Yesterday, I ordered my “school uniform shirts” that I will wear when doing my fieldwork for the final 20 weeks of the MAT@USC (guided practice). The high school I was placed in implemented a dress code policy this year and so I thought it best to be in compliance. I am now the proud owner of three shirts sporting the logo of this high school. In my opinion, these shirts are just part of the “tool kit” a teacher-in-training needs upon entering the classroom.
What other tools are in this tool kit? Which ones have we amassed thus far? If you’re in the April cohort as I am, then you have taken the Framing Experience, The Social Context of Education and Learning Theory. From these classes, I think we’ve gained the following:
- We have learned to reflect upon ourselves, our history, how we were socialized and how that will affect our teaching practice. While we are still novices at critically reflective practice, we should at least recognize that our socialization and assumptions about the world guide our actions. We should also know that our worldview will come into conflict with that of some of our students. To resolve the conflict, each side probably needs to accommodate the other in some way, which requires that each side acknowledge the problem and work toward a solution.
- We have learned that there are many different learning theories and that a teacher’s adherence to one learning theory or another directs that teacher’s style in the classroom. We have learned that no one theory fully explains learning and that each theory is useful within the appropriate context. While some teachers might define themselves as ‘behaviorist’, ’constructivist’ and so forth, it is probably better to pull from a variety of theoretical conceptions of learning as one masters the craft of teaching.
- We have learned more about the art of observation and analysis. As we visited classrooms during the Framing Experience and watched videos in Learning Theory, our ability to apply what we read in the required literature and textbooks should have improved. We will take this training with us into the classroom this semester where we will need to employ our observational skills once again. Not only will we see social cognitive theory working around us; we will probably find evidence of behavior and learning decisions within ourselves that are based upon what we witness during the observations.
These tools and more will help us shape and construct our future classroom experiences. We will do so alongside master teachers and apply concepts of learning theory and best practices in a real school environment. Our apprenticeship has officially begun!
Heather is currently seeking her South Dakota teaching certification where she one day aspires to teach.
What tools have you acquired in the MAT@USC and how will you incorporate them into guided practice?
