Review of Haroutunian-Gordon, S., Learning to teach through discussion: The art of turning the soul (original) (raw)
Related papers
Reading …, 2004
This article describes a study that examined the role that theory and practice play in the preparation of new teachers. It presents multilayered observational, anecdotal, and performance data relating to a group of undergraduate "interns" in an elementary teacher education program in an urban location in the United States. These data lend support to the hypothesis that a new teacher's understanding of the relationship between theory and practice influences the way she positions herself as a professional, the stance she takes in developing curriculum, and whether she comes to see herself as a change agent who can make a difference in the lives of children. Observational data obtained for four interns during their student teaching experience and two years later when they were teaching on their own are presented. The authors conclude that education is theory all the way down, and that teacher educators have a particular obligation to address theoretical issues in their work with future teachers.
Revealing the Teacher-as-Reader: A Framework for Discussion and Learning. Occasional Paper No. 40
1995
A study examined an eleventh grade literature teacher's written responses to her students' writing. Copies of the students' graded papers were collected, and the instructor and eight students were interviewed. These sources became central to building a framework detailing five key ways that this teacher oriented herself to student writing: (1) interpretive; (2) social; (3) cognitive/emotive; (4) evaluative; and (5) pedagogical. In the interpretative orientation, the instructor was relating the student texts to her own personal experience and to her knowledge of the student and his or her work. In the evaluative orientation, the instructor invoked disparate roles she has with the students, i.e., "peer," "literary scholar," "teacher," and "aesthetic reader." In the cognitive/emotive orientation, the teacher reflected on her analytical reasoning and her feelings as well. In her evaluative orientation, she assessed whether the student's writing was working for her. And in the pedagogical orientation, she viewed the student writing as vehicles for her own teaching and learning. (Contains one figure showing the five ways of orientation for the teacher-as-reader. (TB)
The Sixth International Conference on Self- …, 2006
The word self in common use refers to something bounded by skin and a skull. By contrast, the self-study of the inherently relational practices of teacher education is often social in orientation. So the theme of Collaboration and Community: Pushing Boundaries through Self-Study was one readily agreed upon as appropriate for a celebration of a decade of coming together for collaborative conversations in lively community at the Castle Conferences. These proceedings would not be possible without many kinds of collaboration. The summaries of the papers presented at the Sixth International Conference on Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices include many in which the authors collaborated in research and in writing, a few of which represent multiple pairs or groups of collaborators. Many of the single authors describe partnerships or focus closely on the community built by professors working together with preservice or inservice teachers. Every step, from the call for proposals to distribution of the proceedings at the Castle, has benefited from collaboration.
The Telling of Story: Teachers Knowing What They Know
1997
This case study documents one graduate student's reflections on her personal and professional development as a teacher as part of a portfolio project. Her story describes how she has blended a teaching philosophy that combines the traditional pedagogy of her own early education with her subsequent experiences as a student and as a teacher using non-traditional approaches. She reflects on the traditional conserving influences that have shaped her existence and the role they play in a sense of security and connection to the dominant culture. The use of portfolio evaluation enabled her to view her less traditionally-constructed curricula in a positive way, having previously judged it only against traditional standards. Through reflection, she was able to discover the self-validity in a progressive approach. The telling of story is used in this case to document professional knowledge and the value of the portfolio as a tool for reflection. (JLS)
This paper includes a series of responses to survey questions posed by Mia Funk at Creative Process Project in Paris, France. Mia and I have been working collaboratively over the past two years. I serve as faculty adviser for our high school’s Creative Writing Club; my students submit their work to Mia, who publishes their writing in the “Young Writers: Pure Imagination” section of her website, which features the 100 Leading Authors in the world today, as well as testimonials from teachers in over fifty countries about the art of their craft. Teaching is indeed primarily an art, the vigorous attempts in U.S. graduate schools to frame it as a science notwithstanding; the most sophisticated and clever “strategies” can never ensure genuine student engagement; only the development of a viable relationship – a bond of trust and mutual regard and respect – between the classroom teacher and individual students can accomplish that.