Module
Classrooms that have employed best practices in teaching are easily detectable. Immediately when you enter the learning space you will observe things like; project materials and books, focused and engaged students in their work, collaborative and authentic tasks used by the teacher to place students at the centre of the learning process, clustered sitting arrangements varied with multi-instructional areas, classrooms are activity based spaces as opposed to ‘sit and get lectures' spaces, students will be eager to enlist visitors into their tasks and teachers are engaged with various groups and there will be a joyful feeling of informed movement, industrious thinking and a vibrant atmosphere (Hayes, 2009).
This of course is not the state for every class it depends on the methods and plans for teaching employed by the teacher. Best practises for teaching that ensure maximum and effective learning are taught in colleges to those who wish and aspire to become professional teachers. According to Cooper best practises are an important part of a curriculum that evidently demonstrates the connection and relevance pointed out in educational research reports and other works. They bring positive energy directing the curriculum to develop children’s thinking and problem-solving skills through integration and active learning. These practices motivate, engage and encourage students to learn and achieve (2012, p. 2). Students who receive a balanced, revised curriculum and absorb the knowledge, skills and abilities to transfer and apply ideas and concepts across disciplines will eventually be successful as measured by standardized tests and other indicators of student success.
In today's world, learners need to acquire both academic and global skills required to navigate the world—attributes such as solving problems, curiosity, innovation creativity, global awareness, interpersonal skills, communication, the ability to understand across disciplines,, ethics, and technological expertise. Teaching practise is also regulated by other governing bodies so the core State Standards for compulsory subjects Mathematics and English Arts language and other core subjects are benchmarked to the international standards and include comprehensive content and application of knowledge through high-level skills (Alter et al., 2009). Once these standards are adopted by the nation if they haven’t already been adapted, as a teacher you will be required to re-assess what students should know and be able to do throughout their education experience. The core teaching standards provide guidelines for teacher’s education and delivery to ensure your learners reach the set learning goals. Additionally, the standards emphasize that teachers build thinking skills and literacy among learners across the curriculum, as well as assist learners address various perspectives in exploring ideas and dealing with problems (Chaucer, 2012).This should be the area where you have an opportunity to engage the learners actively while keeping in check with these standards. You can allow a degree of liberalism but still within the learning context. In adherence to these standards, you can create environments that demystify learning in the perspective of the learners and help them feel free to engage each other.
For effective learning to occur, the teacher needs to understand that learning patterns vary with each individual learner, that each learner brings special differences to the learning stages and process, and that they need a safe learning environment to learn. Here, you are required to value and respect each student as an individual and to always remember to bridge the gap between the academically privileged and those less privileged. Take notice of those who require more assistance with understanding the concepts in these subjects. Also it is important that as a teacher you develop a relationship with your learners. This you can do when assisted of blending a base of professional knowledge with an understanding of how linguistic, cognitive, social, physical development and emotional, occurs.
You must acquire a flexible and deep understanding of your delivery areas and be able to break down content knowledge you deliver to the students. A variety of explanations that factor in key ideas in the discipline will ensure that children grasp the concept. In addition, guide the learners through the learning process. Promote each learner's achievement of content standards. Further, engage the pupils in a variety of creative learning experiences that encourage learners to internalise, analyze, and question ideas from different perspectives in order to master the content (Alter et al., 2009). Make content knowledge available to learners by using various means of communication, including digital media and information technology. Try to integrate cross-disciplinary skills and this will help learners use content to propose solutions, solve problems, forge new understandings, and imagine possibilities. But more importantly, you should do your best to make content knowledge relevant and relatable to students by connecting on all levels from local, state, national, to global issues. So, you have to always remember that content knowledge is not a preserved, fixed body of facts but instead it is complex, culturally situated, and ever evolving.
Employing instructional practise is also another aid to effective learning. This requires that the teacher understand and integrate planning, assessment, and instructional strategies in coordinated and involving ways. Creating engaging learning environments that contribute to the achievement of the curriculum goals and content standards, make learning natural. With your goal in mind, start with identifying student learning objectives and content standards and design assessments to those objectives. You have to plan how to help each learner achieve their learning goals, choosing appropriate strategies and resources, accommodations, and materials to differentiate instruction for individual learners as well as groups of learners. In doing this, you will understands how to come up with, implement and interpret results from a range of summative and formative assessments. This provides access to information that can be used to give immediate feedback to enhance pupil’s learning and to modify instruction. Planning mainly focuses on using a series of appropriate and targeted instructional strategies to deal with diverse ways of learning (Sawyer, 2004). It should include new technologies to maximize and personalise learning.
Being a responsible professional teacher joins the list of the various ways through which you use your teaching knowledge as well as enjoy being a teacher. Find collaborators in other fields that may be motivational to the pupils as they did in Tin Shui Wai Methodist primary school where pupils went to a pilot small-class and the school ended up instituting a professional development programme. Make effort to join in available ongoing learning opportunities to develop necessary skills and knowledge so as to provide all learners with involving curriculum and learning experiences based on local and country standards, engage in meaningful and appropriate professional learning practises and experiences that are in tandem with your own needs and those of the learners, the school, and entire system. The process of continuous self-improvement is enhanced by good leadership, collegial support, and collaboration (Hennessy, 2005). You can invite teachers who teach the same subject as you to come sit in class as you teach and ‘learn’ with their pupils. As a professional teacher, you also have a contribution to make in improving the instructional practises that meets the pupils' needs and reaching their mission and goals of the school. Demonstrate leadership by practising ethical behaviour, advancing your profession, and contributing to positive changes in practice (Riley, 2006). Here, you see yourself as a learner too, continuously seeking opportunities and ways upon which to draw current education policy and research reports as sources of reflection and analysis to improve practice.
The following are the approaches to planning teaching and learning that have been reported as the most creative approaches to planning, teaching and learning after comprehensive research has been carried out on education. The first approach to visit in no particular order is a balanced curriculum approach/practise. This approach is based on knowledge of childhood development and cognitive development. It prepares children for success by developing a challenging and common curriculum (Riley, 2006). Diamond and Hopson believe that the enriched learning environment promotes brain growth and cognitive development. The focus is to create engaged and active learners. Some of the benefits that this approach provides are teaching students compare what they are learning with the world around them. Have fun learning about core concepts while enjoying their favourite games and activities.
Using a balanced curriculum approach in the classroom will encourage students to develop critical thinking skills at a young age. The balanced curriculum allows teachers to follow the standardized plan in order to cover core subjects such as English, math, and science. The structure of the standardized core curriculum closely follows the children’s development providing teachers with a solid foundation of knowledge that they can use to engage their classroom making learning fun. By building upon the balanced curriculum teachers can plan activities that engage children. For example teachers may go for a walk outside to teach children about ecology. During the walk students can examine insects, vegetation and weather patterns. Teachers can use the balanced curriculum to ensure that students receive a variety of creative approaches to ensure students excel in the core subjects.
Secondly, look at the integrated curriculum approach which is also referred to as the cross-curriculum approach. The approach of integrating curriculum includes students in the unit development process. It gives them the opportunity to identify topics, plan inquiry, develop questions, research information, divide tasks and share the learning process and content (Schoen and Fusarelli, 2008). Technology resources are also included in the classroom. It allows teachers time to teach their objectives, empowers students to embrace ownership of their learning and underscores brain-based research. It also focuses on both ideas and content. This approach teaches children to connect the lessons to a variety of activities, make choices, examine and analyse. Students who are taught using creative experiences learn to research, engage and work together in order to achieve the highest levels of engagement. Teachers can teach students how to appreciate technology as a tool they will need in their future engagements.
In application the integrated curriculum approach teaches children the interconnections of the world around them. A primary school teacher can apply the interests of her students to guide the activities used to teach. For example a teacher could use an Ipad to capture images of students playing and asking the students to write short journal stories about the image. The students interested in hockey could use playing cards to play math hockey. Teachers can use food products to teach students edible science experiments. The integrated curriculum approach gives teachers the opportunity to reflect the interests of the students in their classroom. Primary students are fun and by letting kids have fun they learn more.
The third approach is the differentiated curriculum approach; teachers adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of their individual students. The content taught, the product expected, the process used, or the physical factors of the environment should be modified to suit the individual group of students (Joubert, 2001). Giving students the freedom to choose the tasks they enjoy accommodates the individual interests and talents of the children. This approach; provides access to opportunities for rigorous curriculum, nurtures self-esteem and respect, provides opportunities for individual acceleration and remediation, increases motivation through discovering individual interests and it also helps build relationships with students by knowing their strengths (Cremin and Arthur, 2014). It helps students utilize their strengths, master the core concepts of the curriculum, learn styles and background knowledge develop their personal skills and projects and set individual learning goals.
In practise the differentiated curriculum approach is often used in mixed classrooms where there are students at different grade levels. Teachers use a variety of creative solutions in order to foster a positive learning environment that builds children’s self-esteem. For example, a teacher may use small groups to ensure that students are not being compared with children at a much higher academic level. Some classrooms excel by using creative activities that build upon the lessons that have already been taught.
Then there is active learning approach, teaching using tactile activities and encouraging children to touch, smell and get their hands dirty. Encouraging students to play together socially to encourage the children learn new concepts from each other.
Cooperative learning, project- based learning, and problem solving are active learning strategies. This approach uses pre-existing knowledge that students already have, it is necessary for idea manipulation and improving understanding (Cremin and Arthur, 2014). Project based learning teaches students such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation, study ideas, problem solving and theory application. Children learn to construct theories and hypotheses and make decisions. Provide meaning and organization to experiences. Finally most importantly they learn to work as a team.
In conclusion, the curriculum on a national front of England enables students to have basic education to ensure the brightest future. Further, human creativity and achievement are engrained into students giving them a foundation of critical thinking skills. There is also the provision of core knowledge which you, as a teacher would turn into exciting and stimulating lessons in order to ensure the promotion and development of knowledge, skills and understanding as part the wider curriculum. The approaches provide a guideline that you as a teacher should follow in teaching of the core subjects and all subjects as a whole. For effective learning to occur the guidelines are not enough and this is where your creativity as a teacher comes in as well as your delivery techniques. When you follow these approaches, and implement them into your lesson plans the best learning will be fun.
The Secretary of State for Education has a duty to publish various programmes of study for every subject. He sets out the skeleton of what the teachers should teach at every key stage (Upton, 2011). However, teachers organize the school day. As long as all content taught is in tandem with the national curriculum teachers have the flexibility to make learning fun and engaging. In order to effectively assist the government get to its goal teachers need to follows the set guidelines ensuring that core subjects are taught in an engaging manor. Kids learn best when lessons are fun making creativity key to students success.
References
Alter, F., Hays, T. and O’Hara, R., 2009. Creative Arts teaching and Practice: Critical of Primary School Teachers in Australia. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 10(9). p. 1-21.
Chaucer, H., 2012. A Creative Approach To The Common Core Standards: The Da Vinci Curriculum, Littlefield Education.
Craft, A., Cremin, T., Burnard, P. and Chappell, K. 2007. Teacher stance in creative learning: A study of progression. Thinking Skills and Creativity, (2), p.136-147.
Cooper, H., (Ed.). 2012. Teaching History Creatively, Routledge.
Cremin, T. and Arthur, J., (Eds.) 2014. Learning to Teach In The Primary School, Routledge.
Hayes, D., 2009. Encyclopedia of Primary Education, Routledge.
Hennessy, S., Ruthven, K. and Brindley, S., 2005. Teacher perspectives on integrating ICT into subject teaching: commitment, constraints, caution, and change. Journal of curriculum studies, 37(2), p.155-192.
Joubert, M., 2001. The art of creative teaching: NACCCE and beyond. Creativity in education, p. 17-34.
Riley, J., 2006. Language and Literacy 3-7 Creative Approaches to Teaching, London: SAGE Publications.
Sawyer, K., 2004. Creative Teaching: Collaborative as disciplined improvisation. Educational researcher, 33(2), p. 12-20.
Schoen, L. and Fusarelli, D., 2008. Innovation, NCLB, and the fear factor the challenge of leading 21st-century schools in an era of accountability. Educational Policy, 22(1), p. 181-203.
Upton, S., 2011. Making A Difference at Key Stage 3, Institute of Welsh Affairs.
