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Name: Hassan Basarally
ID: 806007430
University: University of the West Indies
Programme: Postgraduate Diploma in Education
Faculty: Humanities and Education
Course: EDFA 5210- Foundations of Education
Semester and Year: Semester 1, 2014-2015
Tutor: Ms. Dyann Barras
Assignment: Read the scenario below and write a letter to John encouraging him to seek
professional development that would strengthen his resolve to persevere in spite of the
difficulties he had encountered.
Date Due: 10/08/2014









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#11 Webb Street Williamsville
6
th
August 2014

Dear John,
It is great that you decided to join the teaching service. In the beginning, I too faced a
classroom that was not what I expected. Even though you may believe that you are ineffective in
teaching now, you will improve by understanding some key issues on the nature of teaching and
learning and this will rejuvenate you to remain a teacher.
The first thing I had to realise was that I could not teach the way I was taught in the past.
My era was one in which the teacher came and gave us a chapter to read and questions to do and
we simply complied or faced disciplinary measures; corporal or otherwise. Our students are
different from us and our generation. We can no longer just stand at the front of the class and
talk; we need to understand their learning styles to reach them. Before we blame students for not
learning we must interrogate our own practice. This is where we must utilise the Emancipatory
Model of critique, praxis, and emancipation. The result of this model is a critique that aims
towards an emancipation from that unjust praxis towards another individual or collective praxis
(Critchley, 2001, p. 74). Critique is analysing the effectiveness of our teaching system or praxis.
Emancipation is the result of leaving an ineffective praxis and moving to a better model. Besides
always encouraging our students we must be willing to try different approaches. You have may
meet some teachers with differing views on the role of a teacher as you, some positive others not.
It is important to develop you own philosophy and be an example of that. For example, a part of
mine is that all children have the ability and right to learn; they may not demonstrate it now so
we need to be supportive of them so they will view education as a means of improvement not
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something that lessens their self-esteem. Despite what your colleagues may say, every student is
capable of learning, we just have to find the best way to teach.
Regarding language, remember that our students first language is Creole. Learning about
biological terms is hard enough, especially when taught in Standard English, which our students
do not speak or understand fluently. Try explaining concepts in Creole, as students will
understand best in their first language, once they understand, it will be easier for them to express
it in Standard English. As an English teacher, this level of language awareness has created for me
a classroom where students are not intimidated in answering out of fear that their language will
be criticised. I never criticise their use of Creole but coach them into expressing themselves in
Standard English.
I was taught is a classroom where much emphasis was placed on expected behaviour of
students who would in turn become members of a wider society and was aligned with particular
subject groupings that would allow entry into a specific set of careers. This was what was termed
functionalism, and it was the main theory of socialisation and education. This theory views the
purpose of schooling as the transmission of attitudes, values and skills from one generation to
another (deMarrais and LeCompte, 1999, p. 6). Therefore education is to perpetuate accepted
beliefs and rejects change as an important social process. The reality is that our students have
changed; they no longer accept set roles and student-teacher power relations. We deal with
twenty-first century students who are not passive vessels waiting to be filled. That is why you
will find students crossing boundaries we had as students. I remember my first Form Four class
having girls that would stand or sit very close to me and boys who wanted to have conversations
with me about sports or sex; this was very uncomfortable. I firmly told the students about the
behaviour that I thought to be very inappropriate and also expressed my concerns with my
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colleagues. I realised that was their normal mannerism, but my colleagues advised me to be
vigilant of students who may want to get too familiar. Our expectations of the role of the student
and teacher will have to change and adopt a new theory of socialisation. For example, I myself
have come to embrace some aspects of the interpretive or interactionist theory of schooling,
where what we perceive as resistance and rebellion to the authority to teachers are expected, it is
not a direct attack on the teacher or disrespect.
We have to understand that teaching is both an art and a science. One may have a natural
demeanour or rapport with students, however if little planning or research in best practices is
conducted the lesson will not meet its objective. Also, it is important for a teacher to have good
self-efficacy. This is the confidence one has in ones ability. Even though you may feel that you
are not reaching the students now, remember the one student who benefitted from the lesson and
made the effort. This shows you do have ability. When I corrected the exams after the first term
as a teacher I was disappointed at the performance and wondered if was competent. However, I
saw a few students doing well so I asked them what did I do in class that helped them? This
feedback made me realise that I had the potential to be a good teacher; all I needed was some
training, some research into effective ways of teaching and feedback from my students.
The fact that positive experiences in the classroom can give students the strength to make
good life choices is another reason why you must persevere in the classroom. You have a love
for your subject and you are one of the few teachers fortunate enough that your subject can be
used to impart so many lessons in Health and Family Life Education (HFLE). We must
remember that student health and well-being directly affect their performance and behaviour in
class. Some of the major risks facing students today are pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse,
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and nutrition and eating disorders. Your subject is filled
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with ways to address theses challenges, by grasping these opportunities you will keep students
interested in Biology and contribute to them becoming informed about dealing with such dangers
they encounter. A classroom is filled with students of different stages of development and you
may be the first person to have an informed discussion with them about these issues. Bear in
mind, a students disruptive behaviour in class may be a call for attention and help. We have a
duty to provide a holistic education to students, as we are not simply preparing them to do a
particular job but preparing them for life. This is one of the greatest joys for a teacher; having
students mature into principled, disciplined individuals who can meet the challenges of a
changing world.
You may wonder how I came to know of the things mentioned before. This is because I
am enrolled in the Diploma in Education; there is support and professional development
available so that we all can improve as teachers. Many may have innate skills that wan work in
the classroom, but the scientific approach where methods are tested and taught is still needed. Of
course, it is up to the individual to implement the effective strategies learnt. I look forward to
implementing what I mentioned as they will surely make my teaching experience more fulfilling
and less stressful.

Your colleague is education,
Hassan Basarally




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References

Critchley, S. (2001). Continental Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.

deMarrais, K. B. & LeCompte, M. D. (3
rd
ed.) (1999). The Way Schools Work: A Sociological
Analysis of Education. Longman