PICTURE: THE FIRST LEADER
Touching more lives, affecting the outcome of so many futures a teacher
is the epitome of a leader. Just as a leader has his or her own style,
their way of motivating their students, also plays an important part in a
students success. Spending more time with our children then most
parents do, a teacher is fundamental in shaping our children. If they
are poor leaders our children suffer. When they shine as leaders our
children blossom and the universe is wide open to them. As a teacher it
is of utmost importance that you tune your leadership skills and find
the best style of teaching for the students you are teaching.
In finding resources for this paper it was interesting to note that all
the information fell under the category of leadership and not teacher
qualities. It was also interesting to note that the principle the US
Army teaches on leadership are included in an overwhelming number of
corporations as well taught mostly by retired military themselves.
The intrinsic characteristics of a teacher can be categorized into a few
main teaching styles or leadership styles. Directing, Participating,
Delegating, and Combined styles are the main forms of teaching and
leading. The qualities associated with these styles are imperative to
any teacher.
The purpose as teachers is fundamentally the same as
leaders, to provide purpose, direction and motivation while operating to
accomplish the mission in this case to educate. All four of these
actions must be present in order for a student to benefit. A leader or
teacher is not born but cultivated through his/her upbringing and
environment. In my experience as a leader, teaching in Educational
Psychology, being a parent, I have learned that what you as a leader or
teacher bring to your students or audience is imperative to their
development and learning. A teacher's personal characteristics are also
crucial factor in students' development and motivation.
The first principle is purpose, which has to be conveyed to the student.
Why do I need to learn Math? How will studying History benefit me?
Without the why's we as students are lost. A teacher must give the
purpose. It is important to you because… If this question is left
unanswered the student will not consider the value of the topic being
discussed. To move from purely acceptance to questioning and
understanding denotes a higher level of learning. This is the main
objective of teaching. Moving the students from regurgitation to higher
realization is the ultimate goal. Teachers need to take the time to
explain the why's and in the long run it will benefit both the teacher
and student.
Direction is tied to purpose. Direction is the steps we are going to
take to get to that important purpose. Without steps or direction, we
lack the framework in which to learn. By prioritizing small tasks (you
must teach numbers before adding them) your lessons will be more
effective. By conveying the direction or path to your students you are
setting up the checklist for them to follow on to higher learning.
Purpose and direction are essential aspects to convey to your students.
Without motivation however these factors will not be effective. The
motivation will give your students the will and desire to do things. You
can tell a student the purpose of a task and the direction in which to
go but without the internal motivation of that student, sparked by your
personality and learned tactics in dealing with students, these will be
meaningless.
Motivation is the drive and will to do what needs to be
done to accomplish the mission. To instill motivation a teacher has to
know his/her students and their capabilities. A teacher must know what
the students can relate to, what tasks the student are capable of, and
what method of teaching will relate to the students. If a student can
handle not being supervised on a task, then the teacher doesn't baby-sit
them. Some students need a teacher looking over their shoulder at all
times; it's important to know which student you have. To instill
positive motivation when they succeed - praise them; when they fail -
show them how to succeed next time. If this is done properly it will be a
teacher's strongest tool!
Motivation is not just the words you say to your students, it is the
actions that you do and the example you set for them. I have found that
no matter what I tell my subordinates, or my son, the best way to teach
them is by setting the example for them to follow. We all have someone
watching and emulating our actions. If you want to convey hard work,
proficiency, and the desire for learning to your students, then you must
first emulate those qualities. The best teachers and leaders in my life
have made me want to take some of their personality traits and copy
them. In front of the classroom, who is looked at more than a teacher
is!
All of these factors combine to make a somewhat effective teacher or
leader, but without the right combination of teaching the leadership
will be ineffective. Effective leaders are flexible enough to adjust
their leadership styles and techniques to the people they lead. Some
students will respond best to coaxing, suggestions, or prodding while
others may need a chewing out. If you treat all students the same you
are probably being unfair because all students are not the same. You
must use the directive, participating, delegating, and combined
approaches to teaching. Obviously every situation dictates common sense
and some adjusting, but you would not want to use a purely free and laid
back approach with a group in a juvenile prison.
The directive style of teaching is purely lecture which puts most
students and myself to sleep. This is teacher centered with detailed
instructions and no input from the class. Now this can be done
effectively with students who have an innate interest in the subject but
for the majority of those who have no choice but to take this class
this becomes boring. Without the lecture or instruction part of
teaching, however, most students would not be given the instruction for
proficiency and understanding that the subjects may require. When
students don't have the expertise in a subject, a crucial aspect of the
subject is the introduction itself. In certain subjects like math it is
imperative that formal instruction takes place. The do this to get this
approach must exist. However too purely drown your students with facts
and tedious instructions will turn off the students' motivation.
On the opposite extreme of teaching, the delegating style would be
employed. The delegating style involves giving students the power to
solve problems and make decisions themselves, without checking with the
teacher in most circumstances. This can be effective with very mature
students in whom a teacher wants to create independence and expand their
thinking. This simply stated is the teacher giving a problem, minimal
instructions, and expecting the student to find the solution. In some
aspects this can be effective only if the students have a basic
understanding and the fore knowledge of how to solve the problem. With
too little amount of instruction this will be a disaster!
The participating style centers on both the students and the teacher.
The teacher gives the students a problem, gives instruction and possible
solutions, and asks the students for input. The teacher, although
dependent on recommendations from the students, makes the final solution
however. This is most effective for teachers who have time as their
advantage, which many do not. When this style is used, the students feel
as though they are at least a part of the discovery process and it
gives them a sense of ownership of the final plan. Again the factor here
is time, so this can be ineffective when there are strict time
constraints and many lessons to accomplish.
The most effective teaching style is the combined approach. Just as the
name implies it uses all of the benefits of the delegating,
participating, and directive approaches. It is a flexible and
transformational tool for any given situation. To become an effective
teacher you must learn when, to what degree, and how to use this
approach.
This approach is best used when you have students with a
conglomeration of experiences, knowledge, motivations, and maturity.
This may sound like common sense, but too often do when have those pure
lecture teachers, or those who are on the other extreme and let the
students learn on their own.
With all the styles of teaching and leading, who the teacher is plays a
significant role in what the student learns. As I sat in the first day
of Educational Psychology I noted how many times the teacher looked at
the clock. She noted when there was one minute until the class was to
start and has promptly kept the same attention to time since that first
day. This shows two of the characteristics - awareness and perception -
that a teacher needs to bring to the classroom. Other characteristics
include: listening receptively to what others have to say, accepting
others and having empathy for them, foresight and intuition, awareness
and perception, highly developed powers of persuasion, an ability to
conceptualize and to communicate concepts as well as establish goals,
empowering people, using multiple options thinking, and being passionate
about what they are teaching. These are forged by our personal beliefs,
and just as important our life experiences. Having these combined with
the right approach; purpose, direction, and motivation are the key to
effective teaching and leading.
Leaders can't be trained, but they can be developed. Development needs
to be ongoing and highly personalized in its nature. Teachers, true
leaders, are so strategically important that schools cannot afford not
to provide them with the support and developmental resources they need
to grow. But not everybody is capable of being an outstanding leader.
However, it is going to be the key to better education in a world of
change, complexity and uncertainty.
As I look back on the semester, I remember how it started. Never have I
been in a class where the classroom students taught the instruction.
What a weird, bizarre, and radical way of teaching. I have to admit, I
hate to work in-groups and I didn't like this idea at all. In light of
my stubbornness and repulsion I see why this had to happen. To me the
process was not really about learning the material but bluntly seeing
how you can be inspired put to sleep, or appalled at other students, or
yourself. The fundamental concept is not really about what you are
teaching, but how. The with-it-ness of the teacher makes the student
learn or care about the subject. The lack of enthusiasm in an
instructors voice, the laziness as they slouch on the podium or smack
their gum, or the sheer brilliance of their presentation is what
inspires and motivates a student to learn.
The Army is the same way with winning wars and making heroes. Many
civilian corporations have emulated the leadership principles applied in
the Army doctrine and regulations. This is what I have applied this
course to. As a supervisor in the Army in charge of those many years
younger than me or twice as old as me this course has shown me in a less
obvious way to adapt and be flexible to the situation. Also I feel that
beyond the regular courses that teachers take they should be shown how
to develop their leadership skills. They need to be shown which style to
teach which students and how to be flexible. Teachers also need to have
and develop some personal qualities that will make them successful.
Without the characteristics mentioned they will not be successful
teachers.
The leaders of the most powerful army of the future need to be shown how
to lead. They need to know how to give to their students meaning by
showing the purpose, providing the direction and the motivation while
they accomplish their mission, to educate. Teachers need to use
different approaches to teaching based on the students and they need to
be flexible in their approach. Sometimes it is okay to think (teach) in
the box and sometimes we need to think (teach) out of the box but I
believe we can think both ways at the same time.
Sources:-
http://www.freeessays.cc
Picture - http://catholicmom.com
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