Learning and teaching are complex because they involve humans and relationships. We know from research that the teacher/learner connection is the most critical factor in successful learning. In addition to knowing their content, teachers must know their students, how they grow and develop, their preferred ways of learning, their strengths and needs, and their worldview. Teachers must know how to motivate, engage, and inspire their students and do this within a fluid and organic environment that requires constant awareness and adjustment across multiple learners and learning modes, and often with limited resources and support.
In order to develop their expertise, teachers must become knowledgeable about more effective strategies (know), implement them in a real context (do), gather evidence of learner response to the strategy (use data), reflect upon that evidence (reflect), if possible seek feedback from others like a mentor, coach, peer teacher or observer (get feedback), and then make adjustments (adjust), and repeat the cycle. Teachers must be taught how to work through this cycle and should leave their initial preparation with the skill to reflect on their practice alone and with others, and evaluate their practices against a framework of developmental growth.
In this module you have learned that as professional educators, we must be committed to the highest level of proficiency. Society's trust in our ability to provide the best educational opportunities for children is dependent on commitment to competence.
Are you ready to step up to the mark and provide students with the best education that you can provide?