Professional Development

1.3.       Self-development

Freeman (1989:37) regards teacher development and teacher training as the two main teacher education strategies. The more we develop our teaching ability, the more confident we will become in our teaching. The observation and micro teaching gives me an opportunity to improve my teaching development. Some of them are like-

• I found the opportunity to exercise constructive criticism.
• I learn collaboration and team teaching by sharing ideas with others.
• I have design lesson plans; deliver teaching section followed by a feedback by peers, colleagues and supervisor.
• I found the knowledge of the subject matter and context, which helps my professional development.

The theory and Teaching Practice

The theory is really important to me as a teacher. I have learnt various theories in the ‘Second Language Acquisition’ course. This course enables me to know the theory and now I am able to link it with my teaching practice. The theoretical framework influences my practice. I relate the theory of Piaget’s cognitive constructivism, krashen’s Monitor Model and Vygotsky’s scaffolding with my teaching practice.

a.      Piaget’s Cognitive Constructivism:

Piaget's theory has a major impact and practice of education on the theory. It has helped to show the focus of attention is on the idea of developmentally appropriate education. This discusses to an educational with environments, curriculum, materials and instruction that are consistency with student's physical and cognitive abilities as well as their social and emotional needs. My teaching implication from Piaget’s theory are given below-

• I focus on student’s thinking by emphasize the student’s understanding instead of simply checking for a correct answer.
• I encourage students to discover themselves through spontaneous interaction with the environment, rather than the presentation of ready-made knowledge.
• I arrange classroom activities for individuals and groups of student rather than for the whole class group.

For example: I encourage students to work in groups to explain and discuss hypothetical topic e.g. discussing social issues in groups and brainstorm.

b.         Stephen Krashen’s Monitor Model:

The goal of monitor model is not only include supplying comprehensible input, but also creating a situation that encourages a low affective filter. The Input Hypothesis and the concept of the Affective Filter have redefined the effective language teacher as someone who can provide input and help make it comprehensible in a low anxiety situation (Wilson, 2000).

I create a friendly atmosphere of the classroom with minimum amount of pressure. I also make difference in students’ motivation, anxiety levels, and self-images by respecting their students, listening to them, and taking note of what they say and what they want

Furthermore I never correct output at early stages of learners because it may not help the student very much from the correction made. The lack of in-class correction is a direct reflection of both the Affective Filter Hypothesis, which suggests creating a low anxiety learning environment, and in the Natural Order Hypothesis, I allow the natural order to take its place by allowing students errors to occur. I strongly agree with Krashen on this point; language learners lose their motivation if they are continuously corrected. 

c.          Lev Voygotsky’s Scaffolding:

Scaffolding (Wood, Bruner, & Ross, 1976) is a tactic for helping the child in his or her zone of proximal development in which the adult provides hints and prompts at different levels. In scaffolding, the adult does not simplify the task, but the role of the learner is simplified “through the graduated intervention of the teacher” (Greenfield, 1984, p. 119)

To support students during independent work time, I consider small group or partner work.  I say “intentional” small group/partner work because it’s important to consider how and why you’re pairing certain students.  Pairing two students just because one is a “high” reader and the other is a less sophisticated reader can quickly backfire.