When you look at a Middle Phase teacher you are looking at someone who can engage with their students and be a role model that encourages their learning journey. A teacher in this area must have good behavior management skills, as this stage in a teenagers life can be very challenging for both parties. We as teachers must be able to support all our students in their learning journey even when at times these students may not seem to want to be taught and are disengaged from learning, it is a teachers responsibility to find a way of engaging that student through profiling them and adapting the curriculum to suit the child's needs.
Teachers in this area need to have these attributes,
- Strict class standards
- Good communication skills
- Know their students
- Compassion
- Be organized at all times
- Want to teach students
- Passion to be a teacher who makes a difference.
What implications do these emergent issues have for your teaching area - eg body image in Home Ec or HPE?
In my area which is English, my major problems would be literacy and whether my students are meeting the minimum requirements and guidelines when they first enter my classroom. If they are below standards this needs to be addressed immediately and getting support for those students is a priority. As a teacher it is your duty to profile and know your students and where their learning is currently at so you can plan your lessons around this and allow students who are below and above to get the essentials that will advance them. Things like testing, previous folders on students, assessments and any other data on the students assists a teacher in being able to plan the learning outcome for his/her students.
What sort of warning signs will you be watching out for?
As a teacher behavior changes in a student can be one of the best guidelines for us to tell if a student is struggling or having issues outside the classroom which is affecting that students learning. A student who is disturbing others and just not participating is also a way for a teacher to gain insight to a student who may be at risk. Previous history on a student can also be of help when issues arise and how as a teacher you will deal with this.
What pedagogies, strategies adjustments are important for your teaching area?
Behavior management plans which are in every school assist the teacher and support them when issues arise.
Using DOL will help as this allows the teacher to know their students and learn to profile them and cater to their needs.
Essential Learnings gives us guidelines that we can then design lessons to gain outcomes that are required by the education department.
What classroom and school structures will support the well-being of these students?
All schools have policies that cater to these problems with students who have either learning or behavior issues. There are councilors, chaplains, teacher aides, learning support, health nurses and student managers that can assist a teacher when they feel a student may be at risk.
Have you noted any adjustments in classrooms for students with a disability?
As a former teacher aide who worked with students with learning and behavior issues I have seen how teachers have to cater their lessons to meet these students needs. Teachers need to be trained properly in this area, as it is a growing issue and it seems to be playing a vital part in teachers leaving the industry due to stress. If a teacher is properly trained in behavior management skills and has support from others in the school with good policies and guidelines, they should be able to cater to their learners with problems and encourage there learning journey in a positive way. I found that in the school I was in, years 8, 10 were the worst for behavior issues but as long as the teacher had good class management skills the issues where ironed out very quickly. It is very important that the teacher has assistance from others in the school, (Principal, Guidance officer) as this reinforces to students that a teacher is not alone and has support when things are not going correctly.
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