Teacher Effectiveness Essay Example for Free

Teacher Effectiveness Essay In the initial perceptions report I selected confidence and patience as the personal attributes most relevant to effective teaching, and thorough subject knowledge and outlining clear and consistent expectations as the two most important classroom strategies to overall effective teaching. Various research studies into effective teaching have found that personal attributes, teaching and learning strategies and classroom management all play a significant role in overall teacher effectiveness. It has been found that teachers who exhibit socially just personal attributes such as care, compassion and empathy for all students are most effective. Teachers who are ? active in employing a range of teaching and learning strategies that are heavily based on student-teacher and student-student interaction are also found to be effective. In terms of classroom management, effective teachers are able to outline and stick to a clear set of high expectations for all students. These findings correlate with my initial perceptions to carrying degrees. While all the initial perceptions bear some relevance, generally speaking, factors and influences that make up effective teaching involve a much broader set of criteria than just patience, confidence, subject knowledge and expectations. The personal attributes of teachers is shown to be a significant factor in overall teacher effectiveness in a number of studies. Generally speaking, teachers who are socially just and have a genuine concern for all students have been found to be the most effective. This is a much broader conception of personal attributes than what was identified in the initial perceptions of teacher effectiveness, that of confidence and patience. The keen ambition to care for, respond to and develop the talents of all students is repeatedly referred to in studies as being a significant determinant of overall teacher effectiveness (Dinham, 2004, OECD, 1994, Batten, 1993). Such an ambition requires a number of personal attributes, one of which would include patience. In all teaching frameworks, teachers will inevitably face a range of abilities, skills and personalities. If teachers are genuinely committed to caring for and developing all students equally they will inevitably require patience each in terms of the rate at which students understand the concepts and information being presented to them as well as the manner in which students act and respond to both them personally and to the work they are presented with. However, while patience is a definite requirement in the care for all students, there is a broader set of attributes that are needed to achieve this ambition. Teachers who exhibit socially just attributes such as honesty, empathy and compassion are more likely to genuinely care for and develop all students, thereby making them more effective (Dinham, 2004). Significantly, these attributes will also play a significant role in providing a safe learning environment for all students, one of the three central components of the Quality Teaching Framework (NSW Quality Teaching Framework). Teachers who are reflective, willing and able to adjust and improve and to set an example of moral conduct for their students have also been found to be effective (OECD, 1994). A willingness and ability to reflect and adjust, as well as to provide a moral example for students depends significantly on the personal attributes of the teacher. Confidence is relevant to these attributes as in order for the process of self reflection and moral modelling to be successful, teachers must first be confident enough to engage in the process. For example, if a teacher does not possess confidence in their own moral beliefs and reasoning, they will be unable to model them for their students in any effective manner. However reflection and moral conduct requires more that just confidence. Ultimately it requires outward looking behaviour in an attempt to achieve positive relationships and a culture for success (Dinham, 2004). Specific teaching and learning strategies as they are implemented in the classroom bear a significant impact on overall teacher effectiveness. In terms of my initial perceptions report, thorough subject knowledge was identified as being of great importance for overall teacher effectiveness. The role and relevance of thorough subject knowledge is acknowledged as dependant upon overall teacher effectiveness to varying degrees (Darley-Hammond, 2000). The Darling-Hammond study (2000) found mixed support for subject matter knowledge as a determinant of effective teaching. The study showed that the greater time spent in teacher training courses and in subsequent professional development, on method areas and pedagogical development in specific methods, increased overall teacher effectiveness. While this doesnt relate directly to specific subject knowledge, content knowledge undoubtedly supports pedagogical knowledge, thereby making it relevant and influential. A student focussed, interactive approach that draws upon a range of specific teaching strategies is consistently found to be most significant in terms of effective teaching and learning practices within the classroom (Batten, 1993, Brophy and Good, 1986, OECD, 1994, Ayers et al. , 2004). Brophy and Good (1986) describe ? active teaching as being a central component of overall teacher effectiveness. By active teaching they are referring to an approach that relies heavily on student-teacher and student-student interaction, limiting the amount of time spent on independent instruction and unsupervised seatwork (Brophy and Good. 1986). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Quality in Teaching, Paris Report (1994) supports this assertion in their report findings, stating that effective classrooms generally implemented teacher led activities with considerable interaction between the students and the teacher. Both studies acknowledge whole class discussion, closely monitored group work and effective questioning as part of the teacher led interactive approach. Each of these studies acknowledged class discussion and effective questioning as integral to the ? active teaching approach. Such skills involve the ability to effectively pose a combination of open and closed questions, questions that are based on recall and reflection and questions that allow for differences of opinion and interpretation in order to encourage meaningful discussion (Wragg and Brown, 2001). Such techniques allow students to personally engage with material, thereby making the work significant to students, one of the three components of the NSW Quality Teaching Framework. It is doubtful whether this would be able to be effectively achieved without a thorough knowledge of the content to which the teacher would develop questions and discussion about. Ayres et al. (2004) in their study regarding effective HSC teaching found that teaching and learning strategies that were dynamic and varying, for example lessons that progressed from presentations, to discussions, to interactive seat work and to some independent work, were found to be  effective. The study also found that the more effective teachers were willing to choose more difficult topic options and would change their chosen topics regularly. In order for teachers to effectively teach the difficult options, or continuously change their chosen topic in order to maintain their motivation, they would need to possess thorough knowledge in their subject. Therefore, while specific subject knowledge may not be an overwhelming component of effective classroom strategies, those that are deemed most effective would not work without the teacher first possessing thorough knowledge of their subject. Classroom management is the third component that is found to be most influential in overall teacher effectiveness. In my initial perceptions report I chose outlining clear and consistent expectations as an effective teaching strategy in order to increase the chance of student behaviour consistency. This initial perception seems to be supported by various studies regarding teacher effectiveness. The OECD report (1994) describes effective classroom management as providing a safe and orderly classroom where a set of high expectations are explained to and understood by students. In Margaret Battens (1993) study of individual Victorian teachers who had been deemed to be effective teachers, such practices as refusing to talk over students, carrying out outlined consequences such as giving more work to students who misbehaved and clearly and firmly stating to students to change their behaviour when they were not following classroom expectations, were often employed to manage an orderly and safe classroom for all students. All such strategies involve my initial perception of outlining clear and consistent expectations of students, and if carried out effectively, support the creating supportive environments element of the NSW Quality Teaching Framework. Effective teaching depends upon a broad range of criteria relating to socially just personal attributes, a broad ranging and interactive set of teaching and learning strategies and high classroom expectations. Within the range of this criteria patience, confidence, subject knowledge and consistent expectations undoubtedly bear some influence, however there are many other factors that also bear significant influence. References Ayers, P. , Sawyer, W. and Dinham, S. (2004) ? Effective teaching in the context of a Grade 12 high-stakes external examination in New South Wales, Australia, British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 30, No. 1 pp 141-165. Batten, M. , Marland, P. and Khamis, M. (1993) Knowing How to Teach Well: Teachers Reflect on Their Classroom Practice. ACER Research Monograph No 44. Hawthorn: ACER. (Chapter 3 pp. 18-33) Dinham, S. (2004) ? The Influence of Leadership in Producing Outstanding Schooling Outcomes in Junior Secondary Education, AESOP Report, School of Education, University of New England, Australia. Darling-Hammond (2000) http://eppa. asu. edu. epaa. v8nl Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (1994) Quality in Teaching, Paris: OECD (Chapter 4: pp. 34-71). Wragg, E. and Brown, G. (2001) Questioning in the Secondary School, 2nd Edition, London: RoutledgeFalmer. (Chapter 3: pp. 27-39).

Abuse of the Innocent :: essays papers

Abuse of the Innocent Is it right to force a mouse to live it's live in a laboratory cage to test anti-cancer drug? How would you like to be squeezed in a cage with many other animals, not being able to touch the grass, run around and play,smell the flowers, or go for a walk in the warmth of the sunshine? Animal cruelty is wrong because we are hurting the Innocent. Animals experience and feel pain, fear , anxiety, stress, depression, boredom, joy and happiness. Animals are very intelligent, some ever learn our own language. Most people experience their first bond with an animal. Not only do they bring a companion and a friend into our lives, but also unconditional love and comfort. Pet shops and puppy mills mass produce, kennels are overcrowded and dirty, with very little nutrition. Cats/dogs are held in metal cages and lead miserable lives breeding continuously. Animals suffer and are neglected, some are sold to research laboratories. A large number of animals are raised for slaughter each year. A cow "has a natural life span of twenty- five to thirty years, but only survives for an average of five".1 An estimated "seventeen million raccoons, beavers, bobcats, lynx, coyotes, muskrats, nutria, and other animals are trapped each year in the United States for fur".2 They suffer from unbearable pain for several hours before their lives are ended by the trapper's club. Is the price of live worth the price of fur? Psalm 104, 27-30. All creatures depend on you to feed them throughout the year: you provide the food they eat, with generous hands you satisfy their hunger. You turn your face away, they suffer. You stop their breath, they die and revert to dust. You give breath, fresh life begins, you keep renewing the world. Disections have been practiced in biology classes for many years. Critics accuse some teachers of killing and argue that disection teaches nothing but cruelty. Nothing is learned by cutting up an animal that cannot be learned from photographs or drawings. Children do not learn about the human body by killing and disecting a person, they learn from diagrams and textbooks. Vivisection means "cutting alive". It is a worldwide practice involving millions of animals. Scientists say that vivisections may not necessarily be painful. Every living being with a brain, spinal column, and central nervous system feels pain. Animals were not created for entertainment. What do zoos really teach children? Abuse of the Innocent :: essays papers Abuse of the Innocent Is it right to force a mouse to live it's live in a laboratory cage to test anti-cancer drug? How would you like to be squeezed in a cage with many other animals, not being able to touch the grass, run around and play,smell the flowers, or go for a walk in the warmth of the sunshine? Animal cruelty is wrong because we are hurting the Innocent. Animals experience and feel pain, fear , anxiety, stress, depression, boredom, joy and happiness. Animals are very intelligent, some ever learn our own language. Most people experience their first bond with an animal. Not only do they bring a companion and a friend into our lives, but also unconditional love and comfort. Pet shops and puppy mills mass produce, kennels are overcrowded and dirty, with very little nutrition. Cats/dogs are held in metal cages and lead miserable lives breeding continuously. Animals suffer and are neglected, some are sold to research laboratories. A large number of animals are raised for slaughter each year. A cow "has a natural life span of twenty- five to thirty years, but only survives for an average of five".1 An estimated "seventeen million raccoons, beavers, bobcats, lynx, coyotes, muskrats, nutria, and other animals are trapped each year in the United States for fur".2 They suffer from unbearable pain for several hours before their lives are ended by the trapper's club. Is the price of live worth the price of fur? Psalm 104, 27-30. All creatures depend on you to feed them throughout the year: you provide the food they eat, with generous hands you satisfy their hunger. You turn your face away, they suffer. You stop their breath, they die and revert to dust. You give breath, fresh life begins, you keep renewing the world. Disections have been practiced in biology classes for many years. Critics accuse some teachers of killing and argue that disection teaches nothing but cruelty. Nothing is learned by cutting up an animal that cannot be learned from photographs or drawings. Children do not learn about the human body by killing and disecting a person, they learn from diagrams and textbooks. Vivisection means "cutting alive". It is a worldwide practice involving millions of animals. Scientists say that vivisections may not necessarily be painful. Every living being with a brain, spinal column, and central nervous system feels pain. Animals were not created for entertainment. What do zoos really teach children?

Germany, 1918-1945 – Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was the first peace keeping treaty after the First World War. Its aims were to demilitarise, claim compensation and to keep peace with Germany. The signing of the treaty was humiliating and a great embarrassment for Germany and therefore Germany wasn't represented. It was only the victors who attended. In the end, Germany resulted in a great loss of land. Germany also had to pay for the damage it had caused. These were called Respiration Payments, which were instalments of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6600 million. They couldn't pay it because their land had been taken away and had loses to amend, too. Because of this, Germany had to print more money to pay the instalments. Money then lost its value, which led to hyperinflation. Germany's armed forces were cut to 100,000 people; the navy was allowed 6 battleships and no U-boats. They weren't allowed to have an airforce at all. Of course, this upset Germany's armed forces as the majority of them were laid off. This all Helped Hitler's rise to power because the armed forces were out of jobs and Hitler promised reforms of change to put it straight which encouraged the armed forces to vote for him. Not only was it the armed forces who were angry and frustrated but so too was the general public who felt humiliated and vulnerable for reduction of armed f orces and all the other terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Therefore, Hitler was able to build on that. When writing ‘Mein Kampf' (My Struggle) Hitler used the depression and economic difficulties on communists and Jews as a scapegoat. This fed into that the Treaty of Versailles gave something for him to use his oratory skills towards. Question 2. Long-term is something that has been going on over a long period of time. Short term is a trigger effect. It's something that sparks it of. A short-term effect that contributed to Hitler's rise to power is that the Enabling Law was passed in 1933. This allowed Hitler to do basically anything including the more important element of outlawing opposition. Therefore the Nazi would be the only political party in Germany. This had a dramatic effect in a short period of time as Hitler then came to power in 1934-one year after being promoted to Chancellor. This proved himself to be a dominant and powerful character for the job-just what Germany needed. This is good as Germany felt humiliated after the First World War and then the Treaty of Versailles and needed someone, like Hitler, to regain Germany's strength and self-control. This obviously would tie in with the long-term effects. The Reichstag Fire was also a short-term effect. After studying previous work on the Reichstag Fire, I have come to the conclusion that Hitler started the fire on purpose in order to gain the public vote. This benefited Hitler and contributed to his rise to power as he denied lighting the fire and instead, insisted it was a communist plot as a scapegoat. It got the public thinking that if communists are the cause of the Reichstag Fire then they could quite possibly be the blame of Germany's other problems, like Hitler was saying. This begun to get the German public to agree with Hitler's views and therefore voted for him. On 8th November 1923, Hitler, with the SA, broke into a meeting held by three leaders of the Bavarian government. He forced the leaders to tell their audience that they would give the Nazis their full support by putting a gun to one of their heads. Hitler gained recognition not only for the Putsch but also for the trial that took place later. His 24-day trial reached the front page on a daily basis. He twisted the trial so even though he still went to prison, he drummed up much support. He made the November Criminals the traitors and made himself look like the â€Å"saviour† of the German people. He was such an orator that the way he spoke influenced the judges on their decisions. That is why Hitler was only given 5 years with the chance of parole after just six months. Perhaps the sentence he was given can be seen as a major benefactor in him taking power. Another short-term effect that helped Hitler's rise to power was on the 30th June 1934 when Hitler radioed a signal to Berlin for the SS (bodyguard) to smash the SA (Storm troopers) in the events known as the ‘Night of the Long Knives'. Members of the SA were rounded up by the SS and taken to prison and were later butchered. Although this seems like an unusual way to go about getting the public approval, it was taken with gratitude by the public. This is because the SA was too violent. Their actions were scaring some of Hitler's supporters such as big businesses, the ruling elites, and the general public. They were a large, intimidating group of up to three million. So Hitler was seen as a saviour and the public began to agree with his policies even more. Long-term effects such as the Treaty of Versailles contributed to his rise to power. The public felt humiliated and vulnerable to the defeat of World War One and then the Treaty of Versailles. The public of Germany obviously was very angry and wanted something done about it. So, with the aid of Hitler's oratory skills, his personality and leadership, Hitler detested the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in his speeches and like the public, wanted something done about it. Therefore, he promised to make changes in order to regain Germany's humiliating losses. This helped as the public shared the same views as Hitler and so supported him. Then there was the economic depression of 1923 and then 1929. The facts that Germany couldn't afford the Respiration Payments, there was masses of unemployment, higher taxes and hyperinflation meant that Germany was loosing hope. They already were receiving loans from USA to help pay of Respiration Payments. Then when Hitler uses his oratory skills and protests he will lower the taxes, lower the unemployment status, set a new currency to stop inflation, Germany believed they had nothing to loose. So, this too, helps Hitler's rise to power. One other element of Hitler's rise to power is his oratory skills. Since he began his rise to power, he had always been a powerful and meaningful speaker. Hitler, although being a quiet man, was an excellent public speaker. Often, he was able work a crowded room into frenzy, yelling and cheering in support. He used his speaking ability persuade people to support his ideas and party. He dressed in uniform to put emphasis on his overwhelming sense of control and power, he used his hands to also express himself and he raised his voice in order to give a great impact for his audience. All in all, I believe the short term and long term combine together. It is possible to say that the long-term effects wouldn't have been much use without the short-term effects and visa-versa. Therefore, short-term effects are just as important and play a vital role in Hitler's rise to power, just as much as long-term. Question 3 I believe the Treaty of Versailles was a major element in Hitler's rise to power. If it weren't for the Treaty of Versailles then Hitler's rise to power would be very much different in relation to what it was. The fact that he was able to use his oral skills to put across the shared views of public about the Treaty of Versailles and then build on that links the two together. I feel that the Treaty of Versailles sparked much unwanted controversy within the German Republic. Germany was so unhappy and humiliated both with the defeat of World War One and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. So to have a powerful speaker in uniform, standing up and protesting that the Treaty of Versailles was wrong and in conjunction, agreeing with the German public, was a great relief for Germany. Coinciding with this, the Munich Putsch happened at a time of hyperinflation, economic depression just after the Treaty of Versailles. Which obviously reinforces my argument that it was very much the Treaty o f Versailles, which brought all the other financial and economic difficulties in Germany. I also think that the Economic Depression has influential reasons why Hitler rose to power, too. It was the long period of time when Germany, economically, socially and politically collapsed and money became worthless from hyperinflation etc. this was the Economic Depression. It was a time of deep despair; Germany was in the grip of this great depression with a population suddenly finding themselves in a state of poverty, misery and uncertainty, whilst in the middle of a rapidly growing political instability. However, there were other significant elements that combined with Hitler's rise to power. So much so that if you were to rule out one then it would affect another (they're linked). All of the other reasons include; The Munich Putsch, the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler's oratory, personality and leadership, the decision by Von Papen and Hildenburg to appoint him as Chancellor in 1933, and the Enabling Law. The Enabling Law was a short-term effect but a vital one as it allowed him to outlaw opposition, which meant, what he said, was law. Without this and Hildenburg's decision linked, Hitler would most certainly not have made it to be leader. Hildenburg thought that appointing Hitler as Chancellor, they could keep control of him-how wrong they were! And indeed there are other factors that aren't mentioned. One being is the Reichstag Fire of which Hitler blamed on the Communists as a scapegoat. Without this, the Nazi's would probably had been virtually unknown and still holding meetings in the Reichstag hall-not ideal for a political party. The employment status was so negative that for Hitler, his long awaited opportunity to reach out to the German people had arrived. At this point in the German nation the citizens, downtrodden and tired of their economic situation, were more than willing too listen to someone with ideas or visions of a brighter and certainly more stable Germany. The main reason why the Treaty of Versailles overthrows the Economic Depression, narrowly, and is the most influential above all of the others is because it was the beginning of an ongoing unhappiness, which ties in with the Economic Depression. I am probably liable to say that without the Treaty of Versailles, Germany wouldn't have had the Economic Depression because money would of still had its value, currency, taxes wouldn't have gone up and there wouldn't have been any Respiration Payments. It was the symbolic element of which the Nazis were able to build their political views upon. The reason why Hitler became so popular over the Treaty of Versailles was because the terms of the Treaty were tough to compromise with that it led to most other effects. These propelled the Nazi party to new heights of daring, which was highly linked with the speeches Hitler gave and the promotional stunts that the Nazi party held. The party's tactics were very good and effective in their rise to power. However the success was really thanks to Hitler and the character that in the beginning I believe he was portraying but later became. I believe that if the Treaty was not brought forward, the country wouldn't have stumbled into a state of depression and Hitler would never have successfully raised the amount of strong morale that he did, mainly due to pure human conscience. Not many people believe in the majority of the Nazi party's actions and politics. However, there were usually one or two points mostly of unemployment or the stabilising of money, of which the Treaty of Versailles was the cause of; that no one else had offered the German sufferers until then. Their time was that moment; to be the biggest and the best organised and supported party that Germany had had since the war. The people did not know that Hitler's rise to power could cause another.

The Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Memory - 1605 Words

This study investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on memory. A sample of 17 Long-Evans rats was deprived of water except for a 15-minute exposure. Day one just water was administered, day two grape juice was administered followed by a LiCl injection and day three both water and grape juice were administered. Half of the rats were sleep deprived on day two and taste aversion was calculated on day three. The groups gave unexpected results but the results were significant. Sleep has been a widely controversial topic discussed in the study of learning and memory. The lack of sleep has been thought to disrupt learning and negatively affect memory. The association between memory and sleep is still being studied and many have supported†¦show more content†¦It was concluded that test performance was not affected by REM sleep. There was also no significant data concluded in this study. Another study on hypothermia and conditioned taste aversion was done on male albino Wistar-derived rats (Hinderliter, Musci, Pollack, Misanin,Anderson, 2004). These rats were investigated to see if hypothermia affected the effect of conditioned taste aversion. The rats were made hypothermic at different intervals following the taste aversion. The data suggests that shorter CS-US intervals resulted in amnesia and longer CS-US intervals resulted in an association based on a slowed metabolism. The data concluded that hypothermia altered the ability to learn. Bradley Youn gblood, Jun Zhou, Gennady Smagin, Donna Ryan and Ruth Harris (1997) conducted a study entitled Sleep Deprivation by the â€Å"Flower Pot† Technique and Spatial Reference Memory. In this study, they put rats in a Morris water maze and test how long it took for them to reach the platform. However, after day one they were sleep deprived by being placed on a platform above water so if they lost muscle control, by trying to fall asleep, they would fall in the water. From trial one to trial four the time to find the platform, in the Morris water maze, doubled. This study concluded that sleep deprivation caused memory impairments. In the current study, in consistency with previous literature, our hypothesis was