Barcher Blog

As an NQT, it is often very hard to remember why we do what we do. Actually, scratch that. As a teacher, it is often very hard to remember why we do what we do.

I last stepped into a classroom at the end of May this year. As I’m still at university I rarely get the chance to teach until a practicum comes up. So, when an opportunity to teach either inside or outside of a classroom, I’m generally one of the first to put my hand up. All experience counts, yeah?

So, in a midst of assignments, stressed-out peers, job applications and the like, I teach for at least 3-4 hours a week. Yet, it wasn’t until today that I realised why I do what I do. What kept me going at the end of last semester when I had 4 assignments due and I had to move house all in the space of a week.

It isn’t because I couldn’t think of anything else to do with my life. I know of many teachers who have made the decision to go into teaching because they couldn’t do “anything else”. There’s a reason why I say “know of” – because they’re all somewhere else now, and I’m out of contact with them. They moved on.

It isn’t because I enjoy the intellectual challenge, either. That was my original motivation for going into teaching, but not anymore. That changed the second I walked into a Year 9 classroom. I believe teachers who move into teaching for the intellectual challenge will lose heart and lose passion, especially when asked to move outside of their areas of expertise, or asked to take on junior classes.

I do it for the lightbulb moments. For the moments when students gain a little bit of confidence, a little bit of heart or hope, and decide to carry on and get results. I do it to see the change in students, see them get a little closer to their dreams, or to find their niche and find something that grabs them and they run with it.

I’ve started helping out at a primary school down the road from my house, and in the space of half an hour, some of these kids have gone from angry, frustrated, depressed, sad, discouraged to on top of the world when they have accomplished something they didn’t think they could do an hour before. The look of achievement and pride a student gets when they get their first A+ or are able to do a piece of work ‘all by myself’.

At the end of the day, when I am tired, mentally and emotionally exhausted, when I have nothing left in the tank, I go through those moments in my head. The look of excitement on a students’ face when you tell them they scored 100% on a test, and when they tell you that they had been studying for a fortnight in preparation. The little glimmer of hope in a students’ eye when you know they are struggling, but you tell them ‘I believe you can do this, and I’ll show you how’.

So, what motivates you?

One of my favourite hobbies is gaming. In my opinion, there is no better way to procrastinate wind down after a long day by playing video games. I own four consoles at the moment, from both handhelds (DS & PSP), an Xbox 360 & Nintendo Gamecube. Looking at the collection of games I have at the moment (over 40 just on those 4 consoles alone), I am amazed at how much education potential exists in these platforms.

Will Wright is the creator of the Sims, SimCity & more recently, Spore. Here, he gives a really interesting interview on the subject of educational video games, and why this potential has so far remained untapped. Wright correctly points out that there seems to be an ingrained notion in Western cultures at least that video games are nothing more than just that. ‘Games’. What is often forgotten with this is that games have historically been an area that has been used for skill development. Jigsaw puzzles, lego, even the ol’ ball-in-a-cup are good tools for developing critical & logical thinking skills as well as motor development.

So where do video games fit in with this? Well, we have some examples of how people have tried to use video games to build, like:
The use of Mario Kart in driver’s ed
Wii Music being used in primary schools in Washington to “engage” student motivation in studying music

While these programmes are good, in merit, I don’t think they are tapping into the potential that exists in gaming. Kotaku highlighted the ‘Nintenducation’ phenomenon that is taking off in Japan and (surprisingly) the UK. Basically, some schools are trialling the use of Nintendo DS games such as Professor Layton and seeing what influence is had on test scores.

So, can a game like Call of Duty 4 help my students get better maths scores? No, I’d be very surprised if there was ANY research supporting the use of first-person-shooter games and educational benefit. (Side note here: If I were to use a game like CoD in a classroom, it would be as a textual analysis of how the creators of the game have helped develop story, induce responder emotions, and even then it would have to be a senior class room. Some scenes are EXTREMELY violent, both emotionally and physically).

What I am suggesting is similar to what Will Wright is suggesting in his interview. Games have the potential to inspire interest in a particular subject, as well as teaching 21st century skills. I say with 100% certainty and honesty here, that if it wasn’t for the game Seven Kingdoms, I would never have become interested in Ancient History, or even politics for that matter. Several of my classmates cite Civilisation & SimCity as reasons they became interested in History, or even economics for that matter.

Another aspect that can be looked into is moral development. Games that have some sort of morality & cause-and-effect responses can help develop students abilities in moral reasoning, and moral development. Good examples of this are Mass Effect & Fallout 3. In both of these games, the decisions a player makes will have flow-on effects for the rest of the game, and will ultimately affect the characteristics of the player, and the game endings. (That being said, both of which are rated MA15+ here in Australia for good reason. Age-appropriateness is essential here). Each provide good case studies on issues such as:
- Racism
- Morality of violence
- Language & ethics
- Diplomacy & politics
- Morality of drug use

Then there is the 21st century skills aspect of them as well. Sometime in the (hopefully), not too distant future, I would like to do some in-depth research on this topic. Until then, I would ask anyone interested in assessing the critical thinking skills used in video games to have a serious look at how players approach missions in games such as Tom Clancy’s End War on Xbox 360 & PS3 (ignore the PSP & DS versions, they are rubbish) & Farcry 2, the lateral thinking skills required in a game like Portal, the real-time management skills in Viva Pinata, and for a combination  of the lot, including social skills – just observe how a guild co-ordinates a raid in World of Warcraft (if you can get past the swearing/usual nuances of online community-based gaming).

When the time for parent-teacher interviews come along, and the exasperated parents say that their child loves these video games, but they’re not sure if there is any educational value in them – think twice before writing them off completely. Yes, some games have minimal value, but not all games are bad.

For some further reading on this topic, I strongly suggest having a read of The Consolarium, supported by ‘Learning & Teaching Scotland’. Definitley encouraging, if not eye-opening.

I’ve been reading Wayne Bennett’s book Don’t Die With The Music In You lately. It seems once every two years, I’ll pick it up, read it cover-to-cover sit it down and not even look at it for another two years. I’ve read it in all sorts of contexts. As a student (player), as a manager in a retail store (captain), as a student politician (media), and now, as a teacher (coach).

Wayne makes a lot of interesting and through-provoking statements, and the opening chapter is entitled ‘So, you want to be a coach?’. In it, he outlined the two main reasons he sees people becoming coaches, and some home truths about coaching. A few interesting points came to mind in relation to teaching when I read through them. For example:

The most important thing a coach needs is the ability to communicate. Sure, knowledge of the game is high on the list of requirements, but communication is an absolute must. Communication is not always about talking. In fact, you can talk too much. Listening is the art of communication. It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear.

It’s been drilled into us at uni that a good teacher has to be a good communicator. Without effective communication, you may as well be trying to show a brick wall how to tapdance. I agree, but communication needs to be so much more than just talking. As Bennett rightly points out, it is more listening than anything else. Now, while that is a whole other topic in itself, it is Bennetts’ last sentence that strikes me the most:

It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear.

I think that this is my biggest pitfall when it comes to teaching, and, from what I have gathered – it is the same for most beginning teachers. We may have our heads full of grandiose plans, of expertly presented resources, highly detailed and well-constructed lesson outlines, hours of practising hand gestures in front of the mirror, and a passion & enthusiasm for the subject matter and the fact that we are actually teaching! It will count for nothing if the students don’t hear what we want them to hear. I’m sure it wouldn’t take long for you to think of a teacher who would say one thing, and go off and do the exact opposite.

I recall I once had a science teacher who rarely inflected their voice at all, who obviously knew their subject quite well, and just regurgitated content back to us. They showed no enthusiasm for their subject at all. Naturally, my participation in the class mirrored the enthusiasm shown to us by the teacher. My end of semester report stated: ‘Ben’s enthusiasm for this subject has been minimal, at best’. My enthusiasm mirrored the enthusiasm shown to us.

Bennett raises two other interesting points I’d like to share.

One aspect you can’t lack is confidence because many times things won’t be working out and the stands will be full enough with doubting people without you jumping up and joining them.

…you can do too much for your players because you don’t want them dying in your arms. And if you don’t give them responsibility, that’s what they’ll do. Just up and die.

There is an interesting connection between the two in regards to teaching that I think many NQTs (including myself) often miss.

You need to have confidence that your students are intelligent human beings, and have the ability to figure things out for themselves without you holding their hands through the whole process. One remark that came from a student to my supervising teacher about me on my first practicum was: ‘I can’t wait for you to come back, sir. Mr Archer makes us think too much.’

My confidence levels in front of a classroom are slowly improving, but my confidence levels in my students have stayed the same. I know they can get the concept, I know they can understand the idea, I know they can complete this task. I need to communicate clearly through my words and my actions that I have this confidence in them, and they will mirror it back. It may take longer for some students than others to mirror that confidence, but they will get there, eventually.

So, still want to be a teacher?

What is your vision of teaching and learning? (What pedagogies do you choose to teach SOSE and why?)

My vision of teaching and learning is like that of any teacher – to have my students achieve the outcomes prescribed the syllabus, or other guiding documents.

With that being the priority goal, the pedagogies I use to achieve it are varied. I only believe in spoon-feeding my students content at the very critical junctions of a unit. That is, the beginning, in preparation for assessment and to solidify a key concept.

In the case of history, I tend to let ‘history speak for itself’. This involves giving my students the sources, and guiding them through the steps in reviewing the source. I ask them questions, such as:

What can we learn from the source about the topic studied?
How is the source significant?
Are there any problems with the source?
Is the source reliable?

My role then isn’t to teach the content, but to teach the skills. Constantly coaching, and assessing students on their progress as we go through the unit. Finally, I like to have the students complete a substantial assessment on the work undertaken. This could be in the form of an exam, oral presentation, essay, wiki entry, blog posts, and so forth.

With other SOSE areas, such as Philosophy (a.k.a Theory of Knowledge here in the ACT), then it is more a case of having the students figure things out for themselves, using texts and ideas as a launching pad, so to speak. I can talk about causality and knowledge with regards to Locke & Hume until I’m red in the face, but that is spoon-feeding content. I would be far better off having them read the text, and then apply it in a day-to-day context, or undertake a thought experiment on the subject at hand. That way, it not only makes more sense to the students, but it also shows how the subject is relevant to their everyday experience.

What forms of knowledge does a beginning teacher need to utilise to be an effective teacher of SOSE?

A basic understanding of the major concepts with the subject area at hand is essential. You can pick up and teach any historical period of time as long as you have a basic knowledge of the concepts involved with history. Where things get tricky is within SOSE areas such as Sociology or Studies of Religion, where the teacher needs to know equally as much about the content as they do about the skills involved.

For example, I wouldn’t feel confident in teaching a Sociology unit based on the ethnicity of race & religion in Kenya, simply because I don’t know enough about the various races and religions in Kenya. However, transplant the topic into a South-East Asian or Pacific context, and I would jump at the opportunity – simply because I do know the content.

Where do I draw the line as a teacher? It has to come down to forms of knowledge – what is important and what isn’t. Can you teach sociology if you know the key concepts within it and not the content? No, I don’t think so. Can you teach geography, history or even business studies if you know the concepts but not the content? Yes, I think it is possible.

What strategies and/or skills do you need to focus on to help you become an effective teacher of SOSE?

Perhaps my biggest weakness as a SOSE teacher is getting too focused on a single activity. My own personal style of learning is that I grab hold of a concept/idea and don’t let go of it until I have it mastered. This is something that my students do not share. Let’s face it: keeping the attention of a teenager for 45-90 minutes isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. So, my own learning style probably isn’t as suited to the classroom context as I would like.

My own personal goal is to have every class undertake at least two separate activities per lesson. In the case of history, it could involve source analysis for half the class, and a creative response for the second half. Or in Studies of Religion, it could be undertake a research task in the first part of the class, based on media studies and perceptions, and in the second half have the students review each others’ work.

What are the main challenges facing you as a SOSE teacher?

The primary challenge facing me as a SOSE teacher is keeping the students interested. The biggest question often faced by SOSE teachers is: ‘Why do we need to know this?’

Students need to see the relevance of a subject to their everyday lives in order to keep interest. I have seen an entire classroom of eyes glaze over the second I mention a topic, simply because they don’t see the connection.

How are you going to face these challenges?

My main method of facing these challenges needs to come about in the initial lessons of the year, of the semester, of the term, of the unit, of the topic.

Now, in a lot of cases, the content isn’t the relevant part. Trying to teach teenagers how King Henry VIII is relevant to their everyday life is going to be a tall ask. However, teaching teenagers how the skills they learn while they study King Henry VIII is a lot easier.

Learning about cause and effect will help them understand why things happen on a global scale today. By understanding the role of Martin Luther in the Reformation, students will be able to have a greater understanding the role of Swine Flu in international relations. Or so it’s hoped.

However, the content-driven SOSE subjects that I mentioned before (Studies of Religion & Sociology) are a little bit more tricky. With both subjects, students should have an interest in them before they even undertake the subject. ‘You know what, kids? This particular tribe in Burma doesn’t really have that much relevance to you in the everyday life, but it does make a really interesting read.’ Thankfully in the case of Sociology, I am not aware of any school in any state that has it as a compulsary subject.

Studies of Religion is a little bit more useful, however. All you have to do is mention ‘fundamentalism’ and the majority of the room will light up, hopeful that they will see some religious person blasting everything they hold dear. And, in most cases, they are right, and it works! Once again, the trick is to make sure that they see the link between what they are studying, and how it affects them. Not having the flexibility to suddenly swap from a discussion about ancient Zen Buddhist practises to Islam in Australia when there is some argument about an Islamic school can be problematic. However, it is the role of the teacher to ensure that such flexibility is available, and to take the opportunity to discuss topics like this at-large with the students. Because, let’s face it: if you get asked a question, somebody wants to know an answer. That is how you keep people interested.

My name is Ben Archer, and I am a student teacher with specialisations in Humanities & Religious Education. The purpose of this blog is to keep a record of my thoughts & ideas with the Humanities teaching specialisations.

I have a special interest in Asian Studies, and I have teaching specialities in Asian history (post-1945), culture, religion & philosophy. As well as this, I also have specialisations in European Ancient History & European Philosophy, which developed by coincidence with my Asian specialities. As Australians, I believe that we should have a deep-seated interest in all things Asia. This is something that has been neglected in Australian schools, and is hurting this country socially, educationally and economically.

Humanities teachers are often faced with many challenges in the classroom. First and foremost, the students will often ask:

• Why do I need to know this?
• How am I ever going to use this?

Teachers often fail to engage their students at this first point – no connection is made between the subject and life. My goal is to ensure that students see the point of each subject – whether they see the content, skills or themes being the most the important part, my goal is to show them how it is relevant.

The other main challenge Humanities teachers face, is how to keep their students engaged & learning whilst keeping it relevant. I am constantly on the lookout for good online resources and tools to help my students remain engaged with the subject. Kids today are probably more adept at technology than ever before, and because they now have this entertainment ‘on demand’ attention spans are shrinking and shrinking. Reading out of a textbook for 45 minutes just doesn’t cut it anymore, and chances are most kids will either fall asleep or start a riot at the prospect. Students should be interested in these subjects, not entertained by them. The main challenge is to use the resources we have in an educationally desirable way, and let the pedagogy dictate the technology, not vice-versa.

I’ll be honest here – I’m a student, I’m still learning. In 20 years time, when this blog is condemned to the annals of the internet, I’ll still be a learner in some way, shape, or form, regardless of where I am, and what I’m doing. All that I aim to do is to put my ideas and thoughts out there, and come what may in discussion & rebuttals.

That being said, all I want to say is: enjoy.

Hello,

This blog is currently under construction. It is the parent blog for http://barchersose.edublogs.org and http://barcherre.edublogs.org 

It will also contain my thoughts/rants/comments on all things teaching related. Please check back later to see it all ready to go!

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