EDF 1005Introduction to the Teaching

Profession

Rewards and Challenges in Teaching Rewards in teaching

Intrinsic rewards Rewards that come from within oneself and are

personally satisfying for emotional or intellectual reasons

Extrinsic rewards Rewards that come from the outside, such as job

security and vacations

Rewards and Challenges in TeachingComplexities of classrooms

Classrooms are multidimensional You may play the role of teacher, friend, coworker

Classroom events are simultaneousClassroom events are immediate Classrooms are public

Rewards and Challenges in TeachingMultiple Roles of Teaching

Creating a productive learning environmentWorking with parents and other caregiversCollaborating with colleagues

Rewards and Challenges in TeachingWhat do you think are the major rewards in

teaching? What do you think are the major challenges? Identify the most cited reasons why people

go into teaching.

The Teaching ProfessionCharacteristics of Professionalism

A specialized body of knowledge Knowledge of content Pedagogical content knowledge General pedagogical knowledge Knowledge of learners and learning

Autonomy Capacity to control one’s own professional life

Emphasis on decision making and reflectionEthical standards for conduct

Putting Teacher Professionalism into PerspectiveWhat are the essential characteristics of

professionalism? What are the major arguments that teaching

is not a profession?

Modern Reform Movement in Education Standards

Designed to clearly define what all students should know and be able to do Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS- science,

social studies and special areas) Common Core (CC- language arts, reading, mathematics)

Test-based accountabilityUsing tests to determine whether students have

mastered essential knowledge and skills, and basing promotion and graduation on test performance

ChoiceAttempts to provide parents with alternatives to regular

public schools through charter schools and vouchers

Modern Reform Movement in Education Changes in teacher preparation

Raising standards for admission into teacher training programs

Requiring teachers to take more rigorous courses than in the past

Requiring higher standards for licensure, including teacher competency tests

Expanding teacher preparation programs from 4 to 5 years

Requiring experienced teachers to take more rigorous professional-development courses

No Child Left BehindAdequate yearly progress (AYP)

Modern Reform Movement in Education Educational reform: Future direction

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Provided $81 billion into education Funds were intended to provide short-term help to beleaguered

states and districts feeling financial strainPresident Obama’s first major speech on education

Reward good teachers Encourage charter schools Lengthen school day and school year

President Obama’s first major budget proposal School improvement programs targeting underperforming schools Teacher improvement grants to school districts to develop

performance pay programs Federal matching funds to encourage districts to develop Pre-K

programs

Modern Reform Movement in Education Praxis: Comprehensive teacher testing

Praxis I: Academic Skills Assessments Tests designed to measure basic skills in reading,

writing and math Praxis II: Subject Assessments

Subject assessments intended to measure teachers’ knowledge of the subjects they will teach

Praxis III: Classroom Performance Assessments Tests used in classroom observations and work

samples to assess beginning teachers’ ability to plan, instruct, manage, and understand professional responsibilities

Educational Philosophy: The Intellectual Foundations of American

EducationBy: Don Kauchak & Paul Eggen

Philosophy and Philosophy of Education What is philosophy, and what does

“philosophy of education” mean?Philosophy is the search for wisdom; a study of

theories of knowledge, truth, existence, and morality- matters of right and wrong

Philosophy of education is helping prospective teachers understand the thinking of past experts; it guides what we do in the classroom and provides a framework for thinking about educational issues

The Relationship Between Philosophy and Theory Theory is a set of related principles that are

based on observation and are used to explain the world around us“Explain” is important- the primary function of

theories is to help explain events we observe in our day to day lives

Philosophies are based in part on theories, but go beyond themProvide descriptions of the way something ought to

be- such as the way educators, physicians, or other professional ought to practice Normative philosophy

Branches of PhilosophyEpistemology

Examines questions of how we come to know what we know

A variety of ways of knowing exist Scientific method

Epistemology is important because our beliefs about how students gain knowledge and understanding affect our choices of teaching methods

Metaphysics or ontology Considers what we knowConsiders questions of reality and ultimately

attempts to answer the question “What is real?”

Branches of PhilosophyAxiology

Considers values and ethicsTeachers examine their values to decide what’s

best for their students Logic

Examines the processes of deriving valid conclusions from basic principles

Deductive reasoning- begins with a premise or proposition

Inductive reasoning- begins with particular facts or observations and ends with a conclusion that pulls the facts together

PerennialismSuggesting that nature- including human nature is

constantBelieve in a rigorous curriculum that is constant for

all studentsPreparation for future life, and the extent to which

students find their studies relevant to their lives at the time they’re in school, although valuable, isn’t critical

“Individuals’ intellect should be the purpose of schooling: math, science, and great literature should make up the curriculum, and teachers should be in charge of classes that include discussion of time-honored topics”

Essentialism “Back to the basics” Suggests that critical knowledge and skills

exist that all people should possesPurpose of schooling is to advance society,

the curriculum should include the skills needed to function effectively in society, and teachers should play a central role in directing classes to help students acquire these skills

Progressivism

Emphasizes real-world problem solving and individual development

Purpose of schooling is to develop students as completely as possible- physically, intellectually, socially, and emotionally

Curriculum should be composed of experience that reflect today’s world, and instructionally, teachers should guide students in the process of development

21st century skills

Social Reconstructionism

Asserts that schools, teachers and students should take the lead in addressing social problems and improving society

“What is the purpose of schooling?”School should be used to eliminate social

inequalities by creating a new and more just society

Curriculum includes topics that reflect social issues and discussion would be a primary teaching method

BehaviorismPeople’s behavior is determined primarily by

influences in the environmentReinforced

Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement

Punished

Constructivism Alternative view of learners and learning that suggests

that to make sense of their experiences, students actively construct their own understanding of the topics they study instead of having that understanding transmitted to them by someone else, such as a teacher

Cognitive psychologyView learners as thinking beings who are mentally active

in attempts to gather information, organize it to make sense of it, and store it in memory for future use

Humanistic psychologyEmphasizes the growth and needs of the “whole person”,

physical, social, emotional, thinking and aesthetic

Developing Your Philosophy of EducationIdentify what is the purpose of schooling? Is my role as a teacher to pass knowledge on

to students, or should I guide them as they learn on their own?

Is motivating students part of my job, or should motivation come from within students?

How do students best learn? Should I push them, or should they be left largely on their own?