Module 4 - Teacher Support for Multigrade Teaching.ppt
- 1. Prepared by: Prof. Marjorie DF. San Juan Module 4 Teacher Support for Multigrade Teaching
- 2. Introduction: • In this module, you will be introduced to the support that may need in multigrade teaching situation. We will explore means by which can ensure success in the multigrade classroom.
- 3. Objectives: After completing this module, you should be able to: 1.Describe the kind of support you require. 2. Identify where to obtain support. 3. Use the available resources effectively.
- 4. Content: This module will cover the following topics: • teacher support in a multigrade situation • sources of support • the management of resources.
- 5. Teacher Support in a Multigrade Situation • Read the following story carefully. The tea estate school has 163 children enrolled in Grades 1 to 6 and two female teachers. The principal teacher has nine years of teaching experience. She lives on the tea estate. The other teacher travels daily by habal-habal (motorcycle kind of transportation)from a small town 10 km away. The pupils usually comes late. Already it is 8:30 in the morning, and the school began an hour ago. Grade 1 children sit quietly outside the one-room school under a shed-like construction with no roof.
- 6. The morning sun forces them to take shelter on a lower terrace under a roughly constructed thatched enclosure. The enrolment register has been checked. This morning, 100 children have turned up for school, an attendance rate of just 61%. The teacher moves quickly around the grade groups crammed inside the single classroom, giving instructions. Three male monitors, apparently self- appointed, rush around the six groups, giving verbal punishment here, physical punishment there. A Grade 3 girl takes an envelope out of her bag. It contains small picture cards of animals and flowers. Two boys snatch the pictures from her.
- 7. A quarrel begins, the monitor intervenes, peace is restored and they wait for instructions from the teacher. The Grade 2 children have been assigned language work. One child reads out one or two words from the set book, and the others repeat in chorus. All the Grade 2 children have a language book distributed as part of the government’s free textbook scheme. Although all participate in the chorus and all are holding a copy of the relevant book, not all are reading the words.
- 8. By 9:00, the bus has arrived, and the second teacher joins the group. The two teachers discuss various activities and suggestions made during the recent in-service seminar. Both teachers had also attended an in-service training course on teaching methods in the lower primary grades. What could they remember from it? They remembered a discussion about introducing a topic common to all grades. For example, the topic could be fruits. The Grade 1 children could talk in small groups about the fruits they eat, and Grade 2 children could write out names of the fruits and compare them. Source: Adapted from Overseas Development Administration. (1995, January). Serial No. 12: Educational Research.
- 9. Multigrade teachers, particularly those who teach in the remote areas, are disadvantaged not only in terms of methodology, but also in terms of the economic and social conditions. They need different forms of support. The support may include: • a deliberate policy by Department of Education to recognize the tremendous work being performed in the schools by multigrade teachers, • professional development support from the central curriculum and administration authorities, • training programs that discuss the needs of multigrade teachers, and • policies ensuring that rural schools are assigned quality instructors.
- 10. However, support from the government may not be immediately forthcoming. You, as a future teacher, must take pride in your profession and recognize that you are contributing to the well-being and growth of your learners, your community and your country. You are making the world a better place in which to live. You should be proud of your efforts.
- 11. The isolation and small number of both teachers and learners in many multigrade schools affect the quality and quantity of professional facilities available to teachers. Due to the lack of classroom materials, teachers may not work to their best ability. Chances of being promoted are restricted at a one teacher school. The suggestions below may help address these challenges. Professional Support
- 12. • Teachers should be paid to travel to meetings. • Self-directed professional growth or development should be encouraged by providing distance education material at resource centers. • Materials should be given to small schools. • Education officers should visit these small schools regularly, not to inspect but to advise. • Teachers who have taught at multigrade schools should be considered for promotion.
- 13. Staffing Support for Small Schools Teachers in small schools must teach in multigrade classes. This demands extra preparation and organizational ability. As these teachers have few colleagues to share ideas with, they need constant supervision and support by central authorities. Teachers who are qualified and self-motivated are the ones who should be sent to isolated schools, as they are the ones best suited to deal with the challenges of multigrade teaching. As they face the challenges, they will grow professionally.
- 14. Teacher Training for Small Schools Although multigrade teaching is very common, few training colleges give it adequate attention. Teachers’ colleges tend to cater to the common type of single-grade teaching. Most teachers’ colleges are located in cities and towns. It is very difficult and expensive for them to arrange for trainees to practice in remote schools and to send lecturers to visit them there.
- 15. Nevertheless, multigrade teaching techniques should be given to all trainees to enable them to teach in different situations. In small schools, trainees are able to observe the teachers’ and learners’ behavior quite easily. Support in the form of an allowance should be given to trainees in isolated multigrade schools in recognition of their special role.
- 16. Teacher Specialization In small secondary schools, most staff members have to teach at least two subjects. Teacher training colleges can require each trainee to develop skills in at least two subject areas. An education officer with many small schools in an area should train all teachers to provide instruction in at least two subjects.
- 17. Below are a few measures education officers could consider when administering and staffing multigrade schools: • Visit remote schools during in-service training so as to provide more opportunities for isolated teachers. • Help teachers to find accommodation. • Make sure postings are fair and transfers made on a rotation basis. • Try to recruit teachers from rural backgrounds because these individuals are more familiar with rural conditions.
- 18. Economic Support Some small schools are not able to pay their teachers, and the teachers are often on lower salaries than those in big schools. Teachers in small multigrade schools are usually young and inexperienced. It can be costly for them to go to urban areas to visit friends and relatives. In order to reduce this problem, the government should offer bonuses or living and travel allowances for remote teachers. If these measures are put into place, more qualified and effective teachers will be attracted to these small schools.
- 19. Community Support The school is part of the community and the school is established to serve the children of the community. Some parents in the community may not have had much schooling, but they have experience, and many have skills that can be relevant to the school curriculum. For example, they may be able to help in teaching the following subjects: • reading • oral tradition
- 20. • history of the village • arts and crafts • traditional dances • agriculture or gardening • sports • local technology • home ecology • moral and cultural aspects of community living.
- 21. They may also organize and supervise school tours or trips within the community or to a nearby village. Parents and community members can also help or assist with developing educational materials or teaching aids such as mats. They can tell the teacher about each child’s background, thereby allowing the teacher to build on it. They can be asked to help deal with undisciplined children.
- 22. They can be asked to help settle disputes between parents and teachers and between a learner and teacher. Parents can be asked to contribute to a project in the school. For example, they can paint the school or repair broken furniture. They can provide accommodation for teachers. Parents can contribute money or materials to improve conditions in the school.
- 23. There are many things teachers can do in order to obtain community support: • Organize parent-teacher meetings (PTM). • Discuss with the community when and how it can help. • Establish good relationships and be willing to cooperate with parents and the entire community. • Ask the community to identify the parents who are capable and willing to help.
- 24. • Recognize that parents have their own work. Do not always expect them to be available when you need them. Plan ahead. Develop a good communication system. Remind those who promised to help. • Always make arrangements in advance if you need the community’s help. • Allow parents to have access to the school facilities. For example, they may want to use the school for a meeting or to hold church services. • Show appreciation and encouragement. Always thank parents for their help.
- 25. Staff Development This section covers the following topics: • the teachers who need staff development, • quality of schools and quality of teachers, and • in-service training.
- 26. The Teachers Who Need Staff Development All teachers need to be supported professionally, but each teacher or group of teachers has different needs. Teachers may be experienced and trained, recently trained, or untrained. There are three primary reasons for this situation:
- 27. • Ambitious and well-qualified teachers are able to secure posts in desirable environments. They are usually employed in urban areas. • Administrators find themselves under great pressure to post the best teachers in urban schools. • Remote areas are sometimes used as ‘dumping grounds’ for teachers who are problematic.
- 28. Teachers in small rural schools are professionally more isolated than teachers in big schools. There are fewer colleagues with whom to exchange ideas. Education officers should give these teachers additional help and provide constant supervision. In small schools, it can be difficult to stream pupils according to their abilities. The teachers are faced by multigrade classes with a wide range of ages and abilities. This makes teaching more challenging. Training colleges need to pay more attention to these challenges so that teachers will be better equipped to handle learners in a multigrade class.
- 29. Administrators should ensure that good teachers are posted to small schools. When teachers are well supported, the quality of work will improve to the expected standard. Teachers would then feel that their efforts are being recognized. When good results are produced in small schools, administrators should note their appreciation for the efforts taken. Consequently, teachers in small schools will become more motivated and committed to their work.
- 30. Quality of Schools and Quality of Teachers Particular attention must be given to the needs of small schools when teachers are posted and when support systems are supplied. In small schools, the quality of education is more dependent on the quality of individual teachers than is the case in big schools. In a single-teacher school, the personality of that individual can influence the whole education process.
- 31. The education officer must ensure that teachers receive back-up material and support. Workshops and in-service courses must be conducted. Educational officers may need to assist those who are likely to experience difficulties in travelling to these in-service events.
- 32. In-Service Training The multigrade teachers have few colleagues in their situation and so they have greater needs for professional enrichment. Education officers could organize special courses for these teachers. This can be done by distance education, by radio lessons or in residential sessions during school holidays.
- 33. Resources Resources can be classified into various categories. In this unit, we will focus on instructional resources and how to manage these resources. By ‘instructional resources’, we mean resources used for teaching and learning. A multigrade teacher needs a variety of resources to cope with the varying needs of his or her learners. It is also important to know how to choose the most appropriate resources and how to manage the resources to suit the learners’ needs and your lesson objectives.
- 34. Multigrade teaching is much easier if you have resources such as: • adequate classroom space, • portable chalkboard, • printed materials, • classroom library or reading corner, • electronic resources, and • other instructional resources.
- 35. Space Multigrade teaching requires spacious classrooms so that learners can move and interact freely without disturbing one another. The classroom should be protected from wind and rain. When the weather is suitable, learners can also be taught outside the classroom.
- 36. Portable Chalkboard The chalkboard is probably the most common resource in your classroom, yet it is sometimes improperly used or under-used. In a multigrade teaching situation, a portable chalkboard, one that can be moved from one place to another, is desirable. If possible, more than one chalkboard is required. At times, the chalkboard can be used as a screen to separate the class or as a side panel where the class exists in an area by itself.
- 37. You must ensure that chalkboards are allocated at positions in the classroom where they can be seen easily by all learners. You can use a chalkboard as a notice board with instructions for tasks that are to be completed by particular learners. At other times, you may place reminders to students on the chalkboard. Exercises or notes can be retained on the chalkboard beyond the teaching period. These can used as references. The chalkboard can also be used to record content or instructions for different grade levels. Whatever strategy you use, note that materials carefully presented on the chalkboard can influence learning.
- 38. Printed Materials When we use the term ‘printed materials’, we are referring to textbooks, newspapers, magazines, story books, games and non- book materials. In multigrade teaching, printed materials are important for enhancing the development of independent study. They are an integral part of the instructional process.
- 39. Textbooks There is a need for textbooks that are written with the assumption that all children are not at the same academic level, and they are not under the constant guidance of the teacher. Theme-based textbooks or textbooks that cover subject matter across the curricula topics are very useful. You should use non-graded textbooks and textbooks with self-assessments or evaluation activities. These textbooks can be used in self instruction or independent study situations.
- 40. Textbooks are important because they allow individuals to learn at their own pace. They can be reread and therefore act as a form of reinforcement. Textbooks and other reading materials can provide rich visual stimulation. In addition to textbooks, you will need graphics and pictures. Many learners are visually oriented and respond positively when graphics, pictures or photographs are used.
- 41. Newspapers Newspapers provide authentic information and can be used as instructional materials. They can be used during your discussion of a variety of topics in subject areas such as mathematics, science, geography and social studies. Newspapers are readily available. If you are in a remote area, you can ask local shops, church organisations or government institutions to donate old newspapers on a regular basis.
- 42. Magazines Different kinds of magazines can be used as reading resources. You can ask learners to bring these from their homes or ask the community to donate any used magazines or newspapers. Like newspapers, magazines can open the students’ minds to events and ideas that lie beyond the community.
- 43. Story Books Stories can be used as a basis for teaching many subjects. Examine the diagram below, which is based on the story The Jackal and the Wolf. Note how you can use one story to discuss a variety of subjects.
- 45. Games Learners enjoy games. Games are fun. Teachers can easily adapt games for cooperative learning and problem solving activities. Games can be used to build strong teams. Games allow all learners to participate, compete and enjoy themselves. There are a variety of games, including board, card and dice games. Some examples of games and their educational benefits are given below. Try some of these games with your class.
- 46. Examples of Board, Card and Dice Games
- 47. Non-Book Materials Non-book materials are pamphlets, reports and texts that can be used as additional reading resources
- 48. Library or Reading Corner Research has demonstrated that it is valuable to have a classroom library or reading corner because this area can cater to the different needs of learners found in multigrade classrooms or schools. The learners’ own books can be the first books in your reading corner or library.
- 49. All the printed materials we have discussed can be organized into a classroom library or reading corner. In order to facilitate the use of a reading corner, you need to implement a manageable loan system. A reading corner may also allow you to work with a particular group or individual while others are working on their own.
- 50. Electronic Resources Electronic resources include radio, audio tape recorder, videocassette recorder, television and computer.
- 51. Radio The radio is frequently the most affordable piece of electronic equipment that you can use in teaching and learning situations. You do not need a source of electricity to operate some radios. Today, a few radios are equipped with a handle that allows you to wind a spring inside the radio. The movement of the spring generates enough electricity to operate the radio. No batteries or electrical outlets are required. If you do need a battery or batteries, the radios can work for many hours. Radios are inexpensive and portable.
- 52. In order to use radios effectively in instructional situations, you must be familiar with the programs and the frequencies on which they are aired. Radio programs can stimulate discussion among learners and you. They can bring the world beyond your community to your doorstep. Consider asking students not only to listen to the programs, but also to answer questions or do projects based on what they heard.
- 53. Tape Recorder The audio tape recorder is an electronic device that can be used to: • provide whole group instruction, • address the needs of individual learners who are experiencing difficulty with particular topics, • develop listening skills, • record learners so that they can hear their own voices and evaluate their language or speaking skills, • record stories, readings, case studies and motivational material, and • teach singing. Audiocassette tapes are simple to make, duplicate, store and distribute
- 54. Video Recorder Video recorders provide both visual and audio stimuli. They require electricity and some require a knowledgeable person to operate and use them. However, they are useful electronic instructional resources for multigrade teaching. If learners are taught how to use them, they can operate them and work on their own.
- 55. Students can record themselves performing a skill. Then you can review the videotape with them and indicate areas in which improvement is required. Videotapes or videocassettes are especially useful for students who lack reading skills or need to review material frequently.
- 56. Television Television is another important resource in a multigrade classroom, as it provides another source of audiovisual materials. Unlike the audiocassette recorder and video recorder, television cannot be interrupted or stopped and then restarted where you left off. However, it is capable of providing a wider range of programs and activities. Television, like radio, has immediacy and credibility. It can cover events and report on ideas that are happening or being discussed right now! If you are able, record television broadcasts. Then replay the recording when it is appropriate for your students.
- 57. Computers Computers are becoming increasingly common. They can accept information from different sources, process it and produce output that addresses individual needs. If your computer is connected to the Internet, you and your students will have access to a wide range of instructional resources.
- 58. The Internet can be used to: • find information, • post notices, • send electronic mail, • establish discussion groups with students and colleagues, and • conduct audioconferencing and videoconferencing The greatest advantage of using the Internet is that it increases accessibility, not only to knowledge, but also to people and ideas, regardless of their location.
- 59. Multigrade teachers and learners can benefit greatly from using computers as instructional resources. • Computers can be used on a one-to-one basis, thus providing truly individualized learning for students of varying grades and abilities. • They can be used with small groups of learners and consequently foster socialization. • They can facilitate problem-solving techniques and self evaluation. • They provide opportunities for practice. • They foster creativity.
- 60. Other Instructional Resources Other instructional resources are concrete objects that can be easily obtained in your environment. A variety of raw materials such as cardboard, empty boxes, tins, shells, stones, wood, seeds, sticks, animals, insects, bottles, labels and sand are easily available.
- 61. You and your learners can use these resources to develop instructional materials. Some advantages of these resources are listed below: • They are relevant and real. Learners can see them, touch them and smell them. • They are user-friendly. • They can be reused or recycled. • Resources such as animals and insects help learners to develop a respect for living things and to take responsibility for them. • They cost little or nothing.
- 62. If you do not have access to all the resources listed in Unit 4, do not despair. The best way you can instill learning is to care for and encourage your students. Get to know them. Provide them with small challenges, then increasingly more difficult ones. Give them positive, effective feedback with a smile. Instructional resources are only tools. They are not teachers!
- 63. Resource Management The following are some suggested procedures for managing instructional resources. It is good to know about the types of resources, where to obtain them and how to prepare them, but it is also important to be aware of how to manage them carefully.
- 64. Storage You need an adequate storage area for equipment and learning materials. Systematic storage is essential to provide accessibility and easy assessment of your resources. By labelling the cupboards, filing cabinets and learning materials, you will facilitate easy access to the resources. Learners may have some suggestions regarding how to arrange and store the equipment. There are various reference systems at other schools, resource centres and libraries that can give you ideas on how to arrange and store resources. Visit these sites.
- 65. Documentation A catalogue indicating what kinds of materials are available, where they are stored and what you can use them for is essential. Classification according to subject areas may be useful for easy access. Ensure that all resources are documented and that you check regularly regarding the status of all items.
- 66. Maintenance Obtaining resources may be easy, but maintaining them can be difficult. Resources can wear out and require repairs. In your budget planning, always allocate some funds for maintenance. Local expertise can be used to maintain and service resources. For example, a local electrician or builder could be approached to repair or service the resources. Members of the community may volunteer to do this work for free.
- 67. Monitoring System It is highly recommended that a monitoring system be put in place to check on how the resources are used, who uses them and how often they are used. A simple card system like the one below can be used.
- 68. Rotating Resources You should rotate resources in order to keep learners motivated. By rotating resources, you are exposing learners to different materials and therefore to different perspectives that may result in incidental learning. You are also catering to different learning styles because some children learn best by touching and moving things instead of reading about them. Also, by rotating resources, you are avoiding over- use of some resources and making space for other resources that may be of interest to your students.
- 69. Activity Answer the following; 1. List the types of support that multigrade teachers require. 2. Describe how the resources in a multigrade school should be managed. 3. Look at the following list of the people who could give you support in your multigrade class. Indicate the type of support each person could offer. Put it on a table. (Person, Type of Support) a. musician e. carpenter b. policeman f. cleaner c. farmer g. parent d. athlete
- 70. Thank you!