Unit-IX

A. Role of a Good Teacher

        The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) identified the following components that are responsible factors for indicating a good teacher. These are based on the role of a teacher that should take place in the teaching-learning process and are based on knowledge, skills, and other necessary components

Content Pedagogy:

         The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline that the individual teaches and can create learning activities that make the subject matter meaningful to students.

Student Development:

         The teacher understands how students learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support a student’s intellectual, social, and personal development.

Diverse Learners:

   The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

Multiple Instructional Strategies

         The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance.

Motivation and Management:

         The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation (strong grasp of a variety of theoretical perspectives is necessary here)

Communication & Technology:

   The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Planning:

The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

Assessment:

         The teacher understands and uses the formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.

Reflective Practice:

         The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on others and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

School and Community Involvement:

         The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well-being.

 B. Qualities of a Good Text Book in Mathematics:

         A Textbook is one of the important Resources in the hands of Teachers and students to achieve educational objectives. Hence selection of a proper textbook becomes important for a particular course. Some of the important points need to consider while selecting a text book underlined below:

1.   Make  sure  the  basic  mathematic  concepts  are   is covered.  Look  at the  outlines  for  Algebra,  Geometry,  Algebra  II  with  Trig,  and  Precalculus  below as  a  guide.  The wording and chapter arrangement may be different, but you should see these key ideas in the contents.

2.   Is there a well-written table of contents? When doing math you need to be able to look up a concept.

3.   Since you will be using the math textbook  for homeschooling, look for math books with lots of worked examples. Go through some  yourself and determine  if they  are easy to read and follow.

4.   Look  for  plenty  of  problems  to  work.  While  your  students  does  not  need  to  work every  single  math  problem  in  a  textbook,  having  a  lot  to  choose  from  makes  the teachers job easier.

5.   Does the math textbook have answers? We like the textbooks that have the answers to the  odd  numbered  problems  for  the  students  and  then  have  the  solutions  to  all  the problems in the teacher’s manual. If they do not have the answers to many problems, you students will never know if they are doing the math correctly.

6.   Look  for  some  real  world  examples  and  problems.  Do  the  problems  tell  about  real situations?  This  real  world  approach  is  key  to  helping  your  students  see  how  math connects to the real world.

7.   Look at some chapters. Are the key points of the chapter outlined in boxes or color so that they stand out? This makes it easy to use as a math reference now and later.

8.   Is there a teacher’s reference that tells you how to use the math book for a course? If so, is it useful to you? Does it make sense to you?

9.   Is there an index?

10. What does your student think? If you can, let them compare a few and ask which they like better.

11. Price of the book should be moderate so that it can be pursuable by all economical backgrounds.

12. Experience of the author need to be considered for selection of a book.

13. The text book should be written in easy understandable language to cover all groups of students.

14. Content in the Text book need to be strictly accordance to the syllabus laid down by Board or University.

Role of  a Good Teacher:

         Teacher’s role is considered to be central point in the system of School system in India. To describe what the way role of Good Teacher to be in respect of  knowledge, skills, and dispositions described below:

1. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline that the individual teaches and can create learning activities that make the subject matter meaningful to students.

2.Demonstrates an understanding of the central concepts of the discipline that is being taught

Uses explanations and examples that link instruction to the prior learning/experiences of the students

3.Evaluates resources and curriculum materials for appropriateness to the curriculum and instructional delivery.

4.Engage students in interpreting ideas from a variety of perspectives

5.Uses interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning.

6.Uses methods of inquiry that are central to the discipline.

7.The teacher understands how students learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support a student’s intellectual, social, and personal development.

8.Evaluates student performance to design instruction appropriate for social, cognitive, and emotional development.

9.Creates relevance for students by linking with their prior experiences.

10.Provides opportunities for students to assume responsibility for and be actively engaged in their learning (Metacognitive strategies).

11.Encourages student reflection on prior knowledge and its connection to new information.

12.Accesses student thinking as a basis for instructional activities through group/individual interaction and written work (listening, encouraging discussion, eliciting samples of student thinking orally and in writing).

13.Selects approaches that provide opportunities for different performance modes, i.e., various ways for students to demonstrate what they know.

14.Uses knowledge of different cultural context within the community (socio-economic, ethnic, cultural) and connects with the learner through types of interactions and assignments

15.Creates a learning community that respects individual differences.

16.The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance.

17.Provides support for learner expression in speaking, writing, and other media.

18.Demonstrates that communication is sensitive to gender and cultural differences (e.g., appropriate use of contact, interpretation of body language and verbal statements, acknowledgement of and responsiveness to different modes of communication and participation.

C. Professional Development for In-Service Teachers

Education is a learning cycle without an end. It is not going to stop after graduation and starting a career. Continuing education helps career-minded individuals to continually improve their skills and become more professional at their work. It is particularly important for school administrators in the field of primary and secondary education management to enable professional development for teachers, not only to give their students the best learning results but also to be more effective and fulfilled throughout various other aspects of their job.

Following are some the aspects for which professional development for every in-service teachers is important.

1. Better Learning Outcomes for Students

Educational technology, guidelines for school districts, and standards for curricula are continually changing. This makes it challenging for teachers to keep up with trends and best practices in the field. Professional development for teachers turns teachers into stronger and more fitting teachers by allowing them to produce useful and personalized lessons for the students today. Research has shown that as a result of student achievement will increase by as much as 21 percentile points as a result of professional development for teachers. Professionalism in teacher education is the dire need of the hour. Knowledge and experience alone are not enough for teachers in their entire careers to supporting them. National Board Certification is one option for teachers abroad for seeking professional development and for adhering to the current educational standards to ensure optimal learning for students. Studies have supported that students taught by the teachers who had National Board Certification had higher scores in all subjects as compared to the students of the teachers without a National Board Certification.

2. Teachers Find New Ways to Teach

Through discovering new teaching strategies through professional development for teachers, educators can go back to the classroom and make changes to their teaching styles and curricula to better suit their students ' needs. Nonetheless, these improvements are difficult to assess, as they are usually introduced slowly. Through introducing educators to new delivery techniques, assessment styles, and record-keeping approaches, professional development for teachers makes them more effective in their presentations and course assessments.

3. Teachers Develop Better Skills in Organizing and Management

Much of the teachers' time is spent on student evaluations, curriculum development, and other paperwork in addition to the hours spent in classroom preparation. Professional development for teachers can help teachers to plan their time better and stay organized. This makes teachers more efficient and gives them extra time to focus not on paperwork but students.

4. Teachers Gain Knowledge and Insight into Industry

Students expect teachers to be specialists in the subject matter for the topics they teach. Professional development for teachers ensures that teachers should be able to answer every question that a student throws in. Professional development programs will allow teachers to expand their knowledge base in various areas of the subject. The more the professional development a teacher undergoes, the more he or she develops knowledge and insight into the industry.

5. Teachers Want to Pursue Their Education

Teachers find it easy to get burdened with the grind of teaching. Professional development for teachers gives them a chance to step out of their routine— they become the student rather than the teacher. It keeps educators motivated as they know they get the professional assistance they need to be better teachers. It keeps educators motivated as they know they get the professional support they need to be better teachers. After all, professional development nurtures the skills of teachers willing to take on leadership positions in education, and teachers need to learn from other experienced leaders to become effective leaders themselves in the future.

Implementing the advancement of professional education has advantages for both teachers and students, but, most significantly, it helps teachers become better educators and grow into qualified future school administrators. Ultimately professional development for teachers helps a teacher overcome all the significant obstacles he or she faces in the classroom and is an ideal way to build a classroom of dreams. 

D. Mathematics Teacher Association

Like wise different field of education and other have their association, in the subject of Mathematics also it is important to have association in different levels viz, Local, State, National and International levels. Through the Association it is easy to disseminate information, retrieve information, share creative idea, organise seminar, workshop and conferences in Mathematics. Mathematics association is not only important for teachers but also helpful for student community to encourage and crate interest towards the subject Mathematics. Its objectives may be:

o    To assist practising teachers of mathematics at all levels in improving their expertise and professional skills making mathematics interesting and enjoyable.

o    To spot out and foster mathematical talent in the young.

o    To disseminate new trends in Mathematics Education.

o    To offer consultancy services to schools.

o    Publish Periodical, journals and news paper articles.

Other than above following are some more activities can be performed:

·   Conducting National Mathematics Talent Contests.

·   Conducting Grand Achievement Test.

·   Arranging Exposure Programmes for talented students.

·   Organising Orientation Courses, Seminars and Workshops for teachers

·   Providing suggestions to equip the mathematics libraries and laboratories also letting know its importance in school.

·   Organizing National Conferences in different parts of the country to meet and deliberate on important issues of Mathematics Education.

·   Giving Distinguished Mathematics Teacher Award to enterprising and pioneering teachers of Mathematics.

E. Benefits of Attending Seminars, Workshop and Conferences:

         Seminar, workshop and conferences are group meeting led by an expert that focuses on a specific topic or discipline, such as business, job searches or a university field such as literature. Seminars, workshops and conferences typically take place over the course of a few days and involve cooperative discussion, multiple speakers and opportunities to share perspectives and issues related to the topic. Attending a seminar, workshop and conference has numerous benefits, including improving communication skills, gaining expert knowledge, networking with others and renewing motivation and confidence.

SEMINAR:

A seminar may be defined as a gathering of people for the purpose of discussing a stated topic. Such gatherings are usually interactive sessions where the participants engage in discussions about the delineated topic. The sessions are usually headed or led by one or two presenters who serve to steer the discussion along the desired path.

A seminar can also be organized by a group of teachers. The required resources of a seminar are finance, facilities to sit and discuss facilities to present. The agenda of seminar to be discussed earlier the general themes to be discussed, dates and time need to be communicated to participants giving adequate time for preparation including the date, time, and theme presentation.

Importance of Seminar

·       Seminars are basically arranged to discuss current issues and problems or to share ideas. A seminar is a small group discussion in a formal setting with clear agenda. In a seminar a speaker present a theme or a set of papers and it is discussed by all those who participate.

·       The chairman/chairperson of the seminar guides, directs, coordinates and organizes the discussion in a systematic manner in order to optimize time, resources and get more benefits.

·       In a seminar, teachers can discuss problems regarding admission, staff, development, evaluation, new idea of teaching or relevant innovations etc. In a seminar a teacher may contribute a paper or an idea, constructively criticise or review a conventional approach.

All the papers received for presentation need to be classified and made available at die requisite time in the format required to facilitate clear presentation. A report of the proceedings of the seminar needs to be prepared and distributed to all the participants of different institutions for their observations and to further channelize the thoughts through certain experiments, activities or teaching.

WORKSHOP

A brief intensive course, a seminar, or a series of meetings emphasizing interaction and exchange of information among a usually small number of participants.

It is generally organized by an institution or association in order to develop certain instructional materials, book, resources material, supportive material, work book etc. Workshops can be organized to develop certain skills of teachers.

Teachers could be trained in certain new laboratory skills, develop a question bank, analyse question in set different examinations and suggest reforms. A workshop could mean hard and concentrated work on the part of experienced teachers to create certain educational materials. A workshop comprises a small, selected group of teachers or experts drawn from actual working situations or related experts who theories on the activities.

Hence it can be said that Teacher Training Workshops are workshops that help the teachers in developing and learning new teaching strategies, strategies of classroom management, technological advancement, etc. In short, the Teacher Training Workshops provide overall continuous growth opportunities to the teachers to make the best use of their abilities.

Importance of Workshop:

In order to keep moving, be tech-savvy, avoid technological illiteracy and be a student’s favourite, a teacher needs to keep themselves up to date and that is why they say that teaching is a forever learning process and if one is stepping into the profession of teaching they should prepare themselves for being updated. Teacher Training Workshops have got the teacher’s back, many institutes and even government provide these Teacher Training workshop programs to the teachers

CONFERENCES

A conference is generally understood as a meeting of several people to discuss a particular topic. It is often confused with a convention, colloquia or symposium. While a conference differs from the others in terms of size and purpose, the term can be used to cover the general concept. A convention is larger than a conference; it is a gathering of delegates representing several groups.

Importance of conference:

·       Presenting a paper: Presenting a paper is one of the main objectives of an academic conference participant. The presenter will have the chance to present a paper in front of colleagues of the same or similar fields of study and will be able to receive positive feedback and constructive criticism about their research. The exchange of ideas on fields of interests seeds the links for future collaborations across the world. There are many who were once GAI conference participants now developing research projects and writing papers together. Each participant in our conferences get a congratulatory certificate from the conference chairman’s voice that is turned into sound wave art.

·       Networking for future collaborations: Attending an academic conference is an opportunity to build networks with other academics and experts in the same or similar field of studies all around the world and to share thoughts on recent advances and technological breakthroughs. It is an opportunity to expand the knowledge that one has and upgrade performance in accomplishing institutional objectives. Conferences bring together people who share a common discipline from different parts of the world, bringing different forms of ideas which build into something greater.  As you step up and attend conferences you build a network of people who can raise your caliber of work to greater heights as you achieve shared objectives.

·       Publication: Another common reason for attending a conference is no doubt publication. Conference proceedings are always a good way to have your research published and indexed. You’ll also have the opportunity to publish your research in one of the GAI journals. Please note that only selected papers are published in GAI journals for free of charge while all papers/abstracts accepted for the conferences are published in the conference proceedings with an ISBN.

·       Socialization and the culture factor: Meeting new people with different cultures and dispositions enlightens your way of thinking in your field of study. You will witness some of the many different aspects and solutions which exist on the same issues. You’ll also have the chance to socialize with your colleagues at coffee breaks, lunches and social activities. Imagine a conference without socializing or learning more about other people’s cultural tradition? This cannot be summed up adequately as people from different parts of the world who have uniqueness in their ways of living which you are often surprised to learn from.

·       Travelling: An academic conference is a great way to have a “break” from your academic responsibilities at the university and discover different cities of the world. Be assured that you’ll feel relaxed and refreshed when you return to your institution after the conference.

·       Added Research Value: For students and researchers, academic conferences help to make research on a particular subject easier. They provide access to various research activities related to a particular subject with current findings and developments anticipated from them.

SYMPOSIA:

It can be organized by a group of teachers in a resourceful institution to focus on important issues that are related for the professional growth of secondarily and senior secondary teachers. The messages, issues, problems to be discussed need to be systematically outlined for worthwhile discussions and for arriving at some meaningful conclusions.

Seminars, workshops and conferences hold great importance of life of a student.  They are platforms not only to learn new aspects, others perspectives and latest information, but also a good way of networking.

Benefits of Symposia:

There are many benefits which one get from attending these first being confidence then networking, information and motivation.

As we know that confidence is very important for everyone at each stage of life, which  somewhere a science student (who has not taken part in any stage activity or any debate but has a good academic record) lacks as he or she did not have many opportunities to speak in front of audience. So, by attending these types of seminars and conferences and interacting with the leaders of their field or by presenting a poster in conference boosts up the confidence of a student which helps him or her during an interview.

Networking is an important part of any individual life. In workshops students and teachers from different institutions take part. Meeting new people and making new friends can help the student to take guidance and encourage new way of thinking. If a student wants to continue his or her career in scientific research, then meeting people related to it in conferences can be very beneficial as there are many scientists who attend these conferences.

·   A teacher can learn about the recent studies going in respective field and can explore new areas of research which will help him or her to choose their topic for research and moreover they come to know about good laboratories and institution that they would like to work in future. By learning about new topics and meeting leaders in their field teacher feels encouraged and motivated.

·   Listening to any prominent personality in any seminar or workshop helps the teacher to gain information about their way of work or how things take place. It helps to know about professional institutions and new discoveries in their field.

·   Presenting a topic in conference helps the teacher to gain soft skills which will be valuable in their academic career.

An individual, who can sometime loose motivation and excitement to study or work, should definitely attend a conference or workshop related to his/her subject. This will lead to higher productivity and fulfilment of their goals.