I started teaching about 8-years ago, though wasn’t a qualified teacher until 5-years back. The reason for this came down to tutoring. I started tutoring as a way of embellishing my salary (worked as a freelance writer) and found that I enjoyed teaching more than professional writing, so made the switch.
At the start, I worked for a small tuition centre. It was tough, given that I had little idea of things like curriculum etc, but I had a strong subject knowledge.
The one thing this place didn’t have, which seems almost insane these days is technology. I had only a whiteboard and pen and needed to construct 2-hour lessons. I had no idea of what pedagogy meant and couldn’t tell you what constituted a good lesson, but I persevered.
Despite the difficulties and restraints, there are many things I took away from tutoring that I still use today. In much of the teaching community, they might seem old-fashioned, but I genuinely do prefer these little quirks.
1.No Powerpoint
I passionately dislike PowerPoint. I dislike it because it’s boring. I dislike it because it becomes too much work and I dislike it because too many teachers (particularly) experienced ones, use it as a crutch. There is of course some utility, but in general, my entire lesson will work on the presumption that it isn’t needed. Other than supporting my SEND students, I simply don’t use it. #ditchtheppt
2. Whiteboard and Pen
My use of a whiteboard and pen stems from my general sense of tedium from PowerPoint. A whiteboard and pen mean the students can actively see my metacognitive processing as I model and build frameworks for them. It also forces me to talk about what I’m doing.
3. Teach the bloody knowledge!
There’s a new pedagogical trend where teachers are told to plan a lesson in such a way that learning becomes this grand voyage of discovering knowledge. I understand the principle, I honestly do, but I also think it is fundamentally elitist and honestly just frustrating for me as a teacher. It’s elitist in the sense that assumes certain mental models that students have — mental models that are usually constructed outside of the classroom. I think it’s frustrating because I then spend my time building lessons that may not hit the outcome I want. Knowledge needs to be taught. It needs to be instructional and direct. How students interpret and use that model can be discovery-based, but I also need to balance the reality of performance reviews on which I am being judged.
4. Sort out behaviour for learning through relationships
There is another prevailing view amongst teachers that confuses me. It’s this idea that being a teacher automatically demands respect. It doesn’t. Why should a 14-year-old care that you’ve spent all those years working towards a life-long dream of moulding young minds? Respect in a classroom needs to be earned. It needs to be built on strong relationships with pupils but also solid discipline. It’s a very delicate balance, but I’ll say the same thing here as I tell my PGCEs. Show no weakness. Know your subject matter. Be firm at first and loosen your grip. Connect with students on a personal level. Never shout at a child.
5. Get rid of the tech
In the same vein as my derision of PowerPoint, there is this new trend of using iPads, Chromebooks and even phones in class. Why? technology only helps students if they are technologically mature enough to use it. I know the arguments, I even know how positive the evidence is…yet I still hate it. I think that when used properly, programmes like Lexia or Accelerated Reader can be great, but when the teacher whips ’em out during a random lesson and starts talking about ‘research’ I feel like it’s just lost learning time. If you give a child an opportunity to not do work then guess what…they won’t. Use technology outside of class. Kids see enough screens in their lives, keep them at home.
