TRPR 7411
SS XABA
LU2&3: A REFLECTIVE
TEACHER WITH IDENTITY
FOCUS AREA:
• SEVEN ROLES OF A PROFESSIONAL TEACHER
• S E V E N A R E A S O F I N F LU E N C E O N T E A C H E R I D E N T I T Y
• E L E V E N CO M P E T E N C I E S O F A P R O F E S S I O N A L T E A C H E R
LEARING OUTCOMES
• DISCUSS SEVEN AREAS OF INFLUECE ON REFLECTIVE TEACHER IDENTITY
SEVEN AREAS OF INFLUENCE ON
REFLECTIVE TEACHER IDENTITY
• Metaphors for teaching;
• Cultural influences;
• Experiences of being a learner;
• Initial hopes for teaching;
• Future aspirations of teaching ;
• Teacher education experiences;
• New contexts and teacher identity
BRIEF BACKGROUND
McGregor and Cartwright (2011) reveal that
• Despite the apparent homogeneity of a national curriculum,
standardized assessment regimes, and statutory professional
standards for teachers, every classroom is different, because
every teacher is unique.
• It is widely recognized that an individual’s personal
experiences shape their values and attitudes, which in turn
influence how they see themselves as teachers and what kind
of teacher they are.
METAPHORS OF LEARNING
• How a reflective teacher looks at the teaching profession, himself,
and the learner helps influence how he will teach and dedicate
himself to the teaching profession. The question is: what is your view
of teaching? to some, it is like this:
"If we think of teaching as gardening, coaching, or cooking. It makes a
difference if we think of children as clay to mold or as players on a team
or as travelers on a journey."
EXAMPLE: I`m the well from which my students drink
CULTURAL INFLUENCES
•Cultural influences will include your family background and life experiences,
including how you were educated.
•How you view concepts such as ‘equal opportunity’ and how easily you relate to
people from different cultures and backgrounds to your own, largely influence
how you identify yourself as a teacher and these will largely depend upon your
previous encounters.
EXAMPLE: A democratic teacher who treats learners with equality because of
living with cousins and because of certain modules at the university
EXPEREINCES OF BEING A LEARNER
• The reflective journals written by trainee teachers reveal similar
findings to those of wider research on teacher identity. Wanting to
become a teacher is influenced by experiences of being in school and
being engaged in community activities.
EXAMPLE: As a learner at school, you liked and enjoyed your favorite
teacher`s lessons and have always wanted to adopt his/her teaching
style to your own - that teacher is a reason you wanted to be a teacher
too and you identify yourself with that imitation.
INITIAL HOPES FOR TEACHING
•Teachers at the start of their training often have very clear ideas about
what kind of teacher they want to be. However, what influences their
reflective teacher identity is the experiences they encounter in various
teaching and learning environments. These experiences shape their
identity as reflective teachers.
EXAMPLE: As a beginner teacher, excited to start a new job, meet a
toxic principal, and a toxic workplace generally will teach you to
survive and to respond in a certain way to negativity, this forces you to
identify yourself as a teacher differently from the beginning.
FUTURE ASPIRATIONS FOR TEACHING
•As your initial training ends, you will be encouraged to think about
what you hope to achieve during your induction year; how you will
meet and maintain the core professional standards, and what
opportunities for development you would like the school to provide.
These same issues are also part of your continuing professional
development. This will help you identify yourself as a future-oriented
teacher.
EXAMPLE: Applying for HOD, PRINCIPALSHIP, DISTRICT OFFICIAL
positions display signs of what you identify yourself as
TEACHER EDUCATION EXPERIENCES
• As you continue in the lecture halls gaining more knowledge about becoming a
teacher, your teacher identity is already being shaped and you envisage the
teacher you will be. However, some of the approaches, practices, and theories
you have been taught will not play out the same in the classroom, you will have
to devise your ways and strategies to deal with matters. This will influence you
to redefine your teacher identity
EXAMPLE: Many theories may be currently teaching you how to deal with a
situation in class(never yell at learners when a fight erupts), but when it finally
happens, you use a different route from what you were taught(you yell at them
and it magically calms down everything)
NEW CONTEXTS & TEACHER IDENTITY
McGregor and Cartwright (2011:50) posits
"Every new context in which you find yourself (new school, new class, new
experiences with individual pupils and colleagues) will shape your teacher
identity and determine the sort of teacher you wish to become. However, that is
not to say that you are a hapless victim in this process! Through reflection, you
will be able to use these experiences to your advantage, just so long as:
• you continue to reflect on the kind of teacher you want to be;
• you are critically reflective about your professional experiences and recognize
how you can use them to shape your professional self."
THANKS
NEXT TIME
