Be the Teacher, not the screecher.
by Amy Ferguson
When you type the above nouns into google, it spits out the following definitions:
Teacher. a person who teaches, especially in a school."a history teacher"
Screecher. someone who communicates vocally in a very loud voice. synonyms: bawler, bellower, roarer, screamer, shouter, yeller.
It is easier to be the latter as often this is quicker, more efficient and instructions are carried out to the letter.
However, which allows for more continous growth and learning?
On Friday, one of my 2nd year students asked me for help on the xylophone. We were completing a group performance activity and they were stuck. It is far easier for me to simply show the student how to play the part. They can then copy my rhythm, melody and hand movements, leading to a successful performance both quickly and efficiently. As a young teacher, bright eyed and bushy tailed, this would have been my go-to tactic, my fail safe. My students would know everything and I would show it to them. They were the sheep and I was the cautious, hesitant shepherd.
No more.
It is imperitive to let students try, try and try again. By showing them the way too quickly, we rob them of the joy of the journey. From this, students learn to trust teachers rather than trust themselves.
Back to my story. The 2nd year student asked for help. I took a deep breath and resisted the urge to show them.
"What are you stuck on?" I probed, gently.
"The melody. I don't know how high or low the notes are supposed to be."
I nodded and pointed at the music. "What can you tell me about the notes? The ones that are high on the lines and spaces?"
"They're higher in pitch."
"Ok. Are they all high in pitch?"
"No, they're a mixture."
This conversation went on for around 2 minutes. In this time, I offered the student no answers, but instead very specific leading questions. This lead to the student figuring out the answer on their own. At the end of the coversation, I said: "You didn't need my help after all. Well done."
Did this interaction take far longer than just showing them? Yes. However, this interaction was far more meaningful for three reasons:
- Initiative. This interaction developed the students intiative and problem solving skills. They used what they already knew about the subject to inform their decisions and eventually solve the task/problem at hand.
- Confidence. This student learned that they could do this small task without teacher input. It's a marginal gain, but it's still a gain.
- Subject-specific articulation. The student was forced to articulate the problem very specifically used subject-specific language. We discussed pitch and tied it to music theory. This consolidated prior learning and built the foundation for future learning.
It's a slow and laborious process and I am still learning. However, this model is proving very effective for confidence, initative and subject knowledge in the classroom.