Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Who is the self that teaches?

I've spent the first part of this school year delivering some IB workshops and am currently preparing to deliver a couple more in the next few months. Some interesting things that I've been reading about lately relate to the idea that the more familiar we are with our inner terrain, the more sure footed our teaching and living becomes.  As important as teaching methods and strategies may be, perhaps the clearest indicator of one's ability to perform is an insight into what is happening inside them as they do it. With that in mind, it can be useful to consider the following profiles and to decide which one best aligns with each individual.

The following were developed by Art Costa and Robert Garmston as part of Cognitive Coaching. Credit is also due here to JoAn Radojkovich and Julian Edwards for introducing these to me in this context.

As an educator, what do you believe your role is?
 
Cognitive Processor: To develop students' ability to think clearly, to use intellectual reasoning to solve problems and to make rational decisions.

Self-Actualizer: To nurture the individual child's unique potentials; to allow full development of his/her creativity and sensitivity, and to encourage personal integrity, love of learning and self fulfillment.

Technologist: To diagnose the learner's needs and abilities, to design instructional strategies which develop skills and competencies, and to produce trained people who are able to function efficiently in our ever-changing technological society.

Academic Rationalist: To transmit to young people the basic knowledge, skills, traditions, academic concepts and values necessary to interpret, participate in and further essential content of the disciplines.

Social Reconstructivist: To create a future world condition of peace, harmony, equality and love; to foster a new society with humans who can live together in balance with their environment and with each other.

Which profile do you most align with?

Which profile do you think best aligns with your parent community?

Can you belong to more than one profile?

Is it possible to shift from one profile to another? Does the experience of a teacher define which profile they are most likely to identify?

When would this sort of information be useful for schools? For teachers? For prospective employees or clients?


Photo Credit: harry harris via Compfight cc