QED523 - The Social Context of Teaching and Learning

The Graduand Teacher Competencies Framework (GTCF) provides a holistic integration 
of the revised V3SK model (i.e. Values, Skills and Knowledge of the 21^st Century teacher) 
and MOE’s competencies framework of beginning teachers as expounded in the 
Enhanced Performance Management System (EPMS).

Choose ONE core competency from EACH of the following dimensions

• Professional Practice
• Leadership and Management
• Personal Effectiveness

AND:

1)   From readings, tutorial discussions and presentations conducted across all the QED 523 topics, collate ideas and strategies of what beginning teachers need to consider and practice in order to develop the selected THREE core competencies. You are encouraged to start collecting relevant artifacts (e.g. YouTube videos, PowerPoint slides, newspaper clippings) from various sources used in the module and to consolidate the information into a final product. These learning artifacts can be represented in a variety of forms such as a mind map, visual montage, slides presentation or video.

Diagram 1 : NIE Folio Task Question 1 - Mind Map of  GTCF with 3 dimensions and 1 core competency per dimension

2) Reflect on your personal development of these THREE identified competencies as you train to become a teacher. For example, what do these competencies mean to you? Why do you think these competencies are important and how do you see yourself developing in them?  Are there specific challenges that you face as you seek to develop these competencies? Capture personal reflections such as these in a 800-1000 blog post that is to be completed at the end of the course. 

As a trainee teacher, I think it is important for me to equip myself with a wide range of skills and knowledge before I progress to the next level to become a beginning teacher. The skills and knowledge I acquire will help me overcome the many obstacles a beginning teacher will face during his or her first few years of teaching.

The three competencies I have identified above, which are encompassed within the Graduand Teacher Competencies Framework, are essential tools all beginning teachers must be equipped with, in my opinion.  All beginning teachers, I feel, must set foot onto our field of practice, right from the very start, with the clear notion that we are more than just teachers. We do more than just teach the subject content. In fact, we do much much much MUCH more. We make a difference in the lives of our students by nurturing them, by guiding them through right and wrong, by encouraging and motivating them, by explaining to them the larger purpose of life and much more. We nurture the whole child. We need to understand the importance and the seriousness of this notion before we set out as a beginning teacher. I strongly feel that the stand an individual takes with respect to this notion will determine the kind of educator that individual will turn out to be. For example, I feel that an educator, A,  who strongly believes in the concept of nurturing the whole child will undertake a different approach of teaching towards his or her pupils as compared to another educator, B who may not share the same sentiments. Educator A’s teaching beliefs will most likely be strongly centered on the core that all pupils can learn and this will mould him or her into an educator who would teach with care and with heart. On the other hand, educator B may easily give up on certain students because his or her belief is that those students cannot learn. This belief will in turn shape educator B as a teacher who is only physically present in his or her lessons, to teach the subject content, but never really there. When listing the possible paths taken by both educators A and B in my head, I strongly feel that educator A would be teacher who inspires and makes a difference while educator B will not have that many success stories as much as A. Therefore, I feel that it is important to internalize the notion that as educators we must nurture the whole child.

Another necessary tool beginning teachers need to utilize is the support from parents. Beginning teachers must realize and accept that to change and impact the lives of hundreds of students, they need all the help they can get. Thus, it is crucial that we use the support from parents to our advantage as much as we can. As beginning teachers, we must understand that our impact on students go beyond the boundaries of the classroom. To ensure that, that impact is maximized we have to ensure that parents play their part outside the classroom to reiterate our teachings as much as they can to their children.  In addition, at many a time, we as beginning teachers may have to have a closer look at the background of our students in order to understand their problems better and help them in ways which are most beneficial to them. What better way to find out more about a student, what he or she does at home, what are his or her mannerisms and behavior towards certain issues, and much more, than to consult their parents. Hence, it is important that we build collaborations and forge partnerships with parents as much as we can to ensure that student well-being and development as a learner is always top priority.

Finally, as beginning teachers, I am most certain that our first few years of teaching will not be a bed of roses. We will be faced with countless challenges. We will struggle to balance work life with everything else in our lives. We will be bombarded with many other school initiatives and projects. Our hands will surely be filled to the brim. It is then that we might be pushed beyond the boundaries of the possible. At such times, we as beginning teachers must persevere. We must choose and try to be optimistic individuals as much as we can. We must be resilient and adaptable. In the face of new challenges, we must be ready and we must be able to adapt to the circumstances that have been presented before us. Although, we may be affected by many things outside the classroom, we must continue to be in high spirits and to keep a positive disposition in front of our students. Just like how we must remain resilient and adaptable, we must advocate the same values to our students so that they become winners not only in school, but they become winners in life too.