Approaches to Teaching & Learning 2: Case Study Assessment 2014

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Case:
While I was understandably a little nervous, the feelings that consumed me were more
emotions of excitement and anticipation. It eventually became time to temporarily put down
the textbooks and cease the essay writing and instead take my first step into the environment
that would add positive or negative sentiments towards my future endeavours. Completing
assessments and compiling essays were obviously important concerning my overall graduate
diploma achievement, however it was entering my teaching placement setting that I couldnt
wait to put all my energy towards due to the infinite amount of knowledge and experience
that it would provide me.
Through complications with the university, the setting of my placement school had not been
selected for me with many of my peers having already been placed in respective school
environments. The feelings of impatience and willingness to commence teaching resulted in
the idea that I would instead personally call schools that I had previously known to be
excellent schools and would provide me with great experience. Fortunately the first school
that I called, Thomas Carr College in Hoppers Crossing, was happy to accept me for a
Physical Education/Psychology placement position which I couldnt be happier to gain.
Positively, I had been a local of Hoppers Crossing for many years and recognised Thomas
Carr College as a high achieving co-educational school that would assist in my teaching
understanding. I was correct in my evaluation that Thomas Carr College is a fantastic school
however I didnt comprehend that living local to the school would be contain negative
aspects as well as a positive ones.
By attending a school as a pre-service teacher that was local to my home and social
environments, I understood that I would encounter students that I had previously had a social
interaction with or knew on a personal friendship level. A few of these students are from
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family friendships while the others I had met previously through sporting involvements. I
identified that one of the challenges I would face as a pre-service teacher was having a clear
line between being a students teacher and being a students friend, and with these particular
students that line would be more of a challenge to have a clear definition of. This was the
case with one of the students I knew previously who in particular didnt understand, at first,
that I must be treated professionally as a teacher now that I am a pre-service teacher at their
school.
It was my first week at the school and was walking down the corridor with my Psychology
mentor after I had just successfully conducted my first Year 12 Psychology class. While
discussing the positives and negatives of the class, one of my family friends came running up
behind me and gave me a little shove while saying oi idiot! and proceeded to keep running
down the corridor. I didnt give this much thought as this was behaviour that I was used to
from this particular person and was behaviour that I would previously find comical and see as
friendly banter. My mentor teacher asked if I knew that student and I replied with my
previous family friendship with her family and that it is behaviour that I deem as friendly.
The next day came and again I was walking through the corridor with my Psychology mentor
when I felt an empty water bottle hit me in the back with very little force, I turned around to
see that it was the same student who smiled and happily said hello loser! and she gave me a
friendly shove into the locker. I didnt take offense to this situation as again I found it to be
typical friendly behaviour that I was used to from this particular person.
However, after some thought about the students behaviour I asked the student to come into
an empty classroom with me with my mentor watching from outside the classroom. I spoke to
the student about her behaviour regarding the two situations and asked whether she thought
that it was appropriate and typical conduct towards a teacher. She replied with no not
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towards a teacher but it is different as you are a friend. I explained to her that while I was
not offended in any way regarding her behaviour and appreciate her happy and friendly
approach towards me, they are not actions that you should perform concerning a teacher. I
added that I can still have a laugh with her where appropriate, however I will treat her the
same as any other student and expect the same professionalism back as one of her teachers.
The next day I was walking through the same VCE corridor after teaching a Year 12
Psychology class. I heard that same familiar voice behind me and turned to see the mentioned
student from the previous day. However this time I saw a friendly smile, a waved hand with a
greeting of hello Mr. Johnston, in which I returned a friendly hello.
Commentary:
As stated earlier in the case study, I accepted that going to a school that was local to the area
that I have grown up in all my life would be mixed with positives as well as negatives.
However, I didnt take into consideration the difficulty I would have with knowing a few of
the students at the school and establishing a teacher-student relationship with them when I
have had a friendship with them outside of the school. I understood that this would be a
component of learning that I would come across during my first 4 week placement block and
I believe that I handled the situation with a responsible attitude expected of a teacher.
After the first encounter, I really didnt think that it was an issue until I had some free time at
lunch time to consider the situation. Due to being reasonably new to the school environment,
being called an idiot in a friendly manner is something that I wouldnt think much about.
However, I understand that one of the duties of being a teacher is to take on a professional
attitude in all situations. As well as this understanding, the Victorian Institute of Teaching
states under the Student Relationship Professional Code of Conduct that teachers must
model and engage in respectful and impartial language. As well as that point, the VIT also
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states that teachers must interact with students without displaying bias or preference and
demonstrate integrity by maintaining a professional relationship with students. If I did not
have a restorative meeting with the student to discuss the consequences of their actions then I
would not be fulfilling those mentioned principles from the VIT. As well as not fulfilling
those principles, I would not have gained the respect from the student and colleagues that I
needed.
Not only was this restorative meeting beneficial for my relationship with the student, it was
unknowingly valuable to heighten the respect between my mentor teacher and I. After having
the restorative meeting with the student, my mentor teacher had observed the two situations
and monitored my reactions. When she witnessed that I had taken the student aside to discuss
whether the student thought they were performing in the correct manner, she was very
impressed. She shared the same belief as I did, that restorative meetings create an
organisational vision toward fostering adult learning and allows the student to bring their
own capabilities to the learning process (Adamson & Bailie, 2012). She stated that the
student would have respected me for the meeting and that it showed a great deal of
professionalism.
In terms of my personal teaching method, I strongly believe that educational theories have an
influential use both inside the classroom and outside the classroom in a school environment. I
believe that learning theories that are often used by teachers are so influential on a student
that it has consequences on their behaviour outside the classroom. As I practice aspects of the
democratic curriculum in my classroom, I also utilise it when dealing with student behaviour
in most school settings. According to Falk and Darling-Hammond (2009) democratic
education involves giving the students the same power and responsibility in the schools
where they spend so much of their lives and is a major step away from an environment where
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there is a possibility of authoritarian view. I do not take an authoritarian view in the
classroom, hence why I did not want to take an authoritarian view with a student who I do
respect and know greatly on a personal basis.
Democratic education is additionally an individualistic idea that finds that the one sized
curriculum fits all students approach is illogical and unbeneficial for a students education
(Graham, 1999). I believe that a teachers role is to understand each and every one of their
students behaviours and the best way that they learn which is why I used this same approach
with this particular student. I understood that she would not respond well if I were to question
her behaviour in front of other students but would instead respond positively to a private
meeting to discuss her actions. While I found the situation challenging and unavoidable being
a pre-service teacher at a school local to my home, I am fortunate that it occurred as the
learning that I took from it will help me in the future.
References:
Adamson, C. W., & Bailie, J. W. (2012). Education Versus Learning: Restorative Practices
in Higher Education., Journal of Transformative Education, 10(3), 139-156.
Falk, B., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2009). Documentation and Democratic Education,
Theory into Practice, 49(1), 72-81.
Graham, G. (1999). Improving Teaching, Learning and Assessment, Journal of Geography
in Higher Education, 23(2), 147-155.
Victorian Institute of Teaching (2008). The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct,
VIT, Melbourne, Victoria.