Summary chapter 1 and 2

 NAME : MEISY ARSITA DEWI

CLASS : 3.2 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

NIM : 1988203035

CHAPTER 1

Teaching profesian

What Learning and Teaching Should Be

This book is not merely another book containing a collection of teaching techniques and dos and don’ts. The first thing this book will try is to have you—potential teachers—read its contents with an open mind. This book finds it saddening to see that the culture of learning and teaching has not been the best it can be for many years and in many places. Chances are you have less than nice experiences during your education. 

Breaking Down the Profession of Teaching

The division of labor due to social, economic and technological factors create what is known as professions or jobs. Teaching as a profession can be described as a professional occupation in the education sector based on a specialization on a certain field. In the mini society that is the classroom, how teachers teach can make a significant difference, for teachers are the gateway to knowledge… or they at least used to be. Now, however, what human teachers know, the Internet knows much more and can deliver all kinds of information on as many subjects and skills that have been created instantaneously to students. In this modern world, if school teachers don’t teach, can children be smart?

Yes.

They have the Internet. They have books. They can self-learn all sorts of subjects, languages, skills and specific professions if they so choose. So why is the teaching profession still necessary?

Because teachers are still needed to give focus, to monitor, to assess. 

Teachers do much more than just teach.

The job description for the profession of teaching is lengthy and much more than most people realize. Most teachers still work after the school is over, needing to take work home because it’s often too much to do on one sitting. Teaching is a difficult and misunderstood profession and requires a dedicated, patient, and willing person to keep up with all of the job's demands, which are:

You gotta understand what you teach, and it can’t be what you learned when you were in school a decade ago, it has to be the updated version

In the same vein, you have to keep up with and study new instructional pedagogy

Furthermore, you must keep up with the newest technological trends. You, and especially your students, must become tech savvy to stay up with the digital generation

But you can’t make the learning goals however you want because s a teacher of an institution you must link your lesson plans onto the learning objectives of the required standards of your institution, which you can find in the curriculum

You as a teacher must arrive at school early, stay late, and spend part of your weekend to make sure you’re prepared. Not to mention, you’re the one setting a good example for your students

Try to formulate questions that require both higher and lower level responses so every student have the opportunity to participate in the discussion; also by giving them an appropriate waiting time and rephrase questions when necessary.

You must break down data from assessments to self-assess whether or not the new content is successfully taught or if it needs changes

. You’re obliged to attend in the required professional development because you’ve to learn the content and figure out how to apply it to your classroom.

Also, keep your kids’ parents informed of their progress on a regular basis (by calls, emails, or face-to-face conversations). This is so you can engage the parents in students’ learning process.

Go the extra mile for your students offering tutoring or extended help for students who may be struggling.

That’s a lot, isn’t it? Maybe you entered teaching faculty believing it’s an easy major. That’s not true; it’s as easy and difficult as any other programs.  Teaching appeals to those who wishes to touch and make better of the lives of their students. 

The Challenges of Teaching

This job is difficult and draining—anyone who had ever been a teacher would tell you this. In the process of writing this book, we have engaged with multiple people with teaching experience to compile a list on the things that makes the profession of teaching challenging. Like we mentioned, teachers don’t just teach.

The job salary will never make you rich. Teachers are sadly underpaid (except in Finland).

Teaching isn’t glamorous, are undervalued and underappreciated by many people in our society

There’s a general lack of respect. Just a few decades ago, if a student got poor grade, it was because they weren’t accepting the knowledge that the teacher gave them.

Since students themselves also have general lack of respect for their own teachers, classroom management is even worse

You can't play favoritism (and if you have a favorite student or some don't call them out on it).

Most schools are underfunded (the funding depends on standardized tests results, sadly).

Overcrowded classroom is a hassle because every person has different personalities, interests, abilities, and needs.

The way kids communicate is different. This younger generation has their own lingo and slangs; be prepared to feel old and try not to take too much offense if they send you texts, tweets, or Facebook comments that are too casual. Reprimand and remind them first.

Lastly, some students could be very inappropriate, sharing and asking topics such as relationships, sex, pregnancies, drugs, family gossips, and even give away movie spoilers.

However, challenging isn’t the same as impossible. Doing something hard often equal worthy rewards, whether they are actual rewards or simply your own satisfaction on having completed the challenging task. If you can have fun taking up the challenge of trying to pass Level 2000 of Angry Birds or Candy Crush Saga, you can have absolute joy taking up the challenge of teaching.

The Rewards of Teaching

This profession is hard, but also bore the best fruits. This book has also asked many teachers to share what they found rewarding in their profession

You're a contributing member of society

You'd look around at your fellow teachers and realize you're surrounded by some of the most caring and dedicated people in the world (even if some of your colleagues not easy to work with).

You and other teachers share the same experiences of this emotionally draining job

At some point, someone might make you cry

Your kids will come up with some of the funniest statements and the laughter you all shared in the class will be one of the most memorable experience

Many students might claim their lessons were boring, but for you teaching would never be a bore

Your students learn stuff, obviously. But there's a difference between giving a student an A or 100 and knowing that this kid had worked hard to bring up their Ds to As. 

You learn stuff. Sure, you learn so you can teach, but you also learn surprising responses from your kids to things that adult-you may take for granted.

You can be legit nerds. Awesome teachers teach enthusiastically with a passion that’s like a motivational virus.

This career gives you the chance to collaborate with all kinds of people (e.g., students, parents, college students, community members, organization members, orphans, professors, professionals, etc.) It's up to you to connect and create more opportunities.

This career gives you the chance to collaborate with all kinds of people (e.g., students, parents, college students, community members, organization members, orphans, professors, professionals, etc.) It's up to you to connect and create more opportunities.

What Makes a Good Teacher?

Students’ teacher’s philosophy will influence you. When you are learning, your mind is open, and whoever your teacher may be, their ideas, body language, way of speaking, etc. may affect you, the student. Ideally, learners should be able to choose their own teacher. But in conventional education, students have limited choice. Learning and teaching should not make life as a job training. Both students and teachers have many values to pass down beyond simple knowledge, and so should be open-minded to accept them wholeheartedly. 

And in the same vein, your students are also human. They will make mistakes. They will test your patience as they try to understand the world around them. What makes you a good teacher is your respect for your students’ struggle. Never belittle them. As teachers, your words and actions are powerful. You have the power to transform, but also the power to tear apart. Be professional by choosing your words carefully. Teachers have an awesome responsibility that should never be taken lightly. The words you use (as well as the ones you omit) can actually impact the intellectual abilities of your students.

Also, sometimes we forget where many of these students come from and the situations that they deal with on a daily basis. Every kid is different and these differences should be embraced. If all kids were the same our jobs would be boring. Therefore:

Do not yell at or call a student in front of their peers. If you expect them to respect you, you must respect them too.

Don’t claim that a student “will never be able to do that.” Encourage your students, don’t discourage them, even if their dreams may sound lofty or impossible

Don’t accuse a student is “just lazy.” When students are repeatedly told that they are lazy, it becomes a part of who they are

Telling them “That’s a stupid question!” is a big No. Always address their curiosity (appropriately). Students should be comfortable and encouraged to ask questions

Don’t dismissively say “I’ve already gone over that. You should have been listening.” Each student understands differently and your job is to make sure everyone understands.

Honestly, never say “I don’t care if my students like me.” Teaching is often more about relationships than it is about teaching itself. You can accomplish so much more when students like you genuinely.

Please, do not gossip about another teacher with a parent, student, or another teacher.

Other things that a professional teacher should not commit might be:

🗶 Being afraid to apologize or admit when you make a mistake

🗶 Treating students differently based on personal interests

🗶 Ignoring a student

🗶 Creating unfair rules

🗶 Misusing your authority

🗶 Having a negative attitude on a consistent basis

🗶 Never giving control over to your students

🗶 Being hypocritical

🗶 Using profanity (swear/curse words)

🗶 Violating a student’s personal space

🗶 Giving vindictive or counterproductive threats

🗶 Holding things against a student that is beyond their control, such as a grudge on their mother or father who was an alumni and had been a bad student or such reasons

As mentioned above, being complacent—stagnant, not improving, apathetic—with how you teach is one of the biggest negatives a teacher can commit. It does a disservice to your students and education as a whole too. The list for what teachers shouldn’t do is very long, and so does the list for the things you should do. We can simplify the lifelong journey of improving yourself with this neat diagram below

How to be a Better Teacher (RTTR Method)

Reading is the easiest method. There are countless self-improvement books. Not fond of reading? Enough books? No problem, go talk and discuss. When you get down to it, you really need to flesh your thoughts out beyond the pages. And what better way to do this than talking to other teachers? Even better if you create a teacher reading group that comes together and discusses what you're reading. We smell a book club.

Here are several things that an awesome teacher should do:

Have a positive attitude. In fact, be funny

. Be consistent

Be fair

Give student control

Be flexible, else both you and your students would keep failing because of your unwillingness to adapt

As new teachers you might want to be all friendly and not stern, but teachers must assert authority so classroom would run smoothly throughout the semester.

You know resource

Be spesific

Notice how kids learn, react, and interact in different ways—Be creative

The Status Quo of Education in Indonesia

According to Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia recorded 169.378 public schools and 138.277 private schools, totaling to 307.655 schools in 2018

School in indonesian (2018 data)

Indonesia’s population will reach its peak with about 70% of our demography as part of the working age group in 2030, but our economy is still declining because job creation is still not accelerated and youth unemployment statistics is still rising due to tight labor regulations, skill mismatches, and low education quality. Indonesia has known this for a while since 2000 and have implemented major policy reforms to improve education such as:

A constitutional mandate to spend 20% of the national budget on education. However, since national budget is 15% of GDP, Indonesia’s spending for education is only 3% of GDP, one of the lowest in the region. An increase is needed because if you think education is expensive, you should try the cost of ignorance.

Decentralization of education sector functions to the district and school level

The Teacher Law in 2005

Increase of resources to schools with the School Operational Assistance Grant (Bantuan Operasional Sekolah, or BOS) program

Support for parents enrolling their children in schools through the Smart Indonesia Program (Program Indonesia Pintar, or PIP).

Improvement of our education is demanded because our population in the near future will be—nay, already is—expected to have the four skills that are desired, essential, and the 2020 Target of Education are Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Computer Speak, and Collaborative Competence. A classroom in which teachers and students’ highest goal is merely to memorize facts so they can correctly answer the tests to past the standard grade (KKM) is now considered left behind. Building more secondary and tertiary schools to accommodate elementary school graduates will take a very long time, but what we can do now is to improve the quality of all our students so they can learn and survive outside of school.

To Teach or Not to Teach?

In this modern world, if school teachers don’t teach, can children be smart?

Yes.

They have the Internet. They have books. They can self-learn all sorts of subjects, languages, skills and specific professions if they so choose. So, what are teachers for? 

To give focus. To monitor. To assess.

Internet, books, all those resources are simply tools that store knowledge for children to reach. But they neither know how to reach for them yet nor the best way to grasp them. It is frustrating to see students who have tremendous potential but do not want to put in the hard work necessary to maximize that potential. The journey is hard, but it doesn’t have to be void of fun. Education is no longer as monotonous as it used to be when primary education started to become compulsory all over the world sometime after 1775, but it still has challenges from so many different factors because while your job title is ‘teacher’ you have to do more than just ‘teach’. You have administration duties, you have to manage things beyond lessons, and beyond teaching you also have to learn just like your students. A good teacher expects their students to succeed and also expect themselves to succeed.

We ask you: why do YOU teach?

Think thoroughly about your answer. If you are serious in pursuing a career in teaching, you will find this book most useful in your journey.

CHAPTER 2

TEACHING ELEMENTS

A. Instructional Planning

Teachers plan. Good teachers don’t simply “wing it”. Teachers have to organize their lesson plans by considering the curriculum, school resources, student motivation, student ability and other variables that will affect all instructional decisions teachers must decide before they actually teach. Below is a comparison of what excellent and poor planning may look like. 

Cognitive Instructional Planning Model

B. Your Topic: Curriculum and Syllabus

The lesson topics you will teach is typically already determined by the school curriculum, which is a set of standardized learning goals across grades. A curriculum is the guideline of the course/program, covering the knowledge, skill, behavior, and performance that will be taught to and expected of students. In essence, a curriculum is what an educational institution offers to students. It is well-planned by the government and educational institutions for a long duration. Teachers do not make the curriculum, but adhere to its objectives.

C. Your Learning Objective: Taxonomy and Task Analysis 

Teachers are not directly or solely responsible to create a school curriculum and syllabus, but you will be responsible to determine the goals of your classes. Specifying learning objectives is commonly difficult because schools generally have a broad spectrum of goals and individual teachers prioritize different things. For example, imagine this scenario of three physical exercise teachers discussing their goals:

 A wants the students to develop their muscle strength and flexibility so no matter what kind of other exercises they do, they’ll have a good foundation. 

 B prefers students to know many different kinds of exercises so they will be able to differentiate aerobic and anerobic exercises. 

 Meanwhile C is concerned about when the students will inevitably leave school and wants students to be motivated to continue exercising for life so they will not end up as couch potatoes. 

All three of these objectives are equally important, but attempting to reach all of them for one class is nigh impossible so teachers must select on a specific learning objective. One topic could have dozens of goals, so make it easier to select them, teachers can use two conceptual tools: taxonomy and task analysis

1. TAXONOMI

This tool divides the broad selection of objectives into 3 domains:

a. Cognitive domain

b. Affective domain

c. Psychomotor domain

2. TASK Analysis

After you have determined your learning objective, ask “what will I show and tell my students to do so they can reach the learning objective?” This tool breaks down the learning objective into small tasks (Alberto & Troutman, 2003). 

D. Your Learning Activities: Lesson Plan

Lesson plans focus your efforts on a specific day and class, so it is commonly personalized for each teacher. It needs to be specific enough to give you structure and a solid idea on how you will proceed with your class, but also general enough to give you room to be flexible and adapt to unexpected circumstances (e.g., interruption by other teachers, unruly students, malfunctioning technology facility, students taking too long to finish their assignment).

There are some types of assignments you can choose for the class activity:

 Whole-class; you lecture the class as a whole and have them all participate in discussion.

 Small groups; you have students to work on assignments in groups.

 Workshops; you get students to perform various tasks simultaneously.

 Independent work; you ask students to complete their assignments individually.

 Peer learning; you ask them to work together and learn from one another.

 Contractual work; both you and your students come to an agreement of what kind of assignments students should do and what their deadline will be. 

When you choose the type of assignment, you must choose the type that would provide the most benefit for the students based on your assessment measures (Biggs, 2011). Try to ask:

• What level of learning are my students at now?

• What level of learning do my students need to get to?

• What’s the amount of time I want them to use to complete the assignment?

• How much time and effort to grade and give feedback?

• What’s the purpose of the assignment?

• How does the assignment fit with the rest of the lesson plan? Does its content knowledge or does it require application in a new context? 

• Does the lesson plan fit a particular framework?

E. Your Evaluation: Assessment

You should be intimately familiar with this portion. As students, you have to participate in quizzes, do your exercises, and submit your home assignments. Now, as teachers, you are the one who will prepare and create them. Though in recent years, you may even ask your students to create their own questions and answer them on their own so the students can provoke their own knowledge.

How do you make your teaching elements align?

Step 1 : Develop learning objectives

Step 2 : Identify how you would assess if students reached the learning objectives

Step 3 : Design the way you would teach the material so students can reach the learning objectives