By Dr Leyland Mason
Introduction
There is a changing role for teacher education in these times. Teacher education is to be seen today not merely as a transmitter of culture but also as a transforming agent that will help Guyanese teachers and schools to identify, adapt, and utilize novel and improved ways of performing teaching and related tasks.
- Dr Leyland Mason
Teachers matter. What they do can significantly influence students’ lives. Given this widespread acceptance of the critical role of the teacher policy makers in Guyana need to adopt policies and practices aimed at enhancing the proficiency of our teachers. Teachers, in turn, reflect the strengths, weaknesses, and emphases of those institutions that prepare them for teaching as well as those of the school system, which, in turn, should provide them with further needs-informed training opportunities.
Teacher training institutions, and other training organizations must seek and utilize more appropriate and beneficial ways of addressing the challenges confronting the education sector. Teacher trainers must be able to:
i. Increase awareness of, and practise the skills, knowledge and dispositions which their trainees need to pursue the various roles which they will be required to play in the classroom;
ii. Engage in a conscious analysis of what constitutes effective teaching, what needs exist and how those needs should be addressed;
iii Develop creative approaches to teaching their students;
iv Design imaginative materials for learners, taking account of different learning styles, preferences and abilities;
v Understand pedagogy – how to teach people to teach;
vi Have a thorough understanding of the relationship between learning theory and teaching practice;
vii Have personal skills in their areas of specialization,
viii Familiarize themselves with current research on teaching;
ix Be familiar with, and become able to use a range of training techniques;
x Facilitate discussion and feedback from trainees;
xi Integrate content and knowledge with teaching technology;
xii Diagnose individual student needs and wisely manage the resources at their disposal; and
xiii Become involved and in active partnerships with other teacher-training bodies.
The following are some pursuits which teacher educators should pursue in order to enhance their levels of competence:
1. Building Principal/Teacher Leadership Capacity
Since effective leadership is critical to school improvement more resources must be made available for leadership development in schools. Additionally, Heads of schools and senior teachers should not be the only accredited leaders in schools. Given the many areas of responsibility for school and student improvement in which teachers are expected to perform, opportunities for them to participate in leadership training must be made available as part of both initial and continuing teacher training programmes.
If real development in teacher and student performance is to be realized in our schools, both teachers and administrators must fully comprehend the nature of effective educational leadership and function effectively as school-based leaders. Allocating power to teachers through active service by way of the decentralization of decision- making authority is one of the means to ensure that teachers gain and beneficially utilize leadership opportunities in schools. Institutionalizing and practicing collegial leadership within schools can also ensure active participation and informed decision making in the training institutions and schools. School-based personnel must acquire the requisite leadership knowledge, skills and dispositions that will help make them become successful school leaders. It is therefore necessary that they undergo leadership training then be afforded opportunities to share the knowledge and skills that are evident in organized leadership training.
The programmes of teacher training institutions and In-service professional development facilities must seek to build leadership capacity of school based operators. Relevant programmes must enable teacher trainees and in-service school personnel to:
i Demonstrate exemplary classroom instruction,
ii Know and effectively utilize theories of teaching and learning,
iii Understand and practice theories of child and adult development,
iv Have an effective knowledge of clinical supervision and its procedures,
v Have a capacity to guide colleagues in the use of reflective and inquiry-oriented techniques.
2. Teacher Initial Preparation and Development
i. Mentoring/Induction Activity
New teachers often commence their teaching careers with little if any supervision. It is apparently assumed that the new graduates of the Cyril Potter College know most things about teaching. In reality they can be, and sometimes are, overwhelmed, discouraged, and disillusioned, in part, because they often start their teaching careers without organized supervision and support from their more experienced colleagues. Even in cases where they are well prepared, more attention must be paid to giving them early and adequate support and supervision in the schools in which they are placed.
Quality programmes must ensure that student-teacher preparation emphasizes subject matter mastery and provides opportunities for Student Teachers to be attached to experienced mentors/supervisors, as is the case with professionals in the fields of law and medicine and other disciplines. Mentoring and coaching by experienced colleagues is critical to the successful development of new teachers. All novice teachers should experience induction programmes which provide them with opportunities to learn from the best practices of their experienced colleagues. Student Teacher internships should be an integral part of any worthwhile teacher preparation programme. These internships must provide the Student Teachers with opportunities to apply the theories they have learnt in a real classroom under the guidance of experienced colleagues.
An outstanding benefit to be derived from mentoring, coaching, and internship arrangements is that teacher training institutions are provided with opportunities to establish and maintain closer, more frequent and meaningful contacts with schools that absorb the teachers that they train. This closeness can enable them to better understand the challenges and needs of the schools, thereby better positioning them to develop and provide training activities that respond directly and positively to those needs and challenges.
ii. Ongoing Professional Development
Teacher professional development is the means by which the developers of education policy convey their visions and make available guidance to teachers. It embodies the instruction provided to teachers to bring about their development in specific areas including teacher skills, competencies and inclinations that should produce improved results for students. Traditionally, this has been based on categories of professional knowledge that include knowledge of content and pedagogy, of learners and their characteristics, and of educational context.
In these times and circumstances much emphasis should be placed on improving teaching competency. Teachers, who are expected to act as agents of educational improvement should understand the importance of working towards the realization of their personal goals as well as mission of their school.
Needs assessment analyses that identify the problems and needs of teachers and schools should precede the formulation of professional development plans. These analyses can provide a basis by which accomplishment in teacher training can be measured. Regular and continuing opportunities ought to be made available to both novice and experienced teachers to learn from each other and from experts. Ongoing professional development helps to keep teachers abreast of new ideas, practices and research on how children learn best; It also helps to keep teachers tuned in to up-to-date technology and new curriculum resources suited to classroom.
School districts should train lead teachers to become training personnel in major subject areas such as mathematics, English Language and English Language and Literature, Science and Social Studies. Worthwhile professional development is continual, experimental, collaborative and is the outcome of working with students and securing an understanding of their needs.
Teacher in-service events can be opportunities for teacher renewal in their specialist subject areas, and for developing collaborative relationships with staff colleagues
3. Developing and Integrating a Social and Emotional Learning Programme
It is now generally accepted that schools will be more successful when they unify attempts to further the improvement of children’s academic activity with social and emotional learning. Schools are social institutions, and learning is a social process. Students learn in collaboration with their teachers, in groups of their peers, and, critically, with the help of their parents. Social and Emotional Learning is an educational process through which learners are helped to:
1. Develop the capacity to understand and manage their emotions,
2. Understand their own values,
3. Develop caring, respect and concern for others,
4. Make responsible decisions,
5. Establish and keep positive relationships, and
6. Deal with demanding situations, effectively.
The combination of Social and Emotional Learning with academic activities is becoming the new standard for what is considered the basis that children should acquire from their learning activities in schools. Although it is a relatively new phenomenon to educators, having been introduced in school systems in Europe and North America in the mid -nineties, it has already become accepted as a programme that can assist all schools to become institutions where learning is valued, leaders are made and the talents of students are unleashed.
Local teacher training institutions should examine and adapt these programmes to suit local conditions. Every student teacher and grade school student should be afforded the opportunity to have his/her potential developed. It is felt that the combination of Academic and Social and Emotional Learning is a very promising way to attain this goal.
4. Celebrating Students’ Work
The celebration of Student Teachers’ efforts is linked to the emotional engagement which we need them to develop and practice in the classroom. Tutors/lecturers/teachers and students need to care about what they do if they are to give their best efforts in order to achieve their highest potential, ultimately resulting in a deep sense of accomplishment. Some students may not know how to care about their stay in school and have never had their efforts in school inspire them. Celebrating students’ accomplishments can be done in several practical ways. The Teachers’ College and schools can celebrate their students’ academic work, attendance, citizenship, creativity, responsibility, and respect on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or annual basis, by class, grade level, subject, etc. Community businesses, organizations, and parents can become involved by being encouraged to donate prizes. The method(s) utilized will depend upon the choices of the particular institution. Greater success can be experienced when students care about what they are learning and when their teachers engender a feeling of accomplishment. Students at all levels of schooling should be able to attain and enjoy the recognition they deserve.
5. Improving Teacher/Parent Relationships
Parents are an important influence in the success of their children at school. When parents and schools work as partners children are better adjusted. Accordingly, teacher education programmes ought to be developed to prepare teachers and school administrators to accept parental involvement as part pf the education process. Schools that welcome the involvement of parents have a better chance of producing successful students. Accordingly, there is need for a more spirited effort to increase parent involvement in schools. To this end there is much to be gained from designating a teacher/PTA leader in each school. The duties associated with this position should include:
1. Creating an environment in which parents can feel welcome in schools;
2. Taking account of parents’ other commitments including work schedules when planning events that necessitate the involvement of parents.
3. Keeping parents informed of their children’s performance and school activities through letters, telephone, newsletters, conferences, meetings, etc.
4. Providing opportunities for parents’ visits to schools, and observation of classes, etc.
5. Organizing PTA conferences.
6. Developing strategies to promote teacher-parent partnerships at school.
7. Inviting parents to serve on Regional/District Committees.
Using Information and Communication Technology
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has the potential to support several and diverse learning activities. ICT can improve the presentation of information to teachers and , simultaneously, arouse their interest in using internet and multimedia technologies as educational tools.
Elsewhere, ICT serves as a facilitator of the learning process. ICT can promote teachers’ learning in several ways, including helping them to share information and other valuable materials through cooperation and collaboration with their colleagues and instructors. Its role in professional development for teachers is to enhance their learning outcomes. ICT can develop the capacity of teacher training institutions to utilize available technology to enhance the learning experiences that can be provided to teacher trainees. Teacher training institutions should develop websites which will:
1. Make available, information about programmes and courses offered.
2. Create a student and staff database aimed at enhancing record-keeping. A properly managed database will allow for timely feedback to students, teaching staff and administrators. Databases can be used to follow student-teacher performance and to generate summary reports on their knowledge, skills, dispositions, and impact on student learning as they relate to targeted standards of programmes.
3. Provide interactive online courses which will help Distance Education (DE) trainees to gain ready access to colleagues and tutors.
4. Enhance exposure to ICT training that will allow trainees to gain expertise with the technology and be encouraged to utilize stimulating learning experiences to enhance learning among their pupils/students in schools.
5. Provide connectivity which enables the sharing of information among teacher training institutions, locally and in the Caribbean.
Conclusion
Initial training and continuing professional development programmes for our teachers must play critically important roles in enhancing teacher education. This can be the basis for continuing improvement in student performance in the Guyana school system.
There is need for interest groups to converge in a renewed effort to develop a coherent teacher education programme that will improve existing conventional standards of academic and professional rigor and enhance emotional engagement in our teacher cohort. It is hoped that the suggestions made in this paper will contribute to a renewed focus on the reconstruction of a more intellectually and culturally relevant teacher education programme.