Teacher/Kaiako; a Simple Definition.

Ok it is the end of term but I appear to be on a bit of a roll so here is my take on the current discussion around the revised set of standards for the teaching profession.

I don’t have a problem with the suggested revisions to the standards but then again I don't have a problem with the current format either. What I want to consider is what  a secondary school student might, or should, expect from a teacher ? What ‘standards’ would they want to insist on?

Yes this is going to be simplistic and, yes I am aware of the inherent dangers in  simplicity that have been outlined in the discussions and responses on DisruptEd and other forums, and I totally  agree that simplification runs the risk of belittling something as important as our professional standards. 

Sometimes though we do have to strip something back to ensure focus on what is key, this is all part of the review and reflection process. 

Expectation #1. Know your Stuff.

Akonga expect or should expect that the adult in front of them has the required subject knowledge that they need to attain  an understanding and mastery within that curriculum area.

They need to know that their Science teacher is a subject specialist in Science for example. 

To achieve this teachers need…time.

Time for PLD, time to read,  time to upskill, time to collaborate, time to review and reflect.

Expectation #2. Plan your Stuff.

Akonga expect or should expect that the lesson presented to them on any particular day in any particular subject has been planned at an appropriate level for them and their context. That it is part of a coherent programme that leads on from the previous lesson and leads to the next lesson. That the lesson is varied, that it is appropriately challenging, that it is structured and that the necessary resources are prepared and accessible. 

To achieve this teachers need…time.

Time to plan, check resources, review lessons, collaborate and contextualize.

Expectation #1. Love your Stuff.

Akonga expect or should expect that their teacher has a passion for their subject, that they want to be in the class, they want their teacher to have a sense of joy. 

This extends to a love and respect  for the students as learners and people, a love of knowledge and a love of the context and environment they share.

To achieve this teachers need…time.

Time to rest, time to lead a balanced life,  for professional growth, to explore resources, to be a learner themselves.

So in my simplistic world view we can change the curriculum as often as we want, introduce new assessment regimes, new standards, we can innovate and implement until we are collectively exhausted but nothing will stick unless we give teachers time. Unless we deliberately allocate time for teachers to grow, own and reflect on their content and pedagogy.

Time to be human, time to learn, time to collaborate, time to share, time to rest. 

It seems ironic that the one thing we rarely give teachers is more time or indeed any time to come to terms with change.

A final point regarding the three expectations above. An effective teacher needs all three of them.

You can be the happiest teacher in the world, you can smile and sing your way through every lesson but if you don't know your stuff then you aren't really teaching. You can be a world expert in your subject, a brilliant mind but if you obviously don't want to be in the classroom then you will have minimal impact, and so on. 

You need all three components and yet to ensure that you develop all three it seems to come down to …time.