Teach Secondary - Issue 14.6

Celebrating difference The aim of a descriptive system like the one I’m setting out here wouldn’t be to actually fill the radar, since diametrically opposing styles will always be difficult to reconcile, whereas shouldered styles will have some elements in common. The Facilitator granting autonomy of workload to their students would pair well with the Humanist providing their students with the autonomy to decide what’s most emotionally critical to them. Conversely, a Behaviourist could pair well with the Constructivist or the Cognitivist, since both seek to create environments where success can be more easily measured and rewarded. That said, the Constructivist would be placed opposite the Cognitivist, as the former provides independence through project work, whilst the latter’s students will be highly teacher-directed. What we need to ask ourselves is why one combination of practice should be preferable to another. I’ve known teachers who are strongly Behaviourist and have secured a great deal of success, where I’ve failed. A prescriptive style runs the risk of pressurising teachers into being something they’re not. Is it possible to even have no style? I believe so, but teachers scoring low across all styles will likely be struggling a great deal, utilising practice that won’t be fitting into styles known to work. These will be teachers who need to see others that are strongly aligned one way or another so that best practice can be shared around, encouraging us to find our own character. A descriptive and comparative environment would be one that celebrates difference, while nurturing others to be comfortable with a teaching style they can sustain. And I suspect that such an environment may well have a part to play in addressing the teacher retention issue, too… ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aaron Swan is an English teacher, Language For Learning, and has been a head of department TYPES OFTEACHER PRACTICE THE BEHAVIOURIST will create learning environments focused on routine and giving students a high number of rewards, thus conditioning them to focus on behaviours that produce immediate benefits. Their activities will be more drill- based, repeated over multiple lessons and likely to be driven by direct instruction. THE COGNITIVIST will operate in a teaching and learning environment that’s designed around how the brain moves cognition from working memory into long termmemory. The core principles at play in their practice will include recall strategies, cycles of learning and testing, and mnemonics. THE CONSTRUCTIVIST will foster environments driven by the development of knowledge acquired first-hand via practical experience and problem solving.What these environments might lack in direct instruction will be made up for by the abstract problems students are presented with, and then tasked with overcoming in ways unique to them. Success will often depend on students demonstrating self-motivation and soft skills, such as teamwork. THE FACILITATOR is focused on not becoming the font of all knowledge. A facilitator works to provide an independent learning experience by gathering all the learning materials the students will be accessing, and then assisting them in overcoming their barriers to learning. A facilitator gives all of the learning to students and then helps them to navigate the material. THE HUMANIST prioritises students’ emotional states, allowing them to direct or lead the conversations they have with their teachers. Humanists work on the assumption that life experiences can create emotional hang-ups that will inhibit learning, until the student has worked through the issue(s) in question. In these environments, teachers behave like counsellors before the learning occurs. 33 teachwire.net/secondary A S S E S S M E N T TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT