Facets of teacher growth

Kavita Krishna

Benevolence alone will not make a teacher, nor will learning alone do it. The gift of teaching is a peculiar talent, and implies a need and a craving in the teacher himself. – John Jay Chapman

A good teacher is hard to define but easy to recognize. Each of us probably has fond memories of teachers who inspired as well as informed. I can remember several from my own school days. Mrs P – a firm, affectionate, matronly teacher – who eased me into nursery school, taught me cursive writing and how to get along with other four year olds. Mrs R, serious and strict, who encouraged endless questions, lent me books to read and sparked off a love for science when I was nine. Mrs S in high school, brisk and bubbly with her eccentric hairstyles, who made maths classes buzz. Each of these teachers had very different personalities and teaching styles, yet each left a deep impression on me.

Decades later, as a teacher myself, I have wondered about the qualities and skills that make a good teacher. Is it deep subject knowledge? Or experience in managing a class? Is it in having a good relationship with students? Or in the way a lesson is organized? And can one learn these attitudes and skills?

Three levels of good teaching
After observing many teachers I have realized that there are many ways to be a good teacher. Yet, I have noticed that all teachers function at three levels which I will call ‘Doing’, ‘Knowing’ and ‘Being’. And good teachers are constantly learning and developing on all three levels.

Doing – the practical level
The practical level, or the craft of teaching, is the most tangible level of teacher preparation. It is the level most often discussed in staffrooms and teacher training programmes. It includes aspects like classroom management, pedagogical strategies for teaching a subject, lesson planning and assessment. A good teacher has a repertoire of strategies which she uses flexibly and creatively for effective teaching.

A high school teacher who makes students think about the concept of democracy through discussions or role plays, a Montessori teacher who creates an attractive classroom environment for the three year old, a middle school teacher who uses engaging games to assess students are all examples of the craft of teaching. Good teachers seem to have an implicit grasp of ‘what works’ with their students.

Knowing – the intellectual level
I will refer to the next level of teacher preparation as the ‘intellectual’ level. A good teacher is intellectually curious and is constantly deepening her knowledge. Students are quick to spot a teacher who ‘knows’ her subject well. While every good teacher may not be an expert in the subject she teaches, subject matter knowledge is essential to good teaching. It helps a teacher to organize teaching more effectively, to respond to students’ questions and to convey a deeper understanding of the subject. For example, a teacher with a good and up-to-date knowledge of chemistry is able to organize interesting and relevant projects for her students. A teacher with a good understanding of history can help students go beyond the textbook and relate history to their own contexts.

Knowledge about how children learn and develop and about the social contexts of teaching is also essential for the intellectual preparation of the teacher. This knowledge informs how she teaches a particular age group or subject, how she relates to students and responds to their needs. For example, knowledge of child development helps a teacher respond appropriately to a ‘difficult’ adolescent or an inquisitive pre-schooler. Knowledge of learning theories helps a teacher decide whether to choose memorization or hands-on activities for a lesson in multiplication.

Being – the spiritual level
Every student responds first and foremost to a teacher’s personality. Is she fair and kind? Does she have a sense of humour? Does she care about me? A teacher’s beliefs, values and expectations about her students, about learning and about her own role as a teacher, deeply affect how she teaches. It manifests in how she relates to students and how students respond to her. For example, a teacher who believes that all students are capable and worthy will offer support to students who are struggling. A teacher who values deep learning will go beyond the textbook and find ways to make geography meaningful and engaging for 12 year olds.

Developing at this level as a teacher is a very personal and introspective process. It is also the most difficult because it is rooted in our deeply held beliefs which can be hard to examine and change. Yet, it is essential that we do it.

When you label a student as ‘weak’ and ignore him in class or lose your temper with a child who asks too many questions, it is a good time to pause, to sit back and think about what you are doing as a teacher and why. Maria Montessori calls this the ‘spiritual preparation’ of the adult and she says, “We have to watch ourselves most carefully. The real preparation for education is a study of one’s self. The training of the teacher who is to help life is something far more than a learning of ideas. It includes the training of character; it is a preparation of the spirit.” (Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, p.132, Kalakshetra)

The teacher in today’s world
The rapid spread of digital technologies is redefining teaching and learning in myriad ways. With online courses, adaptive learning systems and Google search just a mouse click away, are teachers still relevant? And what makes a good teacher in today’s rapidly changing world?

I think the core of the teacher’s role – that of helping students learn about themselves and about the world, remains the same. And teachers today have much to learn at all the three levels – the practical, the intellectual and the spiritual.

At the practical level, teachers need to learn how to use new pedagogies to reach today’s digitally savvy students – be it computer simulations to teach physics, mobile phone apps to teach languages or class blogs to encourage discussion. As the basket of tools and techniques becomes larger (and more bewildering!) the task of understanding how different tools work and choosing the appropriate ones has become more complex.

At the intellectual level, teachers need to keep pace with the explosion in knowledge both in their subjects and in education in general. Discussions around complex issues like sustainability, climate change and globalization have entered even primary classrooms. This requires teachers to deepen their understanding of contemporary issues. Another example is the need to learn about the effects of digital media on children’s development.

The rapid and often stressful changes in society throw up fresh challenges for teachers at the spiritual level. There are increasing numbers of aggressive pre-schoolers, distracted children and anxious teenagers, in many classrooms today. A teacher needs social and emotional skills to respond to such situations with resilience and compassion. This demands constant self-awareness and reflection.

The making of a good teacher is an ongoing process in which she continues to change and grow at all three levels.

Kavita Krishna is an engineer turned science and math educator with over 15 years of experience in teaching, curriculum development, and teacher education. She can be reached at kavitak2006@gmail.com.