QUOTE
''These researchers noted that content area teachers, trained to be content specific specialists, define themselves by their specializations as scientists, historians, athletes, and musicians first and teachers second. This doesn’t mean that they are not committed to their students; it just means that they are intrigued by a content specialty that through study grew into an area of expertise they want to share with others.'' Pg. 378
REFLECTION
This emphasises my belief that a teacher may have a wealth of knowledge in an area and may not be able to impact students’ learning in the classroom. Thus the best teacher is really one who understands, caters for the students’ learning needs by employing the most effective strategies during instruction.
Teachers such as those alluded to in this quote may easily get frustrated when students cannot grasp the concept that they (the teacher) think is intriguing and easy to understand. I certainly cannot compare to such specialists as my level of education does not allow me, but many times I found myself thinking inwardly about the number of literature students who did not seem to enjoy poetry like I did.
I now note that my motivation was my love for literature and not a desire to get all passes at the end of the term. As a result, the students who were better excelled in spite of the difficulties they faced while the others experienced failure because of the complexity of the material / content.
Taking an Andragogical Approach
11 years ago
Eveta, if you want your students to develop a love for the subject area it is important that you teach the subject with much enthusiasm so that students realize that you love what you are doing.Unfortunately not all of them will develop a love for and interest in the subject as you observed previously.
ReplyDeleteGoing back to the quote do you think that a line should be drawn between a content area specialist and a teacher? Why did the teachers rate themselves as specialists in their content area first and teachers second? Is there a marked difference? What do you think?
I think as long as one is in the classroom, he or she is a teacher.Thus , in this case there is no need to draw a line.
ReplyDeleteWith reference to the quote, such teachers branded themselves as specialists because they had the content area knowledge but lacked the specific strategies or skills needed to teach the students to decipher or comprehend the text adequately. They saw their job as merely transmitting information but not to equip students with the necessary reading or writing strategies they need to help them become competent in the content area.
I also believe that one can be a specialist and a teacher- a specialist in terms of knowing the content and being able to apply th eknowledge appropriately, and teacher, when one is able to strategically use techniques or methods to get students to understand and apply what they have learned.
Well articulated Eveta. Many of our secondary school teachers are like those that you read in the article. Although they demonstrate mastery of the content in their subject area they lack the appropriate strategies/techniques needed to effectively help students navigate and comprehend texts. I see why they described themselves as specialists in their subject areas.
ReplyDelete