BECOMING A TEACHER
BTE2601
CHAPTER 1 SUMMARY
S GRAVETT, JJ BEER, E DU PLESSIS
UNISA CUSTOM EDITION
, Becoming a Teacher BTE2601
Summary of Chapter 1: The teacher as a reflective practitioner
Introduction
Student-teachers need to be aware that the very act of good teaching masks the skills that
are required to deal with the problems of teaching.
Teaching is challenging and it requires teachers to think and reflect.
Good teachers knows that teaching is not simple and know how and when to use their tricks,
how to apply the tricks in context and how to adapt the learning content to fit the profile of
learners.
Good teachers;
Realise that no teacher education programme can never fully prepare a student-teacher for
the complexity of a teaching profession.
Requires lifelong learning which implies that you need to take charge of your own personal
and professional development.
There will be a brief discussion within the following aspect namely: the challenges of a teaching
profession; the idea of reflection and what is means to be a reflective practitioner; examine the
dimensions of reflective teaching; tools that can assist with reflection.
Teaching as a challenging profession
Good teaching is not a mechanistic set of well-rehearsed procedures.
Shulman (2004: 504) described classroom teaching as “the most complex, most challenging,
and most demanding and frightening activity our species has ever invented”.
We can agree with Shulman, but he is referring to teacher who strive to be good teachers,
rather than reading from textbooks, giving facts or keeping learners busy with activities that
require little intellectual effort.
Shulman (2004: 227) claims that good teaching combines the following knowledge bases:
1. Content knowledge
2. General knowledge about the teaching and learning process and strategies of
classroom management
3. Curriculum knowledge
4. Pedagogical content knowledge, understanding of how best to teach the content so
that it is meaningful for learners
5. Knowledge of learners and their characteristics such as backgrounds and existing
knowledge on a topic, possible barriers to learning or misconceptions they may
hold.
6. Knowledge of educational contexts, ranging from classroom and the facilities
available. Sociocultural context of the school and the policies that impact education.
7. Knowledge of educational ends, purposes, and values.
All these bases of knowledge should come into play and intersect during the planning and
teaching process.
Good teaching always takes account of the “complexities, possibilities and nuances “within
each teaching and learning situation (Loughran, 2006: 136).
LaBoskey argues that good teachers:
1. Make thoughtful and caring decisions
BTE2601
CHAPTER 1 SUMMARY
S GRAVETT, JJ BEER, E DU PLESSIS
UNISA CUSTOM EDITION
, Becoming a Teacher BTE2601
Summary of Chapter 1: The teacher as a reflective practitioner
Introduction
Student-teachers need to be aware that the very act of good teaching masks the skills that
are required to deal with the problems of teaching.
Teaching is challenging and it requires teachers to think and reflect.
Good teachers knows that teaching is not simple and know how and when to use their tricks,
how to apply the tricks in context and how to adapt the learning content to fit the profile of
learners.
Good teachers;
Realise that no teacher education programme can never fully prepare a student-teacher for
the complexity of a teaching profession.
Requires lifelong learning which implies that you need to take charge of your own personal
and professional development.
There will be a brief discussion within the following aspect namely: the challenges of a teaching
profession; the idea of reflection and what is means to be a reflective practitioner; examine the
dimensions of reflective teaching; tools that can assist with reflection.
Teaching as a challenging profession
Good teaching is not a mechanistic set of well-rehearsed procedures.
Shulman (2004: 504) described classroom teaching as “the most complex, most challenging,
and most demanding and frightening activity our species has ever invented”.
We can agree with Shulman, but he is referring to teacher who strive to be good teachers,
rather than reading from textbooks, giving facts or keeping learners busy with activities that
require little intellectual effort.
Shulman (2004: 227) claims that good teaching combines the following knowledge bases:
1. Content knowledge
2. General knowledge about the teaching and learning process and strategies of
classroom management
3. Curriculum knowledge
4. Pedagogical content knowledge, understanding of how best to teach the content so
that it is meaningful for learners
5. Knowledge of learners and their characteristics such as backgrounds and existing
knowledge on a topic, possible barriers to learning or misconceptions they may
hold.
6. Knowledge of educational contexts, ranging from classroom and the facilities
available. Sociocultural context of the school and the policies that impact education.
7. Knowledge of educational ends, purposes, and values.
All these bases of knowledge should come into play and intersect during the planning and
teaching process.
Good teaching always takes account of the “complexities, possibilities and nuances “within
each teaching and learning situation (Loughran, 2006: 136).
LaBoskey argues that good teachers:
1. Make thoughtful and caring decisions
