Reflection On Effective Teaching

Question 5: Briefly describe the role of the teaching assistant in relation to the teacher.

| The head teacher is responsible for the whole school from staff, pupil to finances.

In school everyone learns differently; however, according to the article The Myth of Learning Styles, “The idea of learning styles is based on a theory… developed in the early 1980’s.” (pg 1.) A lot has certainly changed from the 1980’s as we learn new more material in every class we take. With this being said, someone the scientists referred to in the article “assumed” that learning styles challenged the way of the educational system when in reality, it is simply a myth. Students, like myself, only prefer to process information that they find useful or interesting to him or her. Thus giving us the problems of that teachers may take too long to cover one idea, and students may miss out out on information because he or she did not prefer that learning style.

For years, there have been many theorists who have shared their views on how individuals learn. Such research has determined that individuals have different learning styles. It is important for teacher to understand the learning styles of both themselves and their students because it helps them to relay the subject knowledge to the students. The teacher is in a position where they must be able to assess the learning styles of their students. This means that the students and teachers are both in a process of learning.

Being aware of learning style is beneficial for individuals in both teaching and learning roles. By knowing personal strengths and preferences, the learner is able to devise ways to augment and tailor the way in which information is received and processed regardless of the way it is presented. With that being said, those that are in teaching positions must make the realization that not everyone learns in the same manner. Being aware of this will lead the teacher to discover new ways to present information in a way that will address the needs of all members of the class. If all parties involved are knowledgeable of prominent styles within a group; the teaching learning environment can be much more effective.

The class teacher should be referred to straightaway in the instance of a pupil swearing at other pupils or at members of staff; or if pupils have been fighting (physically) with one another.

Both the teachers and the teaching assistant main role is to monitor and assess pupils achievemnets in the class, but the main teacher has overall responsibility for recording and making the decisions that may be needed for example moving a child into a different group to match their ability levels. The teacher needs to be aware of the progression made by all the children in their class and be able to report back to parents and other members of staff.

In the third element of the cycle teachers may take on board many roles; from lecturer to mentor, from coach to listener, from assessor to presenter, all the while maintaining their professionalism. This goes from their day to day behaviour to (i.e.) dressing appropriately and maintaining a distance that allows for trust and respect) to being a good communicator and being prepared for the session. Each lesson should be well planned with a beginning (introduction and objectives), a middle (main body of lecture) and an end (drawing conclusions). Teachers have also the responsibility of keeping

The teaching assistantâ€TMs role within the class is an important one, they arenâ€TMt always as involved in planning of the lessons like the teachers, but as they work alongside both individual and groups of children, as well as the teacher they can be constantly monitoring and assessing the childrenâ€TMs progress.

During the duration of my participation, I worked mainly with intermediate/ advanced students. The class was divided into beginners and intermediate/ advanced students. Beginner students usually needed a lot of one on one with completely assignments. While on the other hand, intermediate/ advanced students did not need as much one on one since, they used computers to improve pronunciation and understanding of words/ phrases. I would double-check assignments, explain directions, and take part in discussions. Although on a few occasions I would find myself not being able to understand a student’s accent or simply did not know the answer, I would direct them to Mrs. Hughes who they often refer to as teacher.

Students have their own best way in effectively learning the lesson. With the diversity of students, the problem is each student has a preferred learning style. It becomes undeniably one of the reasons that make it difficult to achieve the best expected outcome out of teachers’ effort. However, teachers try to incorporate various teaching techniques to make every learning opportunity become productive, meaningful, and relevant for the learners.

Many people can have more than one strong learning style which is normal and can be beneficial in the classroom. But unfortunately, teachers usually only teach a classroom using one (Harsher tone with “one”) learning style. The one often used is auditory, when they are talking to you and giving lectures to you. The other main one would be reading and writing for when you have to do the work yourself and homework. The problem is that many people are visual learners and kinesthetic learners which is barely being used in a classroom. Think of it this way: Are you going to ask a fish to climb a tree and then grade how well they are able to do the task? Sounds a little ridiculous right? But that's the problem. What person would want to go to a class when a teacher is learning a learning style that isn’t best fit for them? What if a person actually is trying in class, but isn’t understanding correctly so they

They could be my extra eyes in classes and school ground as well. Additionally, I must consult with them regarding warning signs of troubled students to keep them alert and aware of those possibilities. I will provide resources and give them techniques on how to manage difficult students in classes. I will put together a staff development training so that they are more educated on the procedures and know what to do when those type of situations does occur.

There are three teachers in the classroom, one does reading/lesson circle with a small group of students, another does arts and crafts, and one of them circulates throughout the room helping students with their work-plans. The teacher that circulates around the room all the time appears to be the head teacher and when a conflict arises she is the one to mediate it. The way that the teachers speak with the children is as if they are equals, they aren’t talked down to and the students give the teachers complete respect.

needs are met and they feel as if they are respected by the teacher. Mutual respect is once again