Understanding Teaching ✓ Teaching may also mean the myriad of

activities associated to teaching (i.e.

Chapter 1 explains, asks, reviews, demonstrate,
• Teaching is more than just memorizing advises students, etc)
facts & knowing correct answer, it lies in ✓ Teaching is an act itself which involves
making learners truly understand the common activities in classroom & the
concepts under study. teaching strategies & techniques, but
• Teaching also require effective delivery focuses to make it work to the full
of the course contents, thus the need for advantage of the learner.
available varied strategies anchored on ✓ Teaching is a process or set of actions to
educational theories relative to the induce learning & eventually to succeed in
“how” of teaching. learning. This stresses planning for
• A teacher has become a facilitator , a far teaching, the process of teaching &
cry from what use to be teacher- achievement aspects. It is deliberate &
centered instruction. He simply guides does not just happens.
& provide learners opportunity to
develop creativity & come up with their
own discoveries . What is Teaching for understanding
• A teacher’s responsibility includes (TfU) Framework?
connecting students’ learning according - Blythe & associates (1989) made a
to what they know of value, thus he framework linked to what David Perkins
must know his student’s interests, called four cornerstone pedagogy
learning styles & background. consisting of four elements of planning
& instruction:
FOUR CENTRAL QUESTIONS TfU Elements
The Teaching Profession ABOUT TEACHING Addressing Each
• It is a noble profession and is one which Question
1. What shall we teach? Generative
can be rewarding and fulfilling no
Topics
matter what the odds are especially for 2. What is worth Understanding
people who regard it as a calling, more understanding? Goals
than commitment. 3. How shall we teach for Understanding
• It has been accentuated by the need for understanding? Performances
meeting the challenges of the times, 4. How can students and Ongoing
teacher know what assessment
which can be addressed through quality students understand and
teaching. how students can develop
• Demand for professional teacher who deeper understanding?
will stick with the profession despite the - It is a set of general guidelines, in which
constraints has been persistent. teacher is leading students toward being
• As a profession it produces something able to do a variety of thought-
significant and moving when the right provoking things with a topic, such as
ideas and beliefs are implemented. explaining, finding evidence in
• Love for teaching has served as a examples, generalizing, applying,
motivating factor to teachers who have making analogies, and representing the
not left behind much-touted idealism. topic in new ways.
• The teaching profession demands a total - TfU framework serves as guide to focus
commitment to total transformation of educational practices on the
the learning, a continuous dev’t of his development of student understanding.
potential for totally satisfying life as a The core dimensions of the framework
person and as a member of the reflect good teaching from perspective
community. of educators. The guidelines are
• The teacher need support system from applicable to teaching in all grade levels
the parents and the community. and even in higher education.
• Teacher plays a crucial role in the Generative Topics
continuous dev’t of the society as they - One of the most challenging task a
try to meet the challenges of the time. teacher faces is determining, reviewing
& deciding on course materials to use for
What is teaching? optimal learning.
- It is an organized, purposeful and - are issues, themes, concepts and ideas
deliberate efforts designed to bring that provide adequate depth,
about certain desirable ends in an significance, connections and variety of
individual. perspectives to nurture students’
- According to our authors it can be development in terms of powerful
understood from different contexts as: understanding or discernment.
✓ Teaching is an occupation- refers to
teaching as one does for living.
Guide when selecting the best possible
teaching topics:
➢ Central to one or more domains of
disciplines.
➢ Interesting to students
➢ Interesting to teachers
➢ Accessible
➢ Offer opportunities for multiple
connections
Steps for Planning Generative Topics:
➢ Brainstorming
➢ Create idea webs around ideas generated
➢ Choose from idea web
➢ Consult with other teachers and peers or
with community members.
Questions to ask when refining web of
ideas:
➢ Does the topic represent fundamental
concepts or themes in your domain?
➢ Do you think it will appeal to students and
to you?
➢ Does it provide opportunities for students
to connect learning possibilities to other
classes as well as life experience outside
school?
➢ Does it have related resources materials to
make topic accessible to students?
➢ Do you think you can present the topic to
your students in engaging way?
Understanding Goals
- Teachers can developed nested
understanding goals – unit sized goals
embedded with year-long overarching
goals or throughlines. Throughlines are
compounded goals of short topics for the
duration of a school year.
- These describe the most important
understanding that learners should
develop during the entire course.
Identifying Throughlines
➢ At the beginning of the semester, the
teacher might write down the most
important things his students may learn out
of the class. He also plans to revisit &
modify the list as lessons progresses during
the year.
➢ After trying several units, he looks for
related goals that appear more than once
or stands out from the rest. Unlike unit
understanding goals, throughlines need to
encompass the essence of the whole
course.
➢ Throughlines are often rooted in deeply
held but rarely articulated beliefs and
values about both subject matter and
teaching & learning process, thus they
often take longer to cultivate & polished.
Unit long goals can sometimes take several
years to be considered accomplished &
finetuned.
Planning Throughlines
In developing the teacher’s overarching
understanding goals, he usually asks himself,
“What are the most important things I want my
students to keep when they leave my class?” To
develop goals, following steps may be tried:
➢ Review several units that have been
planned (either using the framework or in
other ways). What common these emerge?
What understanding, skills or concepts
resurface time & again as you plan & teach?
➢ Ask the students what they hear being
focused on. As them what they think are
supposed to get from the class.
➢ As with unit long understanding goals, try
stating overarching goads as both
statement & question.
Performance of Understanding
➢ During the year the student should be
involved in activities that develop, express,
and supplement their current
understanding.
➢ Initial performance are initially simple like
discussing certain topic as a group.
➢ Eventually performance elevates from
simple to complex. Teachers as well
progress from offering high instructional
support to lower levels as students begin to
acquire understanding of the key concepts
independently.
➢ Eventually students might be able to
contribute in culminating performance of
understanding via activities such as
presentation or exhibition.
➢ Their learning opportunities are even more
enriched by different kinds of life
experiences. Even with knowledge acquire
from books & lectures, but without
opportunity to apply knowledge in various
situation with guidance from expert
facilitator, they are not likely to develop
understanding & have better appreciation
of what they have learned.
Planning performance of
Understanding
➢ Teacher may begin planning by
brainstorming ideas for possible
performance of understanding.
➢ After goals are identified, he looks at the
list of possibilities for performance of
understanding he generated & identifies
ones that best seem to support these goals.
If he has not identified goals yet, he tries
other possibilities & ask “Why do I want my
students to do this? This will help
articulating the understanding of goals.
The performance of understanding generated
are sequence so they occur throughout the
unit, from start to end, which are:
▪ Introductory performances.
▪ Guided-inquiry performances
▪ Culminating performances.
Ongoing Assessment
➢ It is the process of providing students with
clear responses to their performance of
understanding in a way that will help
improve their next performances. It
provides an actual gauge on their kind of
performance.
➢ Teachers should provide feedback, learning
criteria & opportunities for reflection
throughout the instruction, and not be at
the end of unit.
➢ When understanding is the purpose of
instruction, the process of assessment is
than just an evaluation making it a
substantive contribution to leaning. The
process needs to be able to validate & to
enlighten students & teachers about what
students currently understand & how to
continue with subsequent teaching &
learning.
Key Factors of ongoing assessment
➢ Criteria established for each performance
of understanding need to be a) clear; b)
relevant; and c) public
➢ Feedbacks need to:
✓ occur frequently from beginning to end of
the unit.
✓ offer students information not only about
how they perform but how to improve it
further.
✓ inform them about intended subsequent
classes & activities
✓ come from variety of perspective (student,
classmates & teacher)
Planning Ongoing assessment
➢ The teacher uses his understanding goals
to establish the criteria by which to assess
student’s performance. The test of
understanding is the most crucial.
➢ The teacher provides opportunities at the
beginning and throughout a unit for
assessing how well the students developed
their understanding. Assessment should be
ongoing process.
➢ Balance of both formal & informal
feedback is important & teacher should
make room for multi-perspective
assessment (self, peer and teacher).
The Learner
Chapter 2
➢ The learner as the first element of
teaching & learning is the focus on this
chapter.
➢ The learner is the core of the teaching-
learning processes. It is from him/her
that all activities related to classroom
activities revolves. He/She is either pupil
– learner in elementary level and a
student –learner who attends an
institution beyond the elementary level.
Factors Affecting Cognitive
Development of Children
• Biological Factors – are substances that
affect biological systems and are
necessary to produce a result or cause
activity of the body. These factors are
a) Senses b) Intelligence c) Heredity d)
maturation.
• Environmental – these includes
surroundings, conditions, or influences
that affects an organisms. These factors
are a) learning opportunities b)
Economic status c) Play is also
important in developing cognition d)
various types of stimuli e) family and
society.
(7) Characteristics of Independent
Learners
1. Curiosity –Seeking out ways to explore.
On their own, they look for additional
supplements.
2. Self-Motivation – intrinsic motivation
far surpasses any prize or reward
system, that is setting internal goals to
achieve provide motivation to
independent learners.
3. Self-examination- Independent learners
keep track of their achievements &
failures. They have proper evaluation of
their strengths & weaknesses.
4. Accountability- Knowing what you have
to do & doing it without anyone telling
you to, that is being responsible.
5. Critical Thinking – An attitude of
examining all possibilities & often come
up with multiple solutions. They do not
memorize, and they probe & analyze the
nature of things or situation.
6. Comprehension (with little instruction)
– this is the ability to read, visualize, or
kinesthetically instruct themselves.
They will find ways to understand
material thru application (normally trial
and error).
7. Persistence – An attitude of not giving
up being serious learning. They try to
comprehend a concept as much as
possible on their own before asking for
help. They apply self discipline when
faced with difficulty in finding answer to
a problem.
Approaches to Learning (Deep vs
Surface)
Deep Learning
➢ examining new facts and ideas critically,
trying them into existing cognitive
structures, and making numerous links
between ideas
➢ the student are aiming towards
understanding. It involves the critical &
in-depth analysis of new ideas, relating
them with already known concepts &
principle.
➢ It promotes understanding & long term
retention of concepts that are used in
problem solving. It is applied in real life
situation.
➢ Characteristics:
▪ Looking for meaning
▪ Focusing on the central argument of
concepts needed to solve a problem
▪ Interacting actively
▪ Distinguishing between argument
and evidence
▪ Making connections between
different modules
▪ Relating new to previous knowledge
▪ Linking course content to real life
➢ Encouraged by students:
▪ Having an intrinsic curiosity in the
subject
▪ Being determined to do well and
mentally engaged when doing
academic work
▪ Having the appropriate background
knowledge for a sound foundation
▪ Having time to pursue interests
through good time management
▪ Positive experience of confidence in
one’s ability to understand and
succeed
➢ Encouraged by teachers
▪ Relating new materials to what
students already know and
understand
▪ Allowing students to make mistakes
without penalty and rewarding effort
▪ Being consistent and fair in assessing
declared intended learning
outcomes, hence establishing trust
Surface Learning
➢ Accepting new facts and ideas
uncritically, and attempting to store them
as isolated, unconnected items
➢ the students are aiming to reproduce
material in test or exam rather than
actually understand it.
➢ It is the explicit recognition of
information & memorization. It leads to
superficial retention of materials for
examination.
➢ Characteristics:
▪ Relying on rote learning
▪ Focusing on outward signs and the
formulae needed to solve a problem
▪ Receiving information passively
▪ Failing to distinguish principles from
examples
▪ Treating parts of modules and
programs separately
▪ Not recognizing new materials as
building on previous work
▪ Seeing course content simply as
material to be learnt for the exam
➢ Encouraged by students:
▪ Studying a degree for the
qualification and not being
interested in the subject
▪ Not focusing on academic areas,
but emphasizing others (e.g.,
social, sport)
▪ Lacking background knowledge and
understanding necessary to
understand a material
▪ Not enough time/ too much
workload
▪ Cynical view on education believing
that factual recall is what is
required
➢ Encouraged by teachers
▪ Conveying disinterest or even
negative attitude to the material
▪ Presenting material so that it can
be perceived as a series of
unrelated facts and ideas
▪ Allowing students to be passive
▪ Assessing for independent facts
(short-answer questions)
▪ Rushing to cover too much material
▪ Emphasizing coverage at the
expense of depth
▪ Creating undue anxiety or low
expectations of success by
discouraging statements or
excessive workload
▪ Having a short assessment cycle
Designing for Deep Learning
➢ Students should be encourage to engage
in deep learning, no matter the difficulty.
➢ It is often argued that the explicit setting
of “straightforward assessments that
involve short questions to test separate
ideas encourages “surface learning.”.
➢ however, even the most apparently
simple assessment questions can require
students to demonstrate knowledge can
be applied
Putting Theory in Practice
➢ Clearly stated academic aims,
opportunities to exercise some choice &
well-aligned assessment strategies that
help students to build confidence can be
found among the factors identified as
encouraging deep approach to learning.
Example using problem based learning,
rather than producing assessments that
require rote application.
➢ Concentrate on key concepts, not only in
isolation, that is integrated approach to
teaching.
➢ While regular assessment is advantageous
to remain focused on the material,
memorization is not encouraged.
➢ The assessment process must not only give
students opportunity to receive feedback,
but also must make the assessment
relevant to the field of study.
Learning Styles & Preferences
➢ Learning can be done in different ways.
From students, it can by close
observation, seeing & hearing, working
 alone & in groups, logical reasoning &
intuitively, memorizing or visualizing &
modelling. Some prefer pictures than
text, other concrete before abstract.
➢ On the part of teacher, there are those
who lecture, others demonstrate or
discuss, some focus on principles & others
on applications.
➢ How much students’ learning in class
depends among other things on match
between student’s learning styles and
instructor’s teaching styles, thus there
should be jive with instructor’s teaching
style & student’s learning style.
Some guidelines about teaching styles:
• There is not single/definite learning
styles. There is a mix learning styles for
everyone.
• Some people have dominant style of
learning with far less use of the other
styles.
• Others may use different styles in
different circumstances. There is no
right combination.
• Styles that are developed can still be
further improved for learning
enhancement.
The 7 learning styles (Memletic styles)
1. Visual (spatial)–prefers using pictures, images,
graphs, charts, logic puzzles & spatial
understanding.
2. Aural (auditory-musical)–prefers using sound &
music.
3. Verbal (linguistic)–prefer using words, both speech &
writing.
4. Physical (kinesthetic)-prefers using body, hands &
touch.
5. Logical (mathematical)-prefers using logic,
reasoning & systems.
6. Social (interpersonal)-prefers to learn in groups or
with other people.
7. Solitary(intrapersonal)-prefers to work alone & use
self study.
The Basis of Learning Styles
➢ Learning styles change the way the
learner internally represents experiences,
recall information, and choose words to
explain things.
➢ According to research, learning styles
activates different parts of the brain.
Involving more of the brain during
learning capacitates learner more to
remember more of what he/she learns.
Key areas of the brain responsible for
learning style are as follows:
1. Visual-the occipital lobes at the back
of brain manage visual sense.
2. Aural-the temporal lobes handle
aural content. The right temporal
lobe is specially important for music.
3. Physical-the cerebellum & the motor
cortex (at the back of the frontal
lobe handle much of our physical
movement.
4. Logical-the parietal lobes especially
the left side, drive our logical
thinking.
5. Verbal-the temporal and frontal
lobes especially the two specialized
areas called Broca’s area and
Wernicke’s area (in the left
hemisphere of these two lobes)
govern the use of manually
articulated (i.e. signed) or vocally
articulated (i.e. spoken) language as
shown on Figure 2.
6. Social-The frontal & temporal lobes
handle much of our social activities.
The limbic system (not shown apart
from the hippocampus) also
influences both social & solitary
styles. The limbic system has a lot to
do with emotions, moods &
aggression.
The Dunn & Dunn Learning Style Model
➢ Learning style is the way person
processes, internalizes studies,
interprets, & changes new & challenging
materials.
➢ Most people can learn & each individual
has his own unique ways of mastering new
& difficult subject matter. This is the
cornerstone of Dun & Dunn Learning style.
➢ Dunn’s model is a complex &
encompasses five strands of 21 elements
affecting each individual’s learning. Some
of these elements are biological, and
others are developmental.
A summary of these elements as provided as
follows:
➢ Environmental- this strand refers to
these elements: lighting, sound,
temperature & seating arrangement.
People prefer a place to study that
facilitates more learning. Depending upon
which learning situation is more
compatible & conducive to learning.
➢ Emotional –this strand involve the
following elements: motivation,
persistence, responsibility & structure,
i.e. some people work best when
motivated & encouraged, or when
allowed to do multi-tasking (persistence),
while other feel motivated when assigned
to lead.
➢ Sociological- the strand represent
elements which make individual learn
while in association with other people. It
 can be a) alone or with peers; b) an
authoritative adult or with collegial
colleague; and c) learning a variety of
ways or routine patterns.
➢ Physiological-elements in this strand are:
perceptual (auditory, visual, tactile &
kinesthetic), time of the day energy
levels, intake (eating, or not while
studying), & mobility (sitting or moving
around).
➢ Psychological- the elements in this strand
correspond to the following psychological
processing: hemispheric, impulsive or
reflective and global versus analytic.
Hemispheric element refers to the left &
right brain processing modes. The
impulsive versus reflective style describe
how some people do something or resort
to doing something before thinking and
others scrutinize the situation before
moving an inch. Global & analytic
element are unique, as these two
elements are made up of clusters of
elements from the other four strands.
The elements are sound, light & seating
arrangement (environmental) and
persistence (emotional), sociological
preference & intake (physilogical).
Differences among Student’s leaning
styles
(4) Factors that significantly differ between
groups & among individuals
1. Global & analytic- Global learner prefers
to work in an environment with soft lighting &
informal setting; need breaks, mobility &
sound, while analytic learners prefers to work
in an environment with bright lights & formal
setting, work best when uninterrupted or with
few; prefer a quiet surrounding & little or no
snacking. C
2. Age-learning styles vary & change with age.
Some learning styles (sociological, motivation,
responsibility & internal vs external structure)
are developmental & change as people grow
older. Children prefer to work with peers than
being alone. The auditory & visual perceptual
elements strengthen with age for many.
3. Gender-Perceptual strengths of males are
often visual, tactile & kinesthetic. More mobile
than females & they function & achieve better
in an informal environment. On the other hand,
females tend to be more auditory, prefer quiet
atmosphere while studying, work best in
formal setting & need less mobility. They are
more conforming , authority oriented & parent
& self motivated & engaging than males.
4. High vs low academic achievement- High
& low achieving students learn in statistically
different ways from one another. Successful
teaching strategies for one group may not
produce similar outcomes in the other group,
thus teacher should remember that there are
various range of learners; one learning style
may apply to some but not to others.
Kolb’s Learning Style
This model sets out four distinct learning
style. The intersection of the processing &
perception dimension in this model creates a
set of learning style.
1. Social learner are leaders. They
learn best by analyzing & solving
problem using their intuition &
information from other people
rather from books or lectures.
2. Creative learners are imaginative.
They have open mind to new ideas &
offer multiple perspectives. They
value brainstorming with a group
although they often listen & observe
first before sharing their own ideas.
3. Intellectual learners are
organized, logical & precise. They
like to learn from lectures, reading &
contemplation. They find fact, ideas
& information fascinating &
challenging to people & emotions.
4. Practical learners are both
thinkers & doers. They are those
who learn through experimentation,
seeking out new ideas, & discovering
practical application for them. They
can focus intently on select subjects;
they favor technical challenges to
interpersonal matters.
Kolb explained that different people naturally
prefer a certain single different style & several
factors influence a person’s preferred style. In
Kolb’s ELT, he define three stages of person’s
development & suggested that propensity to
reconcile & successfully integrate the four
different learning styles improve as we mature.
1. Acquisition (birth to adolescence)-
development of basic abilities &
“cognitive structures”.
2. Specialization (schooling, early work
& personal experiences of
adulthood) – the development of
particular “specialized learning
style” shaped by social, educational
& organizational socialization.
3. Integration (mid-career thru later
life) – expression of non-dominant
learning style in work & personal life.

The Teacher
Chapter 3
➢ In this chapter, emphasis is on Teacher.
They are considered as the prime mover of
educational process and are the ones who
facilitate the whole process of learning.
➢ The teacher’s primary concern is to make
learning experience, whether inside or
outside the classroom effective,
productive & meaningful. For this reason,
he is obliged to make every learning activity
gratifying.
➢ Learning advocates have since
acknowledged the concept of individual
differences as a major consideration in
learning process, thus in learning process
the teachers assume every learner is
distinct & different from each other in
terms of interests, traits, abilities,
characteristics & maturity.
Varied Roles of a Teacher
➢ As a Manager -responsible for the effective
mgmt. of his class from start to finish
➢ As a Counselor -he counsels learner
especially when they are beset by
problems.
➢ As a Motivator –Encouraging & motivating
learners to study well & behave properly in
& outside classroom.
➢ As a Leader –a leader directs, coaches,
supports & delegate depending on the need
of situation.
➢ As a Model –a teacher is exemplar. He serve
as model to his learners. Learners idolize
their teacher; they believe the things that
they say, especially if they show kindness &
are approachable & sympathetic to their
needs
➢ As a Public Relation Specialist – The
credibility of the school is attributed most
of the time to the ways the teacher deals
with all the people outside the school, like
school benefactors, parents, church
leaders, government employees, and
others.
➢ As a Parent-surrogate –In school, the
teacher is the parent of the learners.
Parents have a feeling of security knowing
that their children are in good hands.
➢ As a Facilitator – He/she is the facilitator of
learning. The learners must be given a
chance to discuss things under the close
supervision & monitoring of the teacher.
➢ As an Instructor –the main function of
teacher is instruction. All the other role
aforementioned are corollary to teaching.
At the heart of teacher’s role is the
advancement of learning. Their duties
include the following:
• Know how to employ the most effective
teaching & learning strategies to enable
children & young people to make
progress.
• Evaluate what their learners know,
understand & can do; be able to use this
assessment to prepare future teaching &
learning activities.
• Have high expectation for all their pupils
of whatever class, race, gender & ability
• Recognize how to motivate their
learners– to do this they need to be
effective role models for the students
they teach.
Professional Attributes for a Teacher
The following list describes affective
characteristics & behavior expected of a
profession educator:
Physical Characteristics
✓ Health & wellness- the candidate has the
physical & mental character, sufficient
motor coordination & energy, adequate
visual & auditory acuity & good health
needed to effectively & implement the
institutional & managerial duties associated
with teaching the levels & fields for which
he is being prepared.
✓ Appearance-the candidate takes pride in his
personal appearance; is well groomed and
present himself in a professional manner
appropriate to the age of students being
taught.
Personality Characteristics
✓ Cooperation –The candidate has a good
moral attitude; works cooperatively with
peers, site teachers, & faculty; contributes
constructively to the realization of group
objective; is vocal about his opinion, avoids
sarcasm.
✓ Tactfulness –The candidate is modest in the
use of words & actions upon others;
tempers his words in consideration of the
feelings of other people and avoids
situation which offend institutional &
community mores.
✓ Flexibility & patience –The candidate
displays a willingness & ability to adapt to
changes in events, conditions, activities,
innovation, and tasks & an overall patience
for circumstances & human interactions.
✓ Organization –The candidate monitors &
controls time, materials, and product
expectations; is good at classroom & time
management.
✓ Enthusiasm –The candidate displays energy
& enthusiasm and responds appropriately to
humor.
✓ Creativity –The candidate synthesizes
theory & practice into new personalized
adaptation & application.
✓ Initiative & risk taking - The candidate
displays independence & motivation & is
not resistant to undertake new activities &
assignments.
Responsibility Characteristics
✓ Responsibility -The candidate undertake &
completes assigned tasks, assume his
role/functions; attend to his position, meet
university & program requirements &
deadlines, anticipates problems & plans
ahead & adapts to professional standards &
policies; has a good moral ethics.
✓ Attendance & punctuality -The candidate is
always present & punctual for class &
appointments; arrange ahead of time with
all necessary individuals for unavoidable
delays or absences; and does not solicit
except for any but very special & legitimate
circumstances.
✓ Maturity- The candidate displays poise in
task completion & personal interactions,
acknowledges his own responsibility &
culpability, and does not pass on blame to
others or rationalize his own inadequate or
mission performance; has integrity & is
honest in professional dealings.
Communication Skills
✓ Oral communication -The candidate
reflects appropriate voice & speech
delivery; clarity, fluency and grammatical
correctness; uses standard English and
understandable accent; appropriate
formality to any situation’ and verbal
flexibility allowing rephrasing or translating
of ideas or questions until instruction is
clear to students.
✓ Written communication -The written output
of the candidate reflects appropriate &
accurate spelling, grammar, punctuation,
syntax, format, and English usage; and
demonstrate organization & compositions
that effectively communicate ideas,
directions, explanations, lesson plans,
messages and other teaching related
written output.
Professional Relationship Skills
✓ Demeanor- The candidate demonstrate
positive attitudes in interactions with other
professionals; collaborate with peers;
respect authority; complies with rules &
report problems with school & university
operations with reference to specific
evidence & reasonable courtesy.
✓ Rapport -The candidate relates easily &
appropriately to children, youth & other
responsible to him, providing leadership or
direction while involving others & listening
to and incorporating their desires &
concerns.
✓ Awareness -The candidate recognizes &
empathizes with human differences in
ethnicity, gender, physical ability &
intellectual ability and demonstrate
sensitivity to social expectations in varied
environments.
Commitment to Teaching Profession
✓ Professionalism -The candidate
demonstrates a passion for teaching;
recognizes, seeks, & applies the best
theory, research and practice in
professional activities; is proud to assert his
intention of becoming a teacher and
demonstrate a commitment to education as
a career.
✓ Withiness -The candidate exhibits
simultaneous awareness of all aspects of
the learning environment.
✓ Reflectivity -The candidate reflects and
evaluates professional experiences with
constructive criticism.
Qualities of a Good Teacher
Good teacher knows that by listening to &
working with colleagues, parents, other
professionals & community members, they can
inspire students & improve learning. Personal
qualities & skills that make a good teacher
includes:
➢ Being good at explaining things.
➢ Being a person who enjoys working with
wide range of people.
➢ Being enthusiastic.
➢ Having a strong knowledge in a particular
subject areas
➢ Being good at time management.
➢ The ability to work in a teams and uses his
own initiative.
➢ Keeping cool under pressure.
➢ Having patience & good sense of humor
➢ Being fair minded.
➢ Coping well with change and
➢ Enjoying a challenge
Personal Qualities of a Good Teacher
Dent (1961) enumerate the personal qualities
of a good teacher which are as follows:
➢ Firstly, the teacher’s personality should be
pleasantly active, dynamic & attractive.
This does not rule out physically plain or
even ugly as there are those such with
great personal charm but rules out types
like over-excited, melancholic, frigid,
sarcastic, cynical, frustrated, &
overbearing. It exclude all dull or purely
negative personality.
➢ Secondly, a teacher should have genuine
capacity for sympathy – a capacity to tune
in to the minds & feelings of other people,
especially those of the students. Closely
related is being tolerant on the frailty &
immaturity of the students, give allowance
to making mistakes.
➢ Thirdly, the teacher is both intellectually &
morally honest. He is should have an honest
assessment of his strengths & limitations
and can decide morally as guidance of his
life. At times a teacher need to be a bit of
an actor, that at times a need to put an act
 to enliven a lesson, can correct a fault or
dispense praise as applicable.
➢ A teacher must remain mentally alert. He
should continue to advance intellectually
and not stagnate. He must be quick to adapt
to any situation, however difficult it is &
should be in a position to improvise, if
necessary at a short notice.
➢ Fourthly, a teacher must be infinitely
patient being part of his self discipline &
self training. He must be resilient as
teaching has great demands on nervous
energy. Dealing with children/ students
who by nature have naughtiness, thus he
need to endure mischief even unpleasant
behavior on day-to-day encounters.
➢ Fifthly a teacher should have mind for
continuous learning as teaching is field
where there are always something more to
learn. He has to contend with three (3)
principal objects of study: subjects,
methods by which to teach effectively &
the learner, the most important component
Principles for Teachers
Conceptual understanding of core knowledge
➢ Refers to teacher’s ability to communicate
& solve problems using central concepts,
tools of inquiry and structure of different
principles. This set of skills is demonstrated
respectively the ability to:
✓ define learning goals that reflect mastery
of the subject matter.
✓ design & effect the kind of instruction that
develops student’s conceptual framework.
✓ provide meaningful learning activities to
improve learner’s communication &
quantitative skills
✓ model effective communication & problem
solving.
✓ apply variety of media & technology;
✓ distinguish high quality educational
materials and
✓ Write & speak with clarify for effective
communication
Reflective practice
Refers to teacher’s ability to step outside of
the experiences that make up teaching, relate
such experiences and analyze & critique the
impact of such experience & contextualize it
from multiple perspective is called reflective
practice. Reflective practice is the ability to:
✓ expound on the principles that guides
teaching.
✓ demonstrate teaching as inquiry process,
collecting & analyzing data about student’s
learning & generating plan designed to
support student’s learning.
✓ make available teach from multiple
perspective; do self-assessment from
multiple perspective
✓ gather information thru observation of
classroom interaction; evaluate learner’s
dev’t & knowledge
✓ utilize assessment processes appropriate
to learning outcomes; and
✓ encourage learners to employ multiple
approaches, solution & diverse pathways to
learning
Teaching for Understanding
➢ The ability of teacher draw on their
knowledge & framework structures to plan,
implement, supplement and assess
effective learning experience through
supportive social & physical contexts for
learning is termed teaching for
understanding. Furthermore, this is the
ability to:
✓ set clear goals for learning experience;
prepare suitable classroom routines.
✓ provide learners with meaningful choices;
create a collaborative, supportive social
environment.
✓ engage learners in generating knowledge &
testing hypothesis; develop learner’s ability
for ideas
✓ apply multiple strategies that engage
students in active learning; motivate
learners to see questions & interpret ideas
for themselves & their own learning.
✓ convince learners to assume responsibility
for themselves & their own learning.
✓ encourage all students to learn; provide
interactive learning environment.
✓ ask question that promote learning and
build on children’s prior knowledge.
Passion for teaching
➢ Refers to teacher’s ability to continually
develop their own complex content &
pedagogical knowledge to support the
development of student’s habit of
continual, purposeful learning is know as
passion for teaching. Also, this is the ability
to:
✓ summarize & teach complex concepts &
network of knowledge; consider learners’
intellectual, social & personal growth
✓ support learners with special needs;
include other disciplines to create
meaningful curriculum
✓ provide engagement activities thru
multiple ways of knowing;
✓ allow for high & positive expectations for
learner’s achievement; include other
disciplines to create meaningful
curriculum.
✓ provide learners opportunities to solve
community problems & make authentic
choices; provide learner’s access to
learning opportunities;
✓ collaborate with other professionals when
needed and engage in personal inquiry to
construct content knowledge & skills
Understanding school in context of society &
culture
➢ Refers to teacher’s ability to value & teach
about diversity, recognize the effect of
social, cultural, economic & political
system on daily school life and to tap the
potential of school to minimize
inequalities. It consist of the ability to:
✓ be change agent; communicate in ways
that profess sensitivity to a broad range of
diversity.
✓ set as mediator when learners need help to
resolve problems or change attitude.
✓ Collaborate with parents, co-teacher,
administrators, and other community
members in school activities; get involve in
the lives of student.
✓ include knowledge of community into
teaching; and challenge negative attitude.
Principle of Professionalism
➢ Refers to teacher’s ability to be active
contributor/member of professional
communities that collaborate improve
teaching & student achievement by
developing a culture of trust, share ethics,
established standards, and research-based
practices. It is the ability to:
✓ live up to the ethical principles guiding
professional conduct; demonstrate &
document standards-based practices in the
classroom.
✓ remain updated in terms of research on
teaching & new developments in the
discipline; seek membership in professional
organizations & resource networks beyond
the school;
✓ include complex & difficult issues in
dialogue with colleagues; give presentation
to other professionals
✓ initiate & lead activities such as teacher
research, study groups, coaching among
others;
✓ enhance the teaching & learning of school
community; promote positive attitude.
✓ facilitate decision making and integrate
democratic principles in school operations
The Learning Environment
Chapter 4
➢ This chapter focuses on the learning
environment which includes classroom,
home, and community, where the social,
affect, physical, psychological, and
pedagogical contexts in learning occur and
which affect student achievement and
attributes.
➢ Learning environment is a venue for social
interaction that includes ways of doing
things, solving problems, and acquiring
information.
➢ It is where learners engage in a set of
behavior to be acquired. The classroom, the
home, and the community are considered
as the learning environment.
Classroom as Learning Environment
➢ Classroom is a place where the teacher
interacts with the learners with the
teachers. Formal interaction is usually done
in a classroom. Formal interaction is usually
done in a classroom.
➢ It provides for classroom learning activities
and affords the transfer of learning from
classroom to practice
➢ A good classroom has a stimulating climate,
one that results not only from desirable
physical surroundings and healthful
conditions, but also from social
relationships and emotional attitudes
according to Aquino (1988)
It encompasses the following:
▪ Physical environment. This is the
totality of the outside elements or the
physical make-up that influences the
learner.
▪ Intellectual climate. This refers to a
learning atmosphere characterized by
activities designed to challenge the
intellect of the leaners.
▪ Emotional climate. This refers to the
mental health and emotional
adjustment of all learners. Learners
have varied needs and interest, the
reason why the teacher has to
acknowledge the differences in
personality of the learners.
▪ Social climate. There are three types of
social climate existing in the classroom:
the autocratic, laissez faire, and
democratic
Three types of social climate:
▪ Autocratic climate - in here the teacher
directs and decides as to what activities
are to be done.
▪ Laissez faire climate, there is little
emphasis on group participation. The
individual acts on his own working for the
recognition of his accomplishments.
In the democratic climate, there is high regard
for group participation and cooperative work.
The teacher becomes a facilitator and guides
the learners in the accomplishment of a
common set of objectives.
The Role of the Teacher in the
Classroom Environment
➢ The teacher's behavior, including his
development, is part of classroom
environment, along with school culture. In
order to maintain an effective classroom,
there is a need for professional
development of teachers particularly the
less experienced. This includes intense
monitoring, advance studies, and teaching
partnership with colleagues
➢ Classroom rules and procedures should be
introduced and consequences should be
enforced consistently among students
throughout the school year.
➢ Routine and fairness have a positive impact
on behavior, as well as academic quality. It
has been acknowledged that teachers who
run respectful classrooms are in turn more
respected by their students.
➢ Teachers are encouraged to focus more on
the learning task than on the outcome or
grade assigned at the end of the task
Measuring Classroom Environment
The widely used Classroom Environment Scale
(Moos 1979) is based on three essential areas
of classroom environment:
1. Relationship dimension that focuses on
the interpersonal relationships between
students and students, and the teacher
in a classroom
2. Personal development dimension
which centers on individual
characteristics of the classroom member
3. System maintenance and change
dimension that include attributes, such
as classroom control and order, as well
as responsiveness to change
Characteristics of the Learning
Environment
It has the following:
➢ Welcoming to children
➢ Provides sufficient materials for all the
learners
➢ Allows children to find, use, and return
materials independently
➢ Encourages different types of play
➢ Allows learners to see and move easily
through all the areas of the classroom
➢ Flexible so that learners are free to
continue their play and being materials
from one area to another
➢ Provides materials that reflect the diversity
of the learner’s family and their living
environment
Dividing the Classroom into Interest
Areas
➢ Space available can be divided into
interest area or learning centers equipped
and ready for distinct kinds of play, thus
chosen area are to reflect the learner's
natural interests and developmental levels.
➢ Teachers can choose many open-ended
materials various materials, such as blocks
in all sizes, art materials, and fabric pieces
can be used in a number of wars.
➢ Teachers are also aware of the significance
of having access to real items that reflect
the environment where learners live in (i.e.
cooking utensils, small appliances that no
longer work or toy appliances, dress-up
clothes, & other objects). These are usually
seen around home and gardens.
Storage and Labeling
➢ Learning materials need to be within
learners’ reach thus they can be stored in
conspicuous places in the classroom. They
can also be arranged and labeled properly
on low shelves or on the floor or in see-
through containers.
➢ Shelves and containers have labels that
make sense to learners (i.e. labels might
contain words drawings, tracings of the
object, photos, or an example of the actual
object.
Learning Environment
➢ Traditionally, the learning environment
provided has been thought about in two
dominant forms: the physical and the
socio-cultural.
➢ The physical environment includes things
like chairs arranged in a circle or around a
square table, provision of residential
college, access to library and other
information resources, access to laboratory
or other discipline-specialist environments,
and so forth
➢ Nowadays, learning environment takes two
different dominant forms: the physical
and the virtual. Both allow space to
explore the socio-cultural.
➢ The physical environment is similar to that
of traditional learning environment.
➢ The virtual environment which
supplements the physical environment
offers the opportunity to work outside the
restrictions of time and place.
➢ The socio-cultural environment is less
straightforward, at least at first glance.
➢ The essence of much good teaching
practice and its role in shaping an
appropriate learning environment are
summed up or represented using only a
handful of key words. These key words
relate both to actions taken by the
teacher: modeling, coaching, scaffolding,
(and fading); and the actions requested of
the learner: articulating, reflecting, and
exploring.
➢ Good teachers sequence tasks and move the
goal posts in such a fashion that students
not only become increasingly able, but also
increasingly independent learners.
➢ In addition to actions expected of teach is
the word "blending.” Blending learning is
a new art that focuses on good teaching by
using both physical and virtual learning
environments.
➢ Finding an appropriate blend or design is
often a process of iterative trial and error
informed by reflective practice (Highton
2011)
Home as Learning Environment
➢ Home provides an instructional process that
includes acquisition of behavioral patterns,
acceptance of standard norms, and
development of necessary traits.
➢ It is where the learners first cultivate trust,
attitude, and skills that will aid and guide
them as they embrace the world
enthusiastically.
➢ A home conducive to learning is where
there is love and encouragement from
family. It also has an atmosphere of
security, stimulation, and opportunity that
 children need to feel consistently for them ➢As with most aspects of high-quality schools,
to flourish as learners. community building begins with a vision and
➢ At home, good parenting has been defined takes shape because school leaders and
as providing a secure and stable teachers intentionally design structures and
environment, intellectual stimulation, activities to reach their vision. Upon
parent-child discussion, and high graduation the new professional’s challenge is
aspirations (Desforges 2003). for them is to lead the formation of
➢ It is during babyhood when the vital communities wherever they go for the rest of
foundation for later learning is their lives and be productive and competent
established, and a secure attachment is members of communities.
formed through sensitive, responsive care-
giving.
➢ A positive home learning environment
provides social interaction, attention, and
activities which promote the development
of a positive attitude to learning, as well as
the acquisition of physical, intellectual,
language, social and emotional skills.
➢ Parents can provide the building blocks
for literacy and cognitive development
by: chatting as much as possible during
normal life, using a wide vocabulary, and
praising rather than criticizing; talking to
children about things, using language with
a high information content; giving children
choices rather than simply directing them;
and listening and responding to what
children say.

Community as Learning Environment

➢ Community brings about a learning
environment that allows opportunities for
interaction among its members. In this kind
of environment, community provides the
interacts, while participation provides the
meaning of the experience.
➢ A Community is a group of people that
interacts, who is part of a shared
environment, and who may also share
common goals, values, beliefs, among
others. Community refer to the social
context of learners and their surroundings.
➢ “A community sets the standards of
expectation for the individual and provides
the atmosphere and environment wherein
remarkable things happen. Kuh &
colleagues refer these as "conditions that
matter for student success in college.
➢ A real community exists only when its
members interact in a meaningful way that
strengthens their understanding of each
other and leads to solid learning
experiences. It is here where the learners—
including faculty—are enriched by
collective meaning-making, mentorship,
encouragement, and an understanding of
their perspectives and unique qualities that
are also increasingly diverse.
➢ Learning institutions use community
meetings to address critical school issues to
teach values and to share information,
among other things. Meetings can also be
about simple fun and pleasures, such as
contests featuring advisers and students or
other activities that foster wholesome
entertainment or even edutainment.