Being a Teacher: Professional Challenges and Choices, Section Four, The teacher’s authority: sustaining an effective learning environment. The issue of an orderly learning environment (involving rules, discipline and punishment) is explored in relation to broader issues of individual rights and freedom in a democracy. There are three main questions that propel this section: How are teachers to maintain, or regain, their authority? What is the teacher’s role in a democratic learning environment? How can teachers exercise effective authority in practice – how can they establish and maintain order that is not based on fear?
Type of Material:
Tutorial
Recommended Uses:
The best use of this material is as assigned reading for those seeking to become teachers in South Africa. Once read, this could be used for class debate, small group discussions, and further independent research in particular sections. However, other teacher preparation courses could use this in place of a lecture or as a resource for a paper or discussion.
Technical Requirements:
This learning object is a pdf. A pdf viewer will be needed to read the 27 pages.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
This pdf is targeted for educators in South Africa, although the content may be useful to educators worldwide. The outcomes for this document aim to increase confidence in the ability to recognize and explain the nature of the authority crisis that teachers faces in South Africa, identify what constitutes the legitimate teacher authority in a democratic learning environment, and distinguish between concepts such as discipline and control, freedom and licence, authority and authoritarianism, recognize the scope of a democratic learning environment and employ a few teaching stragies to help users exercise authority in practice.
Target Student Population:
This is designed for preservice and practicing teachers in South Africa, but other educators may find it helpful.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
None. Although those in preservice and inservice teaching situations will have their teaching classrooms and experience as a point of reference. This is part of a complete book on being a teacher. It would be helpful to have read other parts of the text.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The pdf presents concepts, models, and skills that are in particular relevant to South African teachers. The section on distinguishing between concepts is very useful to for understanding the varying situations that can occur between teacher and students in a classroom. Teachers in other areas of the world could read this material and discuss the challenges that are faced in their locale.
Concerns:
Because the text is designed for South African teachers, it may not be as relevant to educators in other areas of the world.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This 27-page pdf clearly identifies the intent and purpose of the document right at the very beginning. Students (preservice teachers) should gain confidence in dealing with their students after reading, and hopefully discussing, the content. The material can be used in a variety of way to help improve teaching and student-teacher interaction, particularly in South Africa.
The material presents activities for the student to consider throughout. These follow solid pedagogical methods for learning. The activities could be saved in a portfolio of sorts for future review.
Concerns:
None.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Students are presented with information in the same way any textbook would deliver. The text is broken up with pictures, outboxes, quotes, etc. in order to keep the student engaged in the reading. The activities also keep engagement.
Concerns:
The written assignment at the end appears to be submitted to a tutor for grading in South Africa, but could be used as a personal reflection.
Creative Commons:
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