Dr. Robert Carson’s paper, “Beginning to Teach” (2003) covered many important points and considerations for a teacher beginning his or her career. He took the reader from the very first days of the job – which begins well before a student ever sets foot in the classroom – into a discussion of what it means to be a teacher, and how to best utilize the tools, mentors, and philosophies at our disposal to most effectively meet the goal of reaching and educating students.
Very early in the paper, Dr. Carson focuses on the outlook and attitude of the new teacher, and how that can define and shape both the class and work environments over the long term. Becoming involved both in the community and with one’s fellow staff, is emphasized. He stresses the importance of meeting and interacting not just with fellow teachers, but also the support staff of the schools that make that makes them run: “the vice principal, the office secretary, the librarian, the media specialist, the school psychologist, the lunchroom staff, the custodian, the teaching aides, the bus drivers, and all of your fellow faculty.” (p. 1) An open mind, and be receptive to guidance from one’s peers, he states, is not only good for learning new methods and strategies, but also in forming a positive relationship with them. No one likes a know-it-all, and certainly not a rookie know-it-all. (p. 2) Parental interaction, and forming a positive relationship based on the best interests of the students’ education are also critical to success. This requires professionalism, and open lines of communication, as well as an aiding respect for families’ personal values and norms. (p. 2-3)
Of course, the most frequent and important interaction takes place between teacher and student. Though they’ll rarely ask outright, students want and require are learning space that is “safe, friendly, and sane […with] stable, sensible boundaries that do not move or buckle under pressure.” (p. 3) If these requirements are not met, the students will neither trust nor respect the teacher and the classroom. Moreover, they want encouragement of real effort and recognition of actual achievement, rather than the “snake oil” of false self-esteem. (p. 4)
Dr. Carson them takes time to explore the ideas behind order and focus in the classroom, and begins the section suggesting that the class be participatory in establishing – and ultimately enforcing – its own “social contract.” (p. 4) He explains this should be working toward the goal of establishing a space within which the students are mentally willing and able to devote themselves to learning. Ideally, the classroom can serve as a collegial environment, psychologically distinct from the toils and tribulations of the rest of the world, where each student can focus and feel comfortable enough to “take risks, open up, share their ideas, [and] be willing to make mistakes.” (p. 6) As with the Lockean concept from which Dr. Carson takes the name, this classroom social contract requires the “consent of the governed” and must be agreed to and reinforced by the group itself. Though he discusses several strategies for behavior management and discipline, Dr. Carson advises that “the real goal is to get students to control themselves, and for the group to regulate itself and its members.” (p. 8)
Regarding curriculum planning, Carson gives the sage advice that one shouldn’t “try to reinvent the wheel.” (p. 8) Structure in lesson plans and assessing both the class and individual knowledge level at the beginning of the term is essential in achieving success with each student. Additionally, it is very important to determine in advance the “structural objective” of each lesson and to make it cover as much of Bloom’s Taxonomy hierarchy as possible to ensure the maximum understanding. He concludes this section by stressing that it is not enough to teach individual facts, but that it is also crucial to incorporate them into a larger understanding of the world; as he phrases it, “the larger, gestalt-like structures that constitute human culture, intellectual disciplines, and, for that matter, the human mind itself.” (p. 9)
I was very interest in reading Dr. Carson’s paper, and in the discussions the followed it. Moving forward, I would like to learn more about Bloom’s Taxonomy, and how to incorporate into lesson planning in as complete a way as possible. I am also eager to discuss methods of incorporating individual lesson into the “gestalt-like structures” Dr. Carson mentioned. At a more structural-planning level, I am interested in further looking at lesson planning strategies, especially the “backward” method mentioned on page 9. I am excited to move forward on these topics, as well as ones which have not yet been introduced.
References
Carson, R. (2003) Beginning to teach. EDCI 552 Coursepack. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University, Northern Plains Transition to Teaching.
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