Book Review: The Elements of Teaching (original) (raw)
Related papers
An Essay on the Art and Science of Teaching
The American Economist, 2012
The primary purpose of this essay is to identify instructional practices that can serve to enhance teaching effectiveness. There is both an art and a science dimension to effective teaching. The science dimension entails a comprehensive knowledge of the discipline, both historical foundations and research on the frontiers. The art dimension, which is likely to be the more elusive of the two, involves presenting complex material to students in terms that are readily understandable. Organized around twelve principles, this essay delineates various techniques that may be employed to enhance overall teaching effectiveness, even among those individuals who may not be “natural teachers.” Selected lessons from Charles Franklin Kettering, one of America's most prolific inventors, are integrated throughout the essay to bring these teaching principles to life. A secondary purpose of this essay is to offer a critical, albeit constructive, assessment of the teaching profession at the univer...
Nature of Teaching and TE -- JTE.pdf
The effort over the past 150 years to create an effective and respected system for preparing teachers in the United States has not been easy. A large body of research on the history of teacher-education reform is a tale of persistent mediocrity and resistance to change. The author's aim in this article is not to revisit this sad story, but to examine an old and enduring problem that has long blocked the path to a truly professional education for teachers, that teaching is an enormously difficult job that looks easy. The author explores the roots of the gap between the reality and the perception of learning to teach by first spelling out some of the characteristics of teaching that make it such a difficult form of professional practice. He then examines key elements in the nature of teaching that make the process of becoming a teacher seem so uncomplicated.
What does it mean to teach? Redifining the teacher in an era of misconception
International Journal of Progressive Education, 2018
It seems that in the mind of the public, teachers have come to be defined by what they solicit (protection in the form of a union) and what they fail to elicit (passing scores for students on standardized tests) as opposed to what it is they do, which is teach. This misinterpretation may very well arise from the lack of clarity in defining the practice of teaching. Using the emerging recognition of non-human animals as social transmitters of information to provide insight into what teaching is from an evolutionary perspective, this paper explores the inextricable link between biology and educational philosophy. Using Dewey's (1902, 1944, 1953) polymathic approach to investigating and understanding education as both a model and a foundation, this paper identifies nexus points between pedagogical theory, cognitive neuroscience, and ethology. The result is a redefinition of both the teacher and the act of teaching that has the potential to bring clarity to the purpose of a profession that has long suffered from public-and political-misperception.
In studying to become a teacher, I have learned many lessons about learners, about education, about teaching, and about myself. There are many kinds of learners, each of whom brings a unique combination of intelligences, learning styles, interests, and backgrounds into the classroom. There are also many types of education, including behaviorist models, cognitive models, and constructionist models. Teaching may be approached with the student in mind, with the final or benchmark assessment in mind, or with federal, state, and district standards in mind;
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.
LEARNING, TEACHING, AND TEACHERS
This paper presents an overview of learning, teaching, and teachers. It describes teaching as knowing + planning + doing + reflecting. As well, the four types of knowledge necessary to be a master teacher are examined. Finally, teaching dispositions are examined. Mini-lectures are included.
The Art and Heart of Good Teaching
SpringerBriefs in Education, 2019
We are delighted to announce SpringerBriefs in Education, an innovative product type that combines elements of both journals and books. Briefs present concise summaries of cutting-edge research and practical applications in education. Featuring compact volumes of 50 to 125 pages, the SpringerBriefs in Education allow authors to present their ideas and readers to absorb them with a minimal time investment. Briefs are published as part of Springer's eBook Collection. In addition, Briefs are available for individual print and electronic purchase.