My aim in the teaching career is to make my classroom a learning community where each member of the community has the opportunity to learn from each other. I believe knowledge acquired collaboratively is more authentic because one gets the chance to see other people’s perspective of issues. The driving force of the creation of learning community in the classroom is to allow members negotiate meaning on issues, having mutual respect for each other’s view and ensuring that each member succeed. Allowing members of the classroom to negotiate for meaning on topics and issues make them active in the teaching and learning processes and become self-reflective thereby making knowledge acquired permanent for which they can use to solve their own problems and that of their environment. This philosophy connects with the popular Chinese ‘fish’ saying. My focus in teaching is to teach my students how to fish for themselves and not to fish for them. This philosophy leads to self-directed and authentic learning in the teaching and learning process.
I believe in the philosophy that every human being is capable of learning if the right environment is created and appropriate methods and procedures are put in place thereby the teacher’s role is to set the right environment and facilitate in such a way to help learners unearth the potentials in them. In my classroom, topic or issue tabled are discussed by members and meaning is negotiated by all. I ensure that the language and activities to be used are at the level of the students. Knowing their strengths and their interest, I weave the lesson around these so that I can get their attention and get them involved. This knowledge also help me to select strategies that will be suitable for the topic and keep students active. Having this in mind, I model and create emotional, psychological and socially friendly environment in the classroom where there is mutual trust and respect for each other. I also invest in knowing where my students are and where to scaffold.
The paradigm shift in preservice teacher (PST) supervision situates my philosophy very well in supervision. As a university supervision, I believe that supervision process should be a learning period for all (the triad- supervisor, collaborating teacher [CT], and the intern) and not just for the intern. Creating community of learning in PST supervision therefore implies that there should be collaboration among the triad. As recommended by experts in supervision (Costa & Garmston, 2002; Glanz & Sullivan 2000; Nolan, & Hoover, 2010 etc.) and research evidence (Ibrahim, 2013; Levine, 2011; Soslau, 2012 etc.) effective collaboration can come about if the relationship that exist between the triad is built on trust (Costa & Garmston, 2002; Nolan, & Hoover, 2010). With this in mind, (though I began this just this semester, this is how I want to go about my PST supervision) I use the first few weeks at the beginning of the semester to visit my intern’s placement schools to meet with the CTs in person, give and discuss the paper work with them. Knowing the existence of power dynamics and how it can negatively affect the success of PSTs internship if not handled well, I also use this initial meeting to discuss expectations from both of us. I discuss the importance of collaboration with my CTs and also email them regularly (at least once a week). Trust being the key word for effective relationships, I ensure that there is genuine mutual respect between us. I also use this process to learn more about the culture in the school. When I have observation in the school, I make sure to say ‘Hi’ to the other CTs whose interns I did not observe. This couple with the regular email show the CTs how much I care and appreciate the work they are doing and also strengthens the relationship as well as open doors for questions and clarification of issues.
With my interns, I use the first seminar meeting prior to the field experience to discuss the nature of their work and why they need to collaborate with their CTs, myself and their colleagues (interns). I discuss the importance of being self-reflective with them and share my email address and cell phone number with them for easy access to me. Because I cannot have regular visit to all the schools weekly due to the nature of my work as an instructor, supervisor and student, I email my interns regularly to see how things are going in their field work. I also use the pre and postconferences to model mutual respect of their views and use questions that requires us (intern and myself) to solve the identified problem collaboratively. I even create the environment that make them do more of the taking in problem solution to help them unearth their potentials. This in a way builds their self-esteem as well making them self-reflective which lead them to self-directed learners. My aim is to help people I work with especially my intern become reflective teachers and self-directed learners who can solve their own problem without or with little assistance from others.
As claim by experts that teacher supervision should function to promote teacher growth that lead to improvement in teachers performance and greater student learning (Burns, Jacobs, & Yendoll-Hoppey [in press]; Costa & Garmston, 2002; NCATE 2010; Nolan, & Hoover, 2010), I see this philosophy in PST supervision as a means to achieving the goals supervision in teacher preparation programs.
References
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clinically-rich preservice teacher supervision: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature
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Costa, A. L., & Garmston, R. J. (2002). Cognitive coaching: A foundation for renaissance
Schools, (2nd ed.). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers.
Glanz, J., & Sullivan, S. (2000). Supervision in practice: 3 steps to improving teaching
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Ibrahim, A. S. (2013). Approaches to supervision of student teachers in one UAE teacher
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means of improving the supervision of preservice teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27, 930-941.
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education through clinical practice: Report of the blue ribbon panel on clinical
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Nolan, J., & Hoover, L. A. (2010). Teacher supervision and evaluation: Theory into practice.
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. (3rd edition).
Soslau, E. (2012). Opportunities to develop adaptive teaching expertise during supervisory
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