In 2019, President Higgins, in a speech to UCD students, stated that school students don’t just exist to be useful to the knowledge economy and that an over-emphasis on preparing young people for work has come at the expense of critical thinking in the classroom. He stressed that we need to be careful not to let this thinking become the ultimate aim of secondary school. Dewey (1897) stated that “….education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and goal of education are one in the same” (p.77). It resonated with me. I think as teachers; we are given this unique but extremely important position as educators to shape young minds. With this position, we can either do an okay job or an exceptional job. I want to be exceptional.
I have always had a love of learning and embracing new knowledge. So much so I spent 12 years in higher education specialising in business and entrepreneurship. The knowledge I have gained during these years I have always wanted to share and pass on to the new young minds in our society. That was one of the reasons I competed my PhD, to enable me to provide that knowledge. Life however, took me in another direction, working in the research field. I spent 7 wonderful years being part of a research team in the field of health science where I was able to utilise my business skills to aid in our research. After my time at the research centre ended I found myself thinking about sharing my love of knowledge and education again.
I believe teachers are key to young people’s minds and find the responsibility of that key to be a privilege and one that I take very seriously. My key as a teacher, I feel, is to make business interesting and it is a challenge I am excited to embrace. Post-primary education has changed! The new specification for JCT Business allows students to take charge of their own learning. Collaboration and cooperation are encouraged. To me, education is the key to opening up a world full of possibilities. Education is something to be enjoyed and not something to dread. Emerson (1803-1882) was ahead of his time in many respects and he believed that “the secret to education lies in respecting the student”. It is my mission to make sure the students I teach are respected and given the skills and tools to make their way in the world. It is our duty as teachers after all right?
When I reflect on what my role is as a teacher; a facilitator of knowledge; I am always drawn back to the writings on Schon (1987) in his famous work ‘The Reflective Practitioner: how professionals think in action’. Schon posed that professionals (i.e. teachers) need to be become aware of their implicit knowledge and learn from their experience so as to pass on this knowledge. In my former life, I worked in industry and research environments, to which point I have amassed a lot of information and knowledge that I can pass onto my students. The teaching subject mastery I have achieved with Hibernia has been invaluable. It has instilled my love of learning even more and has made me even more determined to be the best teacher and facilitator of knowledge that I can be. Learning how to incorporate different teaching strategies to engage students more has made me really think about how I want my students to learn and, ultimately, how they view me as a teacher. I want to reveal the students’ prior knowledge to them and really show them that they know more than they think. My job is to take that knowledge and expand it even more in a fun and stable environment.
Wiliam (2018) when writing about the schools our children need, clearly stated that if we wanted students to learn facts, then we could just list all the things we wanted students to know and have them learn them verbatim. However, this would not help students to see the connection between different aspects of their knowledge. For me, as a facilitator of knowledge, I feel through adopting the constructivist teaching style will allow me to be a facilitator of knowledge rather than possessing a teacher-centered approach, where the teacher is the dictator of knowledge. This method of teaching would go against my philosophy of education. Students deserve to be allowed to take charge of their learning and be part of an environment that is centered on them, the learner. I believe that learning occurs through discussion, respect and reflection. Without these key elements, the students will not benefit from a whole-world approach to learning.
I read an article by Moran (2019) on the whole school approach to learning. Here was a school that was entirely student-focused and using David Thornburg’s writings of building pedagogy on the concept of the campfire, watering hole, cave and life as the main part of the schools’ ethos. Students have ownership of their learning; differentiation is encouraged; teachers step back from the traditional way of teaching and technology is extensively used in teaching. Now I know that not every school can or will incorporate this type of learning strategy; however if we could include it in some small way; how wonderful would that be? Digital technologies and their use in the classroom allow the teacher to truly engage students. With technologies such as Padlet (which aids discussion) and formative (which facilitates the assessment of prior student learning), the teacher can keep the students’ attention in a fun and collaborative way. There are so many different tools that can be used that a classroom should never be boring or unimaginative again. Gone are the days when a teacher simply sat in front of the class, now there is opportunity to be “in the moment” of students learning and watch them reveal prior knowledge and new knowledge in real-time
The writings of Thornburg (2013) have really influenced my views on teaching and the strategies I want to take as a teacher. Thinking back to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, we, the teachers, are the fundamental link for students between what they think they know and the “outside world”. It is an important job to be tasked with. Therefore, I want to be the best version of myself that I can. I, as the teacher, ultimately have to have the knowledge to pass onto the students, but I also learn from them. I want the students to start at the ‘campfire’ where I am the arbiter of knowledge but progress to the use of ‘watering holes to further enhance their knowledge with their peers; through my guidance. I want to encourage my students also to be reflective and learn from their previous experiences. Finally, I want my students to apply what they have learned and be able to use it effectively and truly understand what it is they have learned. Questions are encouraged; students are encouraged to use their voice.
According to Glasser (1986) teachers need to give students voice, especially in the current educational climate, which is dominated by standardisation and testing (Simmons and Page, 2010). Student voice is important in my lessons. Learning intentions are agreed and success criteria are developed together as a group. Students need to know what they will be learning and hooked into the lesson from the beginning. It is the teachers’ responsibility and privilege to ensure that the hook is right. Each lesson will start with a question for the students to ponder. I feel it engages the students and interests them in the topic, making them want to learn more. It is a two-way dialogue between them and I. I do not believe that I know more than my students…far from it. I probably learn more from them in a day than they do from me. That is important to remember and encourage.
Students need to be able to relate the lesson to the real world. Textbooks can only do so much. Group work features highly in my lesson plans. Discussion is important, and whilst students can learn from the teacher they also learn from each other and develop working relationships. A lesson that is dominated by top-down teaching will disengage students and result in a class that learns nothing and alienate the majority. Cooperative learning is key here. Students learn from the teacher and vice-versa but students also learn from their peers. Vygotsky (1980) viewed learners as active organisers of their experiences, emphasising the social and cultural relationships that develop as a result. He believed that students were active agents in the educational process. Always eager and willing to learn. Their learning is influenced not only by themselves but more importantly, by the external social world to which they are part (Blanck, 1990).
With students learning influenced by the external world, I want the students to keep a reflective journal. Asking them to really think and reflect on their learning helps me, but it also helps them. I can ensure that my teaching methods are effective and helping the students but also encourage the students to really think about what they are learning and apply it to the real-world. Making my teaching totally student-centred ensures I remain focussed on the student and their needs. I want to be seen as an approachable teacher that encourages blue-sky thinking. I want to know that I inspired students; instilled a love of learning and made them want to come back to school tomorrow.
