students to make good behavior choices.