The Nine Revisited

I have decided to investigate each provocation individually, to assist myself in the exploration of their implications. I feel it is important to place them in a meaningful context, drawing on the knowledge that I have gained during the past five weeks to assist me in doing so. It is my hope that periodically deciphering each of the provocations will assist me in uncovering their role and importance to me as a teaching student, and even potentially their impact upon me going into the future as a fully fledged teacher.

1. What kind of a teacher do I want to be?

I can attest to the fact that each and every person entering a teaching course does so with aspirations of emulating those memorable teachers who had a large impact upon them, and disregarding the methods of those teachers who are remembered for all the wrong reasons. Despite the subjectivity of a what makes a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ teacher each person brings with them their own clearly defined idea of just that, based on their own experiences in the classroom. It is very easy to say that I do or do not wish to model certain behaviours or implement certain teaching methods, but it is a wholly separate issue to successfully uphold these ideas. In the heat of the moment, when under pressure to perform in a classroom context, it may be that we find ourselves falling back on the very methods and theories that we initially disregarded as ‘bad’. Their success upon utilisation may or may not fit with these original ideas, but such an instance would work to highlight the ease with which we can all fall prey to becoming ‘that teacher’.

Personally I find myself resonating most with the non-interventionist model of teaching, albeit, I would use this label as a general guide only. In some situations I can see the need for an interventionist approach to a lesson, but I would like to believe that its implementation would be the exception that proved the rule. I would ideally like to orchestrate my lessons in an interactivist-non-interventionalist classroom environment, focussing equally on the students’ need for social belonging and their ability to engage with and challenge the subject matter.

2. Will I be allowed to be the teacher I want to be?

I find this a difficult provocation to address without having worked in a classroom environment in earnest – without feedback from my mentor teacher regarding my success or failure in implementing my ideas and thereby teaching the subject matter I am unsure whether I will be ‘allowed’ to be the teacher that I described previously. It is my hope, however, that my teaching style would only be questioned if it manifests as unsuccessful or detrimental, and not simply because my mentor teacher – or head of faculty, principal etc – deemed it to be unsuitable or not in-keeping with the school’s philosophy. I would find such a stifling situation to be greatly unsettling, albeit, it could in fact be the case that I was simply in the ‘wrong school’ for my teaching aspirations.

3. To whom am I accountable?

I am accountable to my colleagues, my school, my students and their parents, my community and, of course, to myself. I am responsible for my actions, behaviours and the implications therein; I am responsible for planning and undertaking my lessons; I am responsible for the learning and welfare of the students under my direction; I am responsible for monitoring and reporting the progress of my students; I am responsible for seeking feedback and acting upon it; I am responsible for continually aiming to achieve the best for my students. I view teaching as more than merely a trade, a job or a career – it is more accurately described as a state of mind.

4. Am I ready to teach?

Ah, Provocation 4: the query that remains unanswered, the inquiry that goes wanting, the simplest of questions with the most complex of answers…I am still a long, long way from reaching any sort of informed answer for this, and thus it remains in the ‘too hard basket’ for now. I would like to think, though, that my recognising the fact that there is no simple answer would imply some level of understanding of its multi-faceted implications, and that this lends itself to achieving a better long-term grasp of it. Although I could, equally, be simply clutching as straws…

5. Is teaching a profession or a trade?

Teaching is a career, but as I have stated previously, I believe it is also a state of mind. I am finding already that the mentality that accompanies the investigation of teaching concepts and theories alters your outlook on the world; I am finding myself continually assessing situations and interactions from the point of view of the ‘learning outcome’ achieved, or the method of communication employed. I believe I am not fully engaging with this provocation, as I view it as somewhat irrelevant; hopefully in time I will be able to read more into its implications.

6. What will students want and need from me?

This, again, I find hard to dissect without a true teaching experience under my belt; however, I understand my role as a teacher to be that of knowledge provider, welfare officer, mentor, adjudicator, oracle (haha) etc – the list is vast. As a teacher I will hold a position of power over the teenagers whose care I will be charged with, and with that comes certain inherent responsibilities. I am expecting to be relied on for support and advice outside of the classroom context, although I do doubt this will happen as early as my pre-service days, considering the limited time available to develop any real sense of rapport. I view the teaching of science in the classroom to be my primary focus, in that I will expend a lot of time and energy on the preparation and execution thereof, but I also believe that the relationship management that accompanies teaching will play an equally as important role in practice.

7. Should we teach students or subjects?

This is one provocation that I initially failed to recognise the implications of: what more could there possibly be to it than teachers teaching subject matter to students? And, well, ho-hum, closer inspection has a yielded a wholly different view of this wily little provocation. As a science teacher I will be endeavouring to convey scientific knowledge and concepts to students, employing methods that will help to reinforce multi-disciplinary methods of inquiry, all the while encouraging students to partake in activities to strengthen social interactivity, self-esteem and skills in communication. The approach to teaching any subject involves such a multitudinous outlook that I find it impossible to conclude that we solely teach subjects; albeit, I could not say with conviction that we teach students as a stand-alone, either. It seems to me that teaching attempts so instill in students the skills and knowledge to live their lives successfully, and therefore in an obscure way is teaching neither students nor subjects, but instead is conveying a way of life.

8. To what extent is teaching an intellectual pursuit?

Teaching is a conduit for the transfer of knowledge from teacher to student, student to teacher, and student to student, but is underlain by premises founded in the psychology of interactions and communication between individuals and groups. In my mind teaching is an intellectual pursuit due to this foundational premise, as the theories and methods employed in the classroom have been studied and challenged with such rigour that it seems almost every notable educator has thrown their two-cents’ worth into the debate. Research into classroom management techniques, rationales for student behaviour and ‘best practice’ approaches to teaching are some of the very hotly-debated issues in teaching, and the sheer ‘volume’ of intellect pouring into them, in my mind, necessitates the inherent intellectual basis of teaching.

9. How will I control my students?

I honestly do not wish to ‘control’ my students, but I can see that wishing to establish and maintain a positive learning environment could be viewed as such. How this will be achieved, however, I am, yet again, unsure without any informing practical experience. Getting this balance right, however, appears to be one of the most difficult aspects of teaching, as successful methods certainly vary from one class to another. More confoundingly, though, it varies within a class, and thus a method that yields success on one day may or may not provide a similar result on the following day…such is the fickle state of the individual!
And, after that seemingly massive exploration of provocative content, I believe it is time to put the Nine Provocations to rest for the time being; I have no doubt that once more reflecting upon them will be of great benefit to my teaching learning journey, and possibly yield some interesting insights along the way.

– For Science!

Provocation 10: Bringing an End to Pedagogy

The Nine Provocations have been simmering in my subconscious since the beginning of our Grad Dip course; relevant to all subject matter and yet consciously analysed in my mind under the guise of none. Perhaps this is due to my being provoked more readily by self-generated thoughts and inquiries, rather than someone else’s predetermined provocative thoughts, but could also be a result of thoroughly overwhelming mental processes struggling to keep up with all the conceptual material that we are presented with!

We have been hearing a lot about ‘pedagogy’ in all of our classes – ‘pedagogical knowledge’, ‘pedagogical reasoning’, ‘pedagogical theories’, ‘pedagogical methods’…rest assured, the list goes on – and I can certify that I do not, in any way, understand the denotation of the word pedagogy (nor am I convinced that all of its proponents necessarily do, with such variation in the definitions provided). But I have come to familiarise myself with, and even employ on occasion, the connotation that the word implies, and have gone so far as to tag it in some of my blog posts. Rudimentarily I use it to describe the theories and means of teaching, although this definition, too, lacks clarity. More importantly, though, it does not specifically mention education, nor do many, if any, other listed definitions of pedagogy. Webster (2009) elegantly highlights this fact and explains its significance to the very nature of teaching, as the difference between training teachers in how to teach according to pedagogical theories, and teaching them how to educate their students could not be philosophically more different.

“…in Australia…education has been overlooked altogether…we have an atrophied understanding of pedagogy which is represented only as a means or process of instructing and is totally neglectful of the end purposes which are intrinsic to education.” (Webster, 2009).

I came into this course armed with the justification that I was taking my first steps towards realising the age-old maxim that “you must be the change you wish to see in the world” – surely there is no better way to create one’s desired outcomes in society than by directly impacting upon and teaching its future members?
Webster’s discussion regarding the dysfunctional role of pedagogy in teaching resonated with me, bringing my inherent reasoning for wanting to teach back to my mind. To elicit such a change in the world according to one’s values one must firstly define what precisely that desired change is; one cannot judge the success of enacting an undefined task. It is then possible to devise and undertake measures towards making it a reality, which is the point at which, in my mind, teaching established itself as a possible path to take. Remarkably, my thoughts on this matter are almost mirrored by Webster, as he explains that “there is no surer way to bring an end to schooling [i.e. education] than for it to have no end” (Postman, 1995, p.4 in Webster, 2009). This is to say that without an end-result or reason driving the process of teaching, it becomes purposeless; without an aim there is no need.

I have reached a point where it is necessary for me to fundamentally question my approach, motivations and ultimate goals for teaching, and realistically asses my capability of fulfilling them. I have been having many a doubt about my ability to successfully teach to ‘an established framework’, as I have come to see that informal, organic teaching is truly what I value. My ideal lesson would involve venturing outside (the greatest classroom of all!) and observing the world until a query arises, at which point we could focus on uncovering the nature of the ‘thing’ or phenomenon of interest. Or potentially skimming the newspaper, a magazine or Wikipedia and uncovering the science and blatant scientific fallacies perpetuated by the media. Perhaps a lesson on science in the household could be undertaken – exploring the freezer, the fridge, the oven, food, digestion, plumbing, air conditioning, insulation, gardening, composting, appliances, electricity, automotives…the list is nigh on infinite. Or even a lesson based on whatever question a student wishes to ask, but has never had the chance to – why the sky is blue, why a rainbow is coloured, why grass is green, why leaves change colour in Autumn, why some animals hibernate, what happens when animals sleep, how water can poison a human, how drugs work in human bodies…this list surely is infinite!
And now to the crux of the matter: I have been attempting to avoid the question that is now bubbling up to the surface of my consciousness – can I successfully teach a curriculum I do not see the value in? If the answer is no, it is unfair to my students for me to attempt to do so, but if the answer is yes, have I irreversibly compromised my values?
{This seems to be taking quite an egocentric turn, which is unfortunate as I dislike such self-involved discourses, albeit, I also realise that it is somewhat necessitated by the fact that for me to be a teacher I have to understand my personal motivations for doing so, and self-reflection is a great means of achieving this…}

Ultimately I need to decide if teaching within a defined framework, checking off required milestones, competencies and content items along the way, will contribute to my aims of education; that is, whether it will contribute to my omnipresent motivation of realising the change that I wish to see in the world. Will I be able to impart the values that I view as important, whilst maintaining an objective environment that encourages critical analysis of all ideas presented? Will pedagogical theories help or hinder me in the classroom? Will I teach effectively or educate successfully?
I feel Webster sums it up nicely, as he realises that “…a teacher’s practice is inextricably related to her end purposes or theory…which include[s] a vision of the sort of society that is being worked towards.”

There are obviously many questions running through my mind at present, some with simple answers and some with none (besides 42, of course). What I realise now, though, is that there is a definite hint of Provocations 1 and 2 also related to this thinking, as I am questioning not only pedagogy and what it aims to achieve, but also what sort of teacher I wish to be (#1) and whether I will be allowed to be that teacher (#2). For simplicity’s sake I would like to conclude that the convoluted nature of pedagogy’s role in informing a teacher’s work is of no consequence, and that abiding by a set curriculum will be an uncomplicated matter of learning subject matter well and delivering it in an engaging format…and yet, it would seem that life was not meant to be without complexity, as these would be fallacious statements on my behalf. What I can say with certainty, however, is that teaching is not a simple process of passing knowledge from teacher to student, and that individual differences work to accentuate the variations inherent in the process. Although pedagogical theories may be founded in ‘good sense’ according to Australia’s governing bodies, their priorities are not focussed on the areas that actually count in the classroom; i.e. the ‘personhood’ of the learners, the exceptions that prove the rule, and the ultimate societal goal of education.

I propose a 10th Provocation of ‘Should We Bring an End to Pedagogy?’, and yet I cannot establish an answer to this query myself. What I have learned, however, is that my thoughts on the importance of purpose-driven teaching are not unique, and that Postman and Webster succinctly explore this concept in-depth. Surely the most important aspect of this all, though, is the students themselves; and we must always heed the importance of this.

“It is important to keep in mind that the engineering of learning is very often puffed up, assigned an importance it does not deserve…there is no one who can say that this or that is the best way to know things, to feel things, to see things, to remember things, to apply things, to connect things and that no other will do as well. In fact, to make such a claim is to trivialize [sic] learning, to reduce it to a mechanical skill.” (Postman, 1995, p.3 in Webster, 2009) 

– For Science!

References

Webster, S.R. 2009-02. Why educators should bring an end to pedagogy. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. Vol 34 (1), pp42-53

Ed Foundations – WEEK 1

a) The ‘apprenticeship of observation’ (see Churchill, et al. pp.5-6) Before we begin this teacher education course, we have all had over a decade of classroom experiences, observing and interacting with our own teachers who helped shape who we are today. Relationship with these teachers in our educational experiences in the past is likely to have enduring impact on how we are going to teach in our future classrooms. Can you describe a teacher (or teaching figure) who has influenced you either positively or negatively, and some of his/her qualities or characteristics? If there was one, describe an event or moment of encounter that has since stuck in your mind. Can you explain what specifically was about the interaction that changed your thinking or understanding? Putting this memory or impression in words may help illuminate an essential and fundamental quality of teachers that is especially meaningful to you.

I have been fortunate enough to have positive role-models throughout my school years – enthusiastic, encouraging and dedicated teachers who were definitely born to do it. Two examples particularly stand out for me: my high school English teacher and one of my First Year chemistry lecturers/tutors.

My Year 9/10 English teacher had such passion for his subject and for fostering a love of learning that it was impossible not to share his enthusiasm. His positive, genuine demeanour and sense of fun were evident in all the classes that he taught, being viewed as a friend without losing the respect of being a teacher (no easy task!). It was also evident that he cared deeply about equity in education and included everyone in every task he set. I respect his teaching even more in hindsight, as I realise now that he gave a piece of himself to his job and we were bettered for it.

My First Year chemistry lecturer was positive, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and incredibly personable – somehow managing to learn the names of over 300 students in two weeks! He was always available to provide assistance, delivering and overseeing numerous tutorials and lab follow-up sessions, and made the somewhat dry area of thermodynamics engaging and entertaining. Evidence shows that the tutorial program that he implements has drastically improved the grades of students who attend, and the bridging course that allows students from a non-chemistry background to enrol in the course is a huge success. His dedication to improving students’ studies and performance is quite inspirational, and I know that I have much to thank him for.

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b) In describing what teachers do, people have compared them to parents, mentors, coaches, artists, performers, analysts, etc (see Churchill, et al., p.15 for other
metaphors). Who do you associate an ideal teacher with? Can you elaborate a bit on that?

In many ways, a teacher is a leader (please don’t misinterpret that as dictator or tyrant!). They instruct, assist, educate, counsel, supervise and encourage their students, and as such have been related to the titles described in the question. In my mind, an “ideal” (not the descriptor I would choose) teacher does not just communicate effectively and understand their subject matter inside-out – although those are definitely beneficial attributes – a teacher must be willing and prepared to guide and support their students through not only their education, but also their emotions, successes, frustrations and life in general. Adolescents in particular have difficulty leaving their often tumultuous personal life at the door, and thus open-mindedness, empathy and encouragement are important traits to possess in supporting students’ development – both emotionally and intellectually. This can all happen outside of the classroom, so it is important to remember that teaching does not stop when the bell rings. Of course an ideal teacher should be inspiring, passionate and positive in the classroom as well, fostering an environment of learning and intellectual enquiry, but an ideal teacher should also remember that ideal does not mean perfect. Things will go wrong, students will not always be attentive and happy, classes will not always go to plan: this is reality. Consciously acknowledging that reality is often far from ‘ideal’ will get you part way there, and flexibility will go a long way in filling in the rest.

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c) As much as an independent endeavour, teaching is also an embedded profession. Teachers’ work is contextualised in a complex social network and is consequently a response to requirements and expectations of national and local governments, school authorities, parents, and students. Teachers’ clienteles, their students, are equally social beings from varied societal backgrounds. Based on your reading of Connell (2009) (available at www.scielo.br/pdf/ep/v36nspe/en_v36nspea13.pdf), can you talk about the implications that social contextualisation has for what a good teacher is?

In my opinion, a ‘good’ teacher should be so deemed based on their ability to instill in their students a critical way of looking at the world, a desire to learn and the confidence to put these ideas into practice. However, my own observations and the issues raised in Connell’s discussion paper have led me to the conclusion that governing bodies make distinctions between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ based on a black and white, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ view of the world. This is evidently quite far removed from reality, as numbers and graphs give no impression of classroom community, nor do average empirical exam scores reveal the level of improvement in a single child’s grades. It is necessary, therefore, to define the tasks that a teacher should prioritise, so as to establish which criteria are to be assessed when measuring their “quality”. This, however, is where the issues arise, as what a teacher defines as a priority does not necessarily align with what the Principal, the parents or the governing body favours. Assessing the teacher against seemingly irrelevant criteria undermines their confidence in the system supposedly supporting them, thereby resulting in a diminished ability for the teacher to teach and the students to learn.

Connell has produced an informative, in-depth analysis of the changing views of what defines a ‘good teacher’ through time. The mere fact that this article was written demonstrates the subjective nature of such a concept, with a different focus for teaching emerging over different decades. The contrasting opinions are highlighted by contradictory models aiming initially “…to achieve social control over working-class and rural youth..[as] The good teacher [is]…an obedient servant of the authorities.” and later to emphasise “…the need for imagination and drama in teaching…” (Connell, 2009).
Australia has experienced a lag in the implementation of certain facets of society, being a relatively new entity, which can be advantageous in the sense that it has had the ability to select the ‘best bits’ from other methods. Connell explains that American and English influences have played a part in shaping our view of education, and that Wartime priorities have changed the face of education altogether, particularly in the socioeconomic sense of working-class children now making up the majority of public school enrollments.

I find the the different views of teaching very interesting, with the “competent teacher” and “reflective practitioner” models focussing on wholly separate aspects of education. In my mind, limiting the reach of teachers to either one of these descriptions would be foolish, as the complex nature of a teacher’s role would undoubtedly incorporate aspects from both. Albeit, to assess the success of a teacher according to either of these models requires some form of competency-based review of their performance, and thus there can be no room for grey-areas of uncertainty between the two models. This restricted view of education is surely more damaging than beneficial to those experiencing it, as strict adherence to either model will not allow for successful teaching in all cases. A ‘one size fits all’ model has been shown to fail time and time again, as “Teachers engaged in the education of children from other social backgrounds…need a model of professionalism that gives them room for manoeuvre, in order to teach well.” (Connell, 2009).
I was also struck that teaching as an intellectual pursuit did not enter into the picture until the introduction of the “scholar-teacher” model, despite the well-known fact that “Teachers necessarily interpret the world for, and with, their pupils.” (Connell, 2009) and that ” [teachers are]…”knowledge workers” in a knowledge economy, but specifically intellectual workers.” It seems somewhat intuitive that education, as the transfer of knowledge, would be valued as an intellectual endeavour, and yet this is not fundamentally incorporated into the role-statements or competencies described. Even one of the Nine Provocations asks “To what extent is teaching an intellectual pursuit?”, and the fact that this question is provocative indicates that it is not a certainty.
Interestingly, Connell also states that “…education is understood fundamentally as a social reproduction…[and] is seen as a neutral process of instruction which is shaped and re-shaped by forces outside itself…”, which raises the question of whether education is allowed to have any control over its past, present and future direction. It definitely is subject to world activities – political agendas, societal progress/reforms, economic climate etc, insofar as society itself is impacted by such factors – but education is also thought of as an autonomous entity. What is the reality? Connell mentions that “[teachers]..can and should function as their own researchers.”, from the point of view of ensuring a curriculum remains up-to-date, but should this expertise be allowed to extend to governing their fate as a teacher and the fate of education as a whole? As Connell puts it, “…who better than teachers to know what is needed, to create good learning environments for children? Teachers…have a collective responsibility here, and teacher education has a responsibility to support it.” A ‘good’ teacher is surely one who is aware of what their students require from them, and is wiling to heed the call; and who is more qualified to assess a teacher’s ability to do this than the students themselves?

– For Science!

Connell, R. 2009. Good teachers on dangerous ground: towards a new view of teacher quality and professionalism. <www.scielo.br/pdf/ep/v36nspe/en_v36nspea13.pdf>

The Nine Provocations: So What?

The Nine Provocations

1. What kind of a teacher do I want to be?
2. Will I be allowed to be the teacher I want to be?
3. To whom am I accountable?
4. Am I ready to teach?
5. Is teaching a profession or a trade?
6. What will students want and need from me?
7. Should we teach students or subjects?
8. To what extent is teaching an intellectual pursuit?
9. How will I control my students?

Initially ‘The Nine Provocations’ imbued in me a curiosity in regard to their purpose, as they did not elicit the intended ‘provocative’ response. They did not strike me as particularly revolutionary questions and therefore seemed relatively unimportant; how will I control my students? Should we teach students or subjects? What kind of teacher do I want to be? To whom am I accountable? …surely these questions would answer themselves in time?

Albeit, when responding to each provocation individually I began to read more into each question than I had initially, and was surprised at the multitude of issues each one raised. Placing these provocations in a real-world context gave them a wholly different meaning – the reality of the classroom situation dawned on me and my ignorant preconceptions became glaringly obvious. How WILL I control my students? What kind of teacher DO I want to be? To WHOM am I accountable? …oh dear!

As a science communicator I am constantly attempting to bring to light the science in every day life: the science that is so often overlooked and taken for granted on a daily basis. In so doing I encourage people to ever so slightly alter their perception of the world to allow these realisations to come to the fore; it is not about being a science prodigy but about being willing to look at the world with fresh eyes so as to see the things that have always been there but never acknowledged. This in itself establishes a questioning mentality – in relation to understanding, perception, knowledge etc – which in my opinion is the fundamental basis of all scientific enquiry.

I mention this because I have come to realise that I must now do the same in my approach to teaching; I must ensure that I ask myself the seemingly simple questions, and be willing to see them for what they truly are: complex. The provocations are so-named because the issues they raise underlie the practice of teaching, and provoke multi-faceted responses: nothing is ‘black and white’ when the variables are students, teachers, learning and uncertainty.

The provocation that I ranked as most important to me was “4. Am I ready to teach?” which is perhaps the most deceptively simple of all. When the answer finally presents itself it is more than likely that I will have been teaching for many years already, by which time it may have lost some of its urgency…

And so my teaching journey begins, complete with ideas, aspirations, uncertainty and excitement. I know where I have been in life but I do not yet know where next I shall go; all I know is that which lies in front of me: one question, five words, eight months, nine provocations, one answer…