Unit 5

BEING A TEACHER

I Pre-reading. Discuss the following issues:

1. What are, in your opinion, competences of a good teacher?

2. When you think of your favourite primary/secondary school teacher, what
positive qualities of him/her can you remember?

II Reading
Task 1 What might be the concerns of beginning teachers? What are, in your opinion, the
advantages of experienced teachers when coping with everyday classroom problems?

Task 2 Read the text Becoming an Expert Teacher and check your predictions.

Becoming an Expert Teacher

Beginning teachers everywhere share many concerns. A review of studies conducted

around the world found that beginning teachers regard maintaining classroom discipline,
motivating students, accommodating differences among students, evaluating student
work, and dealing with parents as the most serious challenges they face. Many teachers
also experience what has been called reality shock when they take they their first job
and confront the reality of everyday classroom life. One source of shock may be that
teachers really cannot ease into their responsibilities. On the first day of their first job,
beginning teachers face the same tasks as teachers with years of experience. Student
teaching, while a critical element, does not really prepare prospective teachers for starting
off a school year with a new class. And schools usually offer little chance for helpful
contact between novice and experience teachers, making mutual support and assistance
difficult.

With experience, however, most teachers meet the challenges that seem difficult for
beginners. They have more time to experiment with new methods or materials. Finally, as

1
confidence grows, seasoned teachers can focus on the students needs. Are my students
learning? Are they developing positive attitudes? Is this the best way to teach the slow
learners to write a persuasive essay? At this advantaged stage, teachers judge their
success by the success of their students.

All good teaching begins with an understanding of students and learning. Today, there is
great interest in studying how people understand and apply knowledge. Just as
educational psychologists have investigated how expertise develops in teaching, they
have also explored how students come to be experts in particular subjects.

Expert teachers have elaborate systems of knowledge for understanding problems in

teaching. For example, when a beginning teacher is faced with students' wrong answers
on math or history tests, all the wrong answers may seem about the same wrong, The
inexperienced teacher may have trouble connecting other facts or ideas with the students'
wrong answers. But for an expert teacher, wrong answers are part of a rich system of
knowledge that could include how to recognize several types of wrong answers, the
misunderstanding or lack of information behind each kind of mistake, the best way to
reteach and correct the misunderstanding, materials and activities that have worked in the
past, and several ways to test whether the reteaching was successful. It is the quality of
teachers' professional knowledge and their ability to be aware of their own thinking that
make them expert.

What do expert teachers know that allows them to be so successful? Researchers have
studied this question, and they have identified seven areas of professional knowledge.
Expert teachers know:

The academic subjects they teach.

General teaching strategies they apply in all subjects (such as the
principles of classroom management, effective teaching, and evaluation
that you will discover in this book).

2
 The curriculum materials and programs appropriate for their subject and
grade level.
Subject-specific knowledge for teaching: special ways of teaching certain
students and particular concepts, such as the best ways to explain
negative numbers to lower-ability students.
The characteristics and cultural backgrounds of learners.
The settings in which students learnpairs, small groups, teams, classes,
schools, and the community.
The goals and purposes of teaching.

This is quite a list. Obviously, one course cannot give you all the information you need to
teach. In fact, a whole program of courses won't make you an expert. That takes time and
experience. In addition, no person can learn for another; students create their own
knowledge and skills. The teacher's role is to orchestrate materials, tasks, environments,
conversations, and explorations that encourage and support learning and the increasing
independence of their students. To become such a teacher, you will need to know about
your students, learning, motivating, teaching, and assessing.

Because researchers have identified a number of effective teaching techniques, some

educators argue that all teachers should learn these practices and be tested on them in
order to earn or keep their teaching certificates. Other educators believe that the mark of
an excellent teacher is not the ability to apply techniques but the artistry of being
reflectivethoughtful and inventiveabout teaching. Educators who adopt this view
tend to be more concerned with how teachers plan, solve problems, create instruction,
and make decisions than they are with the specific techniques teachers apply. They
believe teaching is a complicated, demanding activity that requires creative thinking and
a commitment to lifelong learning.

Most people agree that teachers must be both technically competent and inventive. They
must be able to use a range of strategies, and they must also be able to invent new
strategies. They must have some simple routines for managing classes, but they must also

3
be willing and able to break from the routine when the situation calls for change. New
problems arise all the time, and when the old solutions do not work, something else is
needed.

With the growing understanding that teaching is a complex problem-solving activity has
come a call to give teachers more freedom and responsibility. A number of educational
reform movements seek to involve teachers in designing the curriculum and making the
decisions for their own students.

You may be thinking that all this talk about expert teachers and expert knowledge,
artistry, and technique is a bit idealistic and abstract. Right now, you may have other,
more down-to-earth, concerns about becoming a teacher. You are not alone!

(adapted from Educational Psychology, pp 4-10)

III Reading comprehension

Task 1 According to the information in the text Becoming an Expert Teacher, circle the
letter next to the best answer.

1) One of the main ideas of the text is that

a) beginning teachers are afraid of their job
b) beginning teachers are excited to start their job
c) beginning teachers cope with many challenges

2) Cooperation of beginning and experienced teachers is

a) effective
b) unsatisfying
c) close

3) Investigation into students' excellence in a particular subject is important because

a) it eventually improves teaching

4
 b) it helps students to organize their time better
c) it reveals the true character of a teacher

4) Experienced teachers apply:

a) general teaching strategies
b) subject-specific teaching strategies
c) general and subject-specific teaching strategies

5) According to most people, a mark of excellence in teaching is:

a) excellent knowledge and patience
b) technical competence and invention
c) full responsibility and creativity

IV Vocabulary in context
Task 1 Rewrite each sentence below, substituting the italicised words with the correct
synonym from the box. Be sure to use the correct form of the word and make any
changes necessary. Check the use of the listed words in the text, if necessary.

ease into, novice, mutual, persuasive, expertise, seasoned, orchestrate, artistry, reflective,
down to earth

1) He has really convincing arguments.

2) Mary is a new teacher. She has just started working at school.
3) I dont like her and I think that she feels the same way.
4) My colleagues really helped me with a new job.
5) John has been working in the same computing company for 20 years. He is a
highly experienced expert.
6) We have considerable knowledge in dealing with oil spills.
7) Democrats had a carefully organized fund-raising campaign.
8) Jane is a sensible and practical person.

5
 9) Yoga teachers are expected to be quiet and thoughtful.
10) He played the piece with the skill of an artist.

Task 2 Read the first paragraph again and find five activities that teachers regard the
most challenging at the beginning of their career.

Task 3 Complete the sentences with the correct words from the box below. Check your
answers in the text, if necessary.

develop, meet, judge, apply, experience, increase, manage, break

1) Beginning teachers often ______________ shock when they start their first job.
2) All teachers _____________ many challenges at the beginning of their carrier.
3) Students must ______________ positive attitudes towards school rules.
4) Who should _______________ teachers success?
5) Many researchers investigate how students understand and ________________
knowledge.
6) Both teachers and parents should __________________ the independence of
children.
7) _________________ a class is a prime requirement that every teacher must
fulfil.
8) We decided to______________ from the classroom routine, so we organized an
outdoor biology class.

Task 4 Using the vocabulary covered in previous tasks, translate the following paragraph
into English.

U svom se radu nastavnici se susreu s brojnim izazovima. Od nastavnika se

oekuje dobro poznavanje predmeta koji predaju, ali isto tako i inovativnost.
Dobro upravljanje razredom podrazumijeva, izmeu ostalog, primjenu opih i
specifinih strategija poduavanja, poznavanje osobina uenika i okruenja u

6
 kojem rade. Odravanje discipline u razredu nije jednostavno, a, osim toga,
ocjenjivanje uenikih radova vremenski je vrlo zahtjevno. Biti dobar uitelj znai
obvezati se na cjeloivotno usavravanje.

V Vocabulary development
Task 1 Look at the entry analysis in a monolingual dictionary and look at the same entry
in a dictionary of collocations. What are the elements of each entry (pronunciation, part
of speech, definition, etc)? What are the differences between these two entries? What is
the purpose of a dictionary of collocations?

Oxford Learners Dictionary

education noun
BrE /eduken/ ; NAmE /eduken/
[uncountable, singular] a process of teaching, training and learning,
especially in schools or colleges, to improve knowledge and
develop skills

primary/elementary education
secondary education
further/higher/post-secondary education
students in full-time education
adult education classes
a college/university education
the state education system
a man of little education
She completed her formal education in 1995.
Collocations
Wordfinder

Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English

education noun
ADJ. decent, excellent, first-class, good | poor | compulsory | formal Although he had
had little formal education, he could read and write well. | adult, further, higher, pre-

7
school, primary, secondary a college of further education | university | professional,
vocational | all-round | health, religious, sex | full-time, part-time | public, state |
private parents who choose private education for their children
VERB + EDUCATION have, receive He was at a disadvantage because of the poor
education he had received. | give sb, provide (sb with) The school provides an excellent
all-round education. | enter students entering higher education | continue, extend She
went to college to continue her education. | leave young people who are just leaving full-
time education | complete, finish He went to America to complete his education.
EDUCATION + NOUN authority, committee, department, ministry, sector, service,
systemfunds provided by the local education authority | minister, officer, official | policy
| reform | campaign, initiative, programme, project, scheme The council has launched
a new health education campaign. | facilities, materials, resources | class, course adult
education courses | centre, college, establishment, institution
PREP. in ~ students in full-time education | through ~ We acquire much of our world
knowledge through education. | ~ about education about danger on the roads

Task 2 Look at the list of nouns that are commonly used in academic register (AWL,
sublist 1):

approach, assessment, concept, evidence, issue, method, principle, research, role, theory

Working in pairs, use a dictionary of collocations and find:

a) a sentence in which the above listed nouns are used
b) verbs or prepositions which they most often collocate with

Task 3 Read the paragraph below and underline the collocations of the adjective+noun
type (e.g. effective technique) and verb+noun type (e.g. apply technique). Check their
meaning with your partner.

Because researchers have identified a number of effective teaching techniques,

some educators argue that all teachers should learn these practices and be tested
on them in order to earn or keep their teaching certificates. Other educators
believe that the mark of an excellent teacher is not the ability to apply techniques

8
 but the artistry of being reflectivethoughtful and inventiveabout teaching.
Educators who adopt this view tend to be more concerned with how teachers plan,
solve problems, create instruction, and make decisions than they are with the
specific techniques teachers apply. They believe teaching is a complicated,
demanding activity that requires creative thinking and a commitment to lifelong
learning.

VI Speaking
Task 1 In small groups, discuss the following issues:
1) What are common expectations that society/parents/students have from a
teacher? Are they reasonable or unrealistic?
2) What is your attitude towards the role and importance of a teacher in a
community/society?

Task 2 Read the following anecdote and compare it with the ideas discussed.

This is from a brand new teacher...

Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and
fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. Not only that, I'm to instill a
sense of pride in their ethnicity, behaviorally modify disruptive behavior, and observe
them for signs of abuse.
I am to fight racism, patriotism, the war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases,
check their backpacks for guns and raise their self-esteem.
I am to check their heads occasionally for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize
signs of potential antisocial behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for
student employment and scholarships and encourage a respect for the cultural diversity of
others.
I am to attend committee and faculty meetings and participate in staff development
training to maintain my current certification and employment status.
I am to purchase supplies, room decorations, supplies for children who can't afford them,
and luxury items such as scissors, glue, scotch tape, paper clips, note book paper, red

9
pens, and markers with my own money as there is no money in the budget for these
items.
I'm to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a few books and a bulletin board, and on a
starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps in many states.
Is that all?

(adapted from: http://www.butlerwebs.com/jokes/teachers.htm)

Task 3 Choose one of the situations below, use the prompts and prepare with your
partner/s a short role-play about the common situations in and around school.

1) A: You are a concerned parent, worried about your son's/daughter's success in

school. S/He (17) seems to have lost her/his enthusiasm for school and studying,
is apathetic and often absent-minded. You encourage him/her and give some
useful advice.

B: You are 17 and sick and tired of school exams, projects and plans everybody
else is making for you. You're not sure anymore that you want to enrol the college.

2) A: You (14) are finishing your Geography project but you are not quite sure what
the final layout should look like. You ask your father for some help, adding that
your Geography teacher suggested including your parents into project, if
necessary.

B: You (a parent) have just come home after a hard day at work and all you want
is to lie down and watch you favourite soap opera. You don't think that parents
should help the children with their tasks. After all, children don't go to work
instead of parents.

3) You are two parents complaining about your children's school to each other. There
are so many things you don't like:

10
 too many subjects,
too many useless facts they learn
too much homework
being too much involved in the whole process of learning
expensive books
heavy bags

4) You are two teachers complaining about your work to each other. There are so
many things you don't like:

children today who behave

their parents who think
school principals who keep telling you.
Minister of Education who

VIII Writing

WRITING AN ACADEMIC PARAGRAPH

Task 1 Why are the texts written in formal register usually divided up into paragraphs?
How would you define a paragraph?

DEFINITION AND STRUCTURE OF A PARAGRAPH

o a distinct division of written or printed matter that begins on a new, usually

indented (moved in) line, consists of one or more sentences, and typically
deals with a single thought or topic. (Merriam Webster Online Dictionary)
o in academic writing, a prototypical paragraph consists of three main parts:

11
 a) a topic sentence usually the first sentence of a paragraph, it is a general
statement which contains the underlying idea of the paragraph
b) supporting sentences two or more sentences developing the main idea
through explanations, examples, comparisons, etc
c) concluding sentence it summarizes the main points of a paragraph, making a
final comment and usually building a logical bridge to the next paragraph

Task 2 Study the following paragraph and label its constituent parts.

Contemporary research has shown that people change jobs an average of seven
times before they retire. These findings are not surprising given the fact that
global economy and consequently job market have undergone considerable
changes over the last years. Such a situation has led many people to consider
career changes which in turn require new knowledge and skills. Thus, one goal of
teaching should be to free students from the need for teachers so the students can
continue to learn independently throughout their lives.

(adapted from Educational Psychology, p.10)

Task 3 Choose the best topic sentence for the following paragraph. Explain why the
remaining two choices would not be the most suitable ones. Suggest alternative topic
sentence(s).

..

They find many tasks in school interesting because they value learning, not just
performing well in the eyes of others. But even if they are not intrinsically
motivated by a specific task, they are serious about getting intended benefit from
it. They know why they are studying, so their actions and choices are self-
determined and not controlled by others. However, although knowledge and
motivation are important factors, they are not always sufficient. Self-regulated

12
learners need volition or self-discipline which is crucial for academic
achievement.

(adapted from Educational Psychology, p.11)

a) Self-regulated learners are high-achievers who like to stand out and be the
best.
b) Self-regulated learners feel motivated to learn and perform well in school.

c) Self-regulated learners are motivated by other people's expectations which

is why they always do their best.

Task 4 Choose the best concluding sentence for the following paragraph. Explain why
the remaining two choices would not be the most suitable ones. Suggest alternative
concluding sentence(s).

Teachers are concerned about developing a particular kind of motivation in their

students- the motivation to learn. Student motivation to learn has been described
as a person's tendency to perceive academic activities meaningful and worthwhile
and to try to get the benefit from them. Many elements make up the motivation to
learn. These include planning, concentration on the goal, awareness of what you
intend to learn and how you intend to learn it, the active search for new
information, pride and satisfaction in achievement, and no fear of failure.

(adapted from Educational Psychology, p.402)

a) In sum, motivation to learn does not involve only wanting or intending to

learn but rather the quality of the student's mental efforts.
b) For example, reading the text 10 times may indicate persistence, but
motivation to learn implies more active learning strategies.

c) In sum, the teacher's major task is to make the students feel motivated to
learn and acquire new knowledge.

13
Task 5 Write down possible topic and concluding sentences for the following paragraph.

Researchers emphasize that learning is not only about the cold cognition of
reasoning and problem solving. Learning and information processing also are
influenced by emotions which play a role in learning as well. Students are more
likely to pay attention to, learn, and remember events, images, and readings that
stimulate emotional responses or that relate to their personal interests.

Task 6 Based the above instructions write down a paragraph on one of the following
topics.

a) Learning experiences should be related to the students' interests.

b) Students respond well to teachers who make them feel secure and
competent.

c) Expert teachers relate the content of the subjects they teach to the world
outside the classroom.

14