Novice Vs Expert Teacher

The Impact of Teacher Presentation Style Kathryn Brillinger, Conestoga College (Please email me at [email protected] for a References list.)

Research indicates that certain paralinguistic behaviours are helpful in teaching and presenting, and that certain behaviours undermine the deliver's message. This seminar covers the expectation of students in terms of teacher presentation style involving volume, emphasis, vowel quality, gestures, proxemics and pace. Cross-cultural differences between students will also be addressed. Task One: Three people each ask me a question about teacher presentation style.

a) Continuum of Teaching Skill Novice

Experienced

Competent

Expert

*Note: The designations “Novice” and “Expert” do not refer to length of time teaching in any way. 1. • • • • • •

Sources of information Research studies SATs Behavioral inventories 10 second clip of a teaching video $1500 US assessment with a 20% chance Checking adjectives for 100 low and 100 high rating on www.ratemyprofessor.com

2. How much happier is an expert teacher in the classroom? Novice teachers have up to 10:1 negative to positive experiences in a classroom session (possible reasons for burn-out/drop-out). Experts almost exact opposite!

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An Adaptation of Korthagen’s (2004) Onion environment

behaviour competencies (SMK & PCK) beliefs about teaching/learning professional identity mission/calling The Expert Teacher First Impressions and Paralinguistics in the Classroom Expert teachers are more likely to teach a full first class than novice teachers who focus on the outer layers of the “onion” and stop. Expert teachers deliberately force all levels of the “onion” during the first session. They supply themselves with opportunities to interact with the class and ensure large doses of: validation

affirmation

elaboration

personalization

Expert teachers display particular characteristics in large degrees when interacting with the class (note experts drop many of these when actually lecturing whereas novices have a lower volume of the following at all times). “Charismatic expressive styles (high gesture, movement, inflection, laughing and drama) correlate with student satisfaction.” (Shaw & Young, 1999) Experts describe heavy prepping for the first class and a deliberate storing up of energy. Novice/Experienced teachers tend to minimize the first class.

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First impression studies show it takes only 8-15 seconds to solidify an impression and 3 solid pieces of evidence to change a first impression. Expert teachers are very careful not to be perceived as unfair in the classroom and even seem to divide their eye contact equitably. Interestingly in one study, low ratings were given to teachers who gave preferential attention to high-achieving students and high ratings to those who assisted students having difficulties. Expert teachers seem to understand student reactions. Robertson (2005) found expert teachers seem to value the paradoxes of teaching and use them generatively. Even in the first class, they balance control/flow, facilitator/evaluator, loving the subject/loving the student, subject expert/teaching expert, caring for students/caring for self, individual mentor/group leader. Experienced teachers, on the other hand, seem to switch hats – focussing on one and then the other side of the paradox and novice teachers experience conflict.

Visible Behaviours: z Oculesics (scanning for control) z Facial Expression (frequent smiling, “soft” mouth) z Head Movement (tilting and nodding) z Proxemics (step forward on question, “fair” movement) z Posture z Haptics (touch own chest area) z Intonation and Volume (range of 5) z Emotional Regulation – both negative and positive – not too “excitable” z Gestures: Deictic ________________, Iconic _____________, Batonic ______________ Culture: Every culture has its own expectations of instructor behaviour and delivery methods. Cultures differ in terms of expectations of: 1. “clarity” of presentation 3. classroom interaction (Who does the work?) 4. spatial-behavioral 2. enthusiasm 5. communication behaviors

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Some Teaching Characteristics of Novice/Expert Teachers Novice Sticks to Lesson Plan Micro Planning Focus on Task

Limited Repertoire of Techniques Misses Promising Situations Resistant To Change Imposes and Maintains Control Surviving

Expert Improvises Macro Planning Awareness and Accommodation to Learners as Individuals Vast # of Techniques/Routines in Repertoire Intuits the “Promisingness” of Situations Continuous Change and Improvement Builds Good Relationships

Coherent Theoretical framework Integrating Curriculum Doing Job Rich and Integrated Conceptualization of “Mission” Responds Immediately to Responds Slowly but Behavioral Situations Effectively to Behavioral Situations or “Almost” Ignores Them Continually Surprised By Ability to Predict Behaviour Behaviors in Certain Conditions Uses Mostly Passive or Uses Both Active and Active Teaching Passive Teaching Techniques Techniques Tire Themselves by Develop “Gestalts” or Responding to Situations Automatically to Deal with Emotionally Situations that Commonly Occur Lose Initial/Pre-Service Feel Energized and ReSense of “Calling” Motivated by Each Class Pessimistic about Great Belief in the Teaching Effectiveness of Teaching How do teachers run their classes?

Experts are slow to start solving problems, attempt to define the discipline problem and test hypotheses about possible solutions before acting. Experts show more complex solutions than novices. Memories of previous cases contribute to their expert performance. i.e. Novice teachers overhearing a snide remark will often call the behavior. Expert teachers often responded with an eyebrow raise and diversion. When asked to explain, the novices interpret the remarks as a challenge, the experts interpret the remarks as showing off to peers. Experts codify and draw on case knowledge.

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1. Novice teachers: - favor direct teaching of curriculum items even in the lesson “initiation” stage - do not carefully regulate the amount or flow of content - try to cover as much of the curriculum as possible - lack strategies for uncovering their learners’ prior knowledge - if they do, accidentally, uncover an unexpected lack/surplus of prior knowledge, they do not adjust their teaching 2. Experienced teachers: - learn to “bait and switch” - start with a HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) grabber and move to the direct teaching of curriculum - regulate the amount of content but do not adjust the flow to allow more/less when possible – use recall questions to uncover prior learning of students and seem to be trying to make students aware of what they don’t know • Expert teachers: - lessons richer in HOTS than novice or experienced classrooms - focus is obvious both in the lesson initiation and throughout - seem to follow a “less is more” policy and reduce content in favor of mastery and experience - add more content where needed/possible - experts have higher rating for HOTS and lower rating for content relative to both novice and experienced teachers - deliberately discover and use their learners’ prior knowledge, expecting surprises and modifying accordingly –use pre-assessment questions that allow them to understand students’ thinking about prior learning and to demonstrate to students how much they already know and how interesting/possible it will be to tackle the course learning HOTS = a pedagogy that taps into learner’s interests, perspectives, prior knowledge and learning strategies using methods such as critique activities, problem finding and solving, discovery learning, project-based teaching and the need for reflective self-assessment. “Master teachers are not born, they become. They become primarily by developing a habit of mind, a way of looking critically at the work they do; by developing the courage to recognize faults, and by struggling to improve.” (Kane, 2004)

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