Inspired to Teach,

Teach to Inspire
WGS Professional Development Conversations Series
for Practicuum and UCT
Mdm Masayu Mahmud
Woodgrove Secondary School
Lit Review on Support Needed by BTs
To enable the induction of newly appointed teachers into the teaching profession by providing support for their
personal/emotional needs, their professional and practical needs and the development of their critical reflection
in relation to their teaching practice.
What are the skills needed in
the 21
st
century classroom?
Everyone remembers
having an inspired
teacher. But what
really made them
inspired, what
teaching skills do they
regularly employ, and
how can any teacher
become one?
Skill 1: Knowing The Subject
Best teachers gradually
build a rich
understanding of the
subjects they teach
Display the ability to
organize and re-
organize whatever
knowledge they have in
order to make it highly
accessible to learners.
Skill 2: Using knowledge of T&L
Great teachers merge
general information
about learning with wide
knowledge of specific
teaching methods and;
Adapt their plans to fit
a specific class, as well
as the groups and
individuals within that
class so as to increase
learning.
Skill 3: Solving Problems
Inspired teachers have
learned to imagine the
learning task from the
students perspective and
identify student problems
with the material.
These teachers are able to
adapt lessons to
students needs in
advance or during the
teaching process because
of their awareness of a
broader array of
instructional goals.
Skill 4: Improvising
Improvising - Expert
teachers understand
and use
improvisational
techniques; they are
comfortable using the
Socratic method or
other highly interactive
approaches,
Respond accurately
and effectively to
unexpected questions
that students generate.
Skill 5: Managing a classroom
Highly effective teachers
consider possible
reasons behind students
behaviors and;
Adjust their own
teaching and procedures
to dramatically increase
the likelihood that
classroom behavior is
appropriate, students are
productive and that
learning is occurring.
Skill 6: Interpreting Events in
Progress
Compared to novices,
expert teachers notice
more of what is
occurring in the
classroom, especially
events that impact
learning; they chunk
these observation into
meaningful units, and
Make choices that
cause positive
changes in
interaction and
instruction, even when
distractions occur.
Skill 7: Being sensitive to
context
The wisest teachers
come to understand
their own outlooks as
well as their
relationship to the
personal, social, and
cultural
characteristics of
their students; then
these teachers make
continual adjustments
to balance the
complexities that
connect these factors.
Skill 8: Monitoring Learning
Excellent teachers
continually sample
students
understanding, both
formally and informally,
in order to determine
students developing
comprehension levels
and notice whether
students are attentive,
and whether they are
mastering material.
Skill 9: Testing Hypotheses
Outstanding teachers
take steps to identify
root problems.
They consider and
evaluate numerous
hypotheses rather than
just the first one that
comes to mind, and
intentionally test the
one selected, trying
others if the first is
not effective.
Skill 10: Demonstrating respect
The finest teachers
reduce the vulnerability of
all those they work with in
order to continuously
demonstrate a concern
for the best interests of
each individual with
whom they have contact,
resulting in work and
classroom relationships
which are more positive
and effective.
Setting rules is also a
form of showing
respect for teacher as
well as students.
Skill 11: Showing Passion for
Teaching and Learning
Outstanding
teachers express
and demonstrate
high levels of
commitment to
teaching well and
to improving
student learning
and they show a
strong sense of
mission regarding
the work they do in
schools.
Skill 12:Helping Students Reach
Higher Levels of Understanding
The best teachers
are able to lead an
ever-larger percent
of their students to
try harder, do more,
understand better
and find greater
intrinsic
satisfaction in
learning.
Skill 13: Helping Students See
Complexity
Well-developed
teacher help students
learn how to mull
over facts and
contradictory
information, evaluate
and synthesize their
meanings and form
new interpretations
based on those deep
considerations of
relevant factors.