MY SCHOOL by Dr .Nilesh Gopal das Joshi (beginner reading books for adults .txt) 📕

contributing to the development and operation of subjects and programmes, as evidenced by involvement and contribution in planning and implementing programme curricula and subject syllabi, and their relevant discussions, projects and processes. Subject competency: Content knowledge/subject competency refers to teacher’s accurate and up-to-date information and mastery of the subject that teachers teach and that students are expected to learn in a given subject or content area, such as English language, Mathematics, Science or social studies. Content knowledge refers to the facts, concepts, theories and principles that are taught and learned. Knowledge of delivery methods: Teaching is an art for expert teachers. Expert teachers own unique qualities including a passion for their subject and an ability to transfer it to the learners sound knowledge and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Also, a good teacher does more than teaching by contributing to the general academic, emotional and cultural development of learners.

Knowledge of delivery methods refers to teacher’s ability to co-ordinate learning content with instructional objectives, to use effective examples and illustrations and to present learning content in a logical sequential order. Good teachers are expected to have an ability to transfer the content to learners in an effective and appropriate way.

 Communicating ideas and concepts in a simple, clear and sequential manner using examples wherever possible is an important criteria for effective teaching. Experts agree that for classroom instruction to become effective and professional, it should be palatable to the learners, be practical and linked to everyday life, generate an interest in the subject and also lead to serious discussions. Also, effective teaching does not take place without student interest and for this teachers adopt techniques such as the usage of simple analogies, interesting anecdotes and also small doses of humour. Even in the highly advanced learning environments of the present day world where technology tools offer considerable teaching support, basic teaching skills matters a lot.

Communicating ideas and concepts in a simple, clear and sequential manner using examples wherever possible is an important criteria for effective teaching. So, a tr should possess Pedagogic content knowledge (PCK): It is a special combination of content and pedagogy that is uniquely constructed by teachers and thus is the “special” form of an educator’s professional knowing and understanding. Pedagogical content knowledge is also known as “craft knowledge”. It comprises integrated knowledge representing teachers’ accumulated wisdom with respect to their teaching practice: pedagogy, students, subject matter, and the curriculum. Pedagogical content knowledge must be addressed within the context of a diverse pedagogy. It involves:

Demonstrating ability to conduct lessons using a variety of methods Organizing materials, supplies and equipments prior to the lesson. Integrating materials and resources smoothly into a lesson. Identifying available supplemental resources.

Development of PCK

Pedagogical content knowledge is deeply rooted in a teacher’s everyday work. It encompasses both theory learned during teacher preparation as well as experiences gained from ongoing schooling activities. The development of pedagogical content knowledge is influenced by factors related to the teacher’s personal background and by the context in which he or she works. PCK is deeply rooted in the experiences and assets of students, their families and communities.

Impact of PCK

When teaching subject matter, teacher’s actions will be determined to a large extent by the depth of their pedagogical content knowledge, making this an essential component of their ongoing learning. Pedagogical content knowledge research links knowledge on teaching with knowledge about learning, a powerful knowledge base on which to build teaching expertise.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Core Content Areas

PCK illustrates how the subject matter of a particular discipline is transformed for communication with learners. It includes what makes specific topics difficult to learn, the conditions students bring to the learning of these concepts and teaching strategies tailored to this specific teaching situation. To teach all students according to today’s standards, teachers indeed need to understand the subject matter deeply and flexibly so that they can help students map their own ideas, relate one to another, and re-direct their thinking to create powerful learning. Teachers also need to see how ideas connect across fields and to everyday life. These are the building blocks of PCK.

Understanding the Learning Process: In order to engage, motivate and teach all learners at optimal levels, teachers must understand the learning process. There are six interactive components of the learning process: attention, memory, language, processing and organizing, writing and higher order thinking. These processes interact not only with each other, but also with emotions, classroom climate, behavior, social skills, teachers and family. Most of the learning process will involve four essential processes: Synthesising( bringing together information internally) Organising( making sense and ordering this information) Memorising( holding onto this information in order to use it at will) Communicating ( making your ideas available to others) Understanding Student’s background and needs: To effectively choose teaching methods and help students learn, teacher must first know something about whom they are teaching. Students will be coming from different backgrounds and have various learning needs. Not all students will have the same background in your field. Knowledge about students will enable teachers to refine lectures, class discussions, comments, illustrations and activities so that they are more effective learning experiences. References to student’s interests, backgrounds, knowledge and even anxieties can make the class seem more personal and the material more accessible. By assessing student’s comprehension levels of the subject, you can modify your own teaching to fit their needs. By customizing your course to student’s needs, you can teach more efficiently and effectively.

Student’s background can be properly accessed by suitable tools like questionnaires etc.

On the first day of class, hand out a questionnaire. You should find out what previous classes students have had in your field and related subjects. You can list basic terminology you expect students to understand, and ask students to mark the words they do not understand or feel comfortable with. Ask your students if their attendance or participation in class and on assignments will be affected by their religion, disability or any other unique situation. Leave an area for students to write down any special accomodations they may need for learning disabilities, work or family obligations etc.

 

Curriculum alignment: Curriculum alignment is defined as the degree to which expectations and assessments are in agreement and serve in conjunction with one another to guide the system toward student’s learning , what they are expected to know and do. Curriculum alignment is otherwise known as curriculum mapping. It is formally to evaluate a course or an educational programme to address the changing needs of students and the work force. In case of public schools, curriculum alignment is an important part of curriculum. It follows certain principle, with the “wheels” being curriculum, instruction, standards and assessment. Curriculum alignment helps to modify courses and programmes to better target student’s post-secondary success and make better uses of resources of the school. It also helps to reduce remediation. Research indicates that this kind of alignment can point a school or district toward improved student achievement. Ability to use Student Achievement Data in Planning Instruction:

The goal is to formulate specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations for use by educators and educational administrators to create the organizational conditions necessary to make decisions using student achievement data in classrooms, schools and districts. If teachers have information that helps them confidently identify the root of educational challenges and track progress, they can more readily develop action plans that will have a positive impact on their students.

All teachers share a common goal to see every student succeed. So what are some effective ways to work with information to improve student achievement? In the context of education, data is a synonym for information. Data can be words, numbers, or observations that are collected systematically, usually for a specific purpose. Educational data includes student achievement data such as teacher observational notes of student’s performance in class, samples of student’s class work, student portfolios, results of formal and informal classroom assessments, report cards or large-scale assessment results and other student data relevant to the students such as student mobility, attendance data, behavioural incident data and homework completion contextual data that are not under the direct control of the teacher( such as student’s linguistic background, gender or community socio-economic factors) are important to consider when planning for improved student achievement.

Classroom management

If students are engaged, they are managed. This is the absolute truth. But we still need rules, routines, and trust and student ownership to make a classroom run smoothly and effectively. So classroom management is the ability of the teacher to manage classroom efficiently. This involves:

Building community Designing a safe, friendly and well-managed classroom environment Including students in creating rules, norms, routines and consequences. Creating a variety of communication channels Always being calm, fair and consistent Addressing conflict quickly and wisely Integrating positive classroom rituals Partnering with parents and guardians Managing disruptive behavior constructively Arranging the classroom for effective instruction Promoting self-discipline Managing discipline problems in accordance with administrative regulations, school board policies and legal requirements Establishes and clearly communicates parameters for student classroom behavior. Professional Growth/Continuous Improvement

This indicates teachers’ frequent and continuous involvement in professional enrichment programme. Professional development follows certain lines. These include content knowledge and quality teaching, research basis, collaboration, diverse learning needs, student learning and the aforementioned variables.

Opportunities for active learning, content knowledge and the overall coherence of staff development are the top three characteristics of professional development. Opportunities for active learning and content specific strategies for staff development refer to a focus on teacher application of learned material. Overall coherence refers to the staff development program perceived as an integrated whole and development activities building upon each other in a consecutive fashion.

Ability to use Technology as a Tool in the Classroom

Teachers should have basic knowledge in technology to use it in classroom for effective teaching and learning. Teacher should learn to use various softwares, projective and non-projective aids to make teaching more interesting. Additionally it is good for teacher to have knowledge about blogging, using google tools, Web 2.0, interactive white boards, web designing, video-audio editing, wiki, spreadsheets, social bookmarking, presentation tools, video and podcasting, mobile and handheld computing, collaboration and communication tools etc.

Relationship Management

This means the ability to maintain a cordial and constructive relationship with different stakeholders of the institution like colleagues, students and parents. The interrelationships between students, staff (teaching and non-teaching) and parents must be open, honest and respectful and have the achievement of the student and the well-being of all parties at their core. All parties i.e. students, staff (teaching and non-teaching) and parents must accept that they have a role to play in the development and maintenance of these relationships. The quality of these relationships will be reflected in the outcomes for students. Soft skills training play a crucial role.

METHODS FOR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF TEACHERS

First one being the Ranking Method

In ranking method, employees are ranked according to their performance levels. It is easier to rank the best and the worst employee. When a large number of employees are working, ranking of individuals become a difficult issue. There is no systematic procedure for ranking individuals in the organization. The ranking system does not eliminate the possibility of snap judgements.

Rating Scale

Rating scales consists of several numerical scales representing job related performance criterion such as dependability, initiative, output, attendance, attitude etc. Each scales range from excellent to poor. The total numerical scores are computed and final conclusions are derived. Advantages include adaptability, easy to use, low cost and every type of job can be evaluated, large number of employees covered and no formal training required.

Checklist Method

Under this method, checklist of statements of traits of employee in the form of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ based questions is prepared. Here the rater only does the reporting or checking and HR department does the actual evaluation. Advantages of this method include economy, ease of administration, limited training required and standardization. Disadvantages are rater biases, use of improper weighs by HR, does not allow rater to give relative ratings etc.

Critical Incidents Method

The approach is focused on certain critical behaviors of employee that makes all the difference in the performance. Supervisors as and when they occur record such incidents.

Some Advantages of critical incidents method are: Evaluations are based on actual job