Teaching Today Joseph Pergola
William Floyd School District, Eastern Long Island, Retired
jtpergola@optonline.net
teachers and teaching are the target of every pundit, politician and self-proclaimed ex- pert. If you follow the noise, you will hear teachers blamed for everything from failing schools to bankrupting state budgets. Yes, it’s true that too many children in too many school districts fail. But let’s not lose sight of the improvements we have made with a quickly changing student demograph- ic for whom English is a second language and for children growing up in homes where par- ents have little or no formal education. Most teachers still lack the financial, scientific and technological resources neces- sary to maximize instruction and improve their effectiveness. We are responsible for preparing students for the twenty-first cen- tury without the resources or common tools of the modern work world.
T The Future Of Teaching The world of public education and the
future of teaching has changed dramatically over the last decade. The economy, new tech- nology and changing demographics are three important factors that have changed the face of education and the way teachers
teach.To insure student learning, teachers today must possess a combination of unique human and pedagogical skills.
The Human Factor
Education needs teachers who see teaching as a career calling to which they are prepared and ready to pursue as their life long work. All teachers must demonstrate real pleasure in teaching. Their subject area should be a true source of joy which they desire to share with students. A love for children and a concern for their intellectual development as well as their emotional and physical well-being is a critical characteristic
TEMPO
hroughout history, public edu- cation has often been the focus of national discussion. Today,
necessary for success. Outstanding teachers understand the importance of maintaining excellence in teaching and learning.
“It’s All About Relationships” Building trusting relationships with stu-
dents is crucial to successful social interac- tions with your students. Effective teachers have developed an important set of unique social skills that allow them to successfully interact with their students. Chief among these skills is: 1. An understanding that words and actions affect students
2. The discipline to censor their comments and use tact
3. The ability to be flexible 4. The ability to read facial expressions 5. The means to modulate student anxiety 6. The ability to change student behavior 7. The capacity for empathy
Pedagogy It has always been expected that teach-
ers know their subject matter well enough to transfer their knowledge to their students. Today, teachers need to be experts in their field. Not only must they know the history of their subject, but they must understand the full scope and sequence of the curricu- lum and all the latest research that effects their subject area. Teachers need to master two types of knowledge: Content Knowledge which is a deep
knowledge of the subject to be taught, the applicable theories, principles and ideas of a specific discipline. Curricular Knowledge which involves the scope and sequence of concepts as well as the forms and means for communicating content. • How will your students learn the subject matter?
• What new skills and knowledge should your students develop?
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• How will you help your students gain literacy?
• How will your students use their learning?
• How will you enable your students to enjoy their learning experiences?
• How will your students learn to inquire and discover new information?
• How will your student self-assess their learning?
The Economy The economic conditions of the first
quarter of the twenty-first century have cre- ated trying times for public education. The economic recession has caused serious tax shortfalls resulting in lower state aid to pub- lic education. Since taxes and state aid are the backbone of educational funding, schools have had to make severe budget cuts to com- pensate for this significant lose of funding. Such conditions have translated into pro- gram reductions, program elimination and fewer teaching positions.
Demographics
Today, many students speak different languages and have different cultural tradi- tions. More than half of the foreign born children in the United States are Hispanic and speak Spanish as their native language. Although trends in immigration and birth rates predict no single racial or ethnic group will make up a majority of the population in the very near future, the Hispanic popula- tion is growing faster than all the other racial and ethnic groups combined. Being prepared to address the chang- ing cultural face of today’s students requires a new approach to teaching; an approach that focuses on the following questions about di- versity, culture, language and differentiation. Ask yourself: • Do you hold a positive viewof diversity? • Are you very familiar with the cultures
MARCH 2016
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