Effective Teachers

What do we mean by "effective" teachers?

Good managers?

Great at connecting with kids?

Masters of their content area?

Rigorous assessors of learning?

Disciplinarians?

Able to connect content with kids' interests and skills?

Of *course* we want highly effective teachers, right?

Effective

Teaching

Can a task as complex and multidimensional as teaching *really* be broken down into discrete steps to master?

John Van Dyk would have us think about teacher effectiveness a little more broadly.

Sources:

• Gibboney, R. A. (1987). A critique of Madeline Hunter's teaching model from Dewey's perspective. Educational Leadership, 44(5), 46.
• Van Dyk, J. (2000). The craft of Christian teaching: A classroom journey. Sioux Center, IA: Dordt Press.
• Wong, H.K. and Wong, R.T. (2005). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.
• Wright, S. (2009). Examining effective teaching via a social constructive pedagogy "case study". Education, 130(2), 255.

Effective Teachers

A bit of History...

• The "Effective Teaching" movement began in the 1950's and 1960's
• A means to try and quantify what "good teaching" looks like--applying scientific methods to education
• Breaks the tasks of teaching down into discrete elements and behaviors
• Basic idea: master the steps, become very effective
• Teacher = manager; key priority = time on task
• Strong example: The Hunter Model

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Madeline Hunter

• Educator who developed a model for highly effective teaching, called "Instructional Theory Into Practice."
• The "Hunter Model" was widely put into place in the 1970's and 1980's as a model of efficient lesson planning and classroom practice

The Hunter Model...

1. Select objective

2. Motivate instruction (anticipatory set)

3. State the objective

4. Teach the main concepts (directly!)

5. Check for understanding

6. Provide guided practice

7. Provide opportunity for independent practice

Research into "effective teaching" continues...

Harry Wong published "The First Days of School: How to be an Effective Teacher" as recently as 2005.

• This book is all about procedures to streamline classroom practices.
• Wong implies that a well-managed classroom in which the students know all the procedures (have been taught all the procedures, have practiced all the procedures) will make you a highly effective teacher.

Certainly, we want to be effective teachers!

• Does the Hunter Model produce effective teaching?
• Do Harry Wong's procedures produce effective teaching?
• Are there other aspects to being "highly effective" than just efficiency and management?

"Distinctively Christian"

Teaching Christianly is a much richer approach than reducing teaching to "technique."

• Of *course* we want to be structured and organized and have well-established procedures!
• But we *also* want to...
• allow space for inquiry, problem-solving, and self-directed learning,
• teach in such a way that we honor the unique gifts, challenges, strengths, and weaknesses of our students,
• make room for flexibility and capitalizing on the "teachable moment," and
• seek Shalom in our classrooms.