TEACHING PRACTICE AND OBSERVATION CODE OF CONDUCT
by
C. O. OLUMORIN. NC.Ed; B.Ed; M.Ed; Ph.D.
Department of Educational Technology
Faculty of Education
University of Ilorin
bodeolumorin@unilorin.edu.ng
bodeolumorin@gmail.com
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INTRODUCTION
Teaching Practice exercise is a practical-based course which requires the Faculty of Education students in their final year (400 level) to embark on practical teaching in selected schools. The course is a 4 credit course and for some departments, it carries 2 credits (compulsory). In the Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, it is coded EDU 411 and titled “Teaching Practice II”.
The pre-requisite to EDU 411 is EDU 311. The EDU 311 is Teaching Practice I, titled “Observation/Peer Teaching”, this course requires the 300 level students to observe a serving teachers for a few weeks in a selected secondary school and return to the campus to demonstrate what had been observed by teaching the peers for rating by experts (lecturers) in the Faculty.
To serve as guide for these tasks as theoretical instruction, this paper is therefore expedient. Here, the “Dos” and “Don’ts” are clearly enumerated. It is hoped that all these will be adhered to religiously so that a hitch-free exercise would be accomplished.
THE STUDENT-TEACHER AS A PERSON
See yourself as a person with a unique personality to influence others especially, your students and your peer and your superior colleagues;
Be a scholar and an expert in your areas of subject matter. Be sure of what to teach and how to teach it. Arm yourself with necessary tools (textual materials and human resources) and very relevant Instruction materials. Be in control of the information you are sending out without fear of been faulted;
Make sure you arm yourself with appropriate methods and procedures as it applies to teaching the subject assigned to you. Do not gamble because if you do, your students will notice it in your presentation that you are inconsistent and that may make them disrespect you and not take your class serious;
Be a guide and counselor to your students, let them learn from you and interact with them often to show and teach them how to excel in life;
Participate in all extra/co-curricular activities of the school. Show interest in the day-to-day routines of the school; and
As a matter of necessity, be the ambassador of your family, home, religion, tribe, the nation, and most importantly, the Faculty of Education and the University.
YOUR EXPECTED FOCUS AS A TEACHER IN TRAINING
As you embark on the exercise, focus seriously on the following aspects:
Communication skills – Speak with confidence and in good English. If possible, rehearse before going to class
Management of students' behaviour – Be in absolute control of your class, don’t be distracted with side or background comments that may annoy you from students
Manage the progress of learning by the students. Do not be too fast or too slow for them to follow. Attend to their needs and questions immediately they come up;
Update your Lesson/unit plans as soon as required. - Avoid repeating or duplicating lesson plans. Do not change dates on your lesson notes.
Rehearse your Lesson/unit presentation before the date of presentation. – Do not be caught unaware when your assessor arrives un-announced
Use adequate and relevant Instructional materials and resources - They help to ease your presentation of ideas during teaching.
Observe noble Teacher/student interaction pattern. - Your students are your wards entrusted to you to care for. Do not involve yourself in illicit and immoral affairs with them.
Your Appearance should be the type that will command respect, not the type that will make students look at you as someone who is more or less their mates.
FIRST TIMER EXPERIENCES AS A STUDENT-TEACHER
Some of you will be on student teaching for the first time. Do not panic!!!. Treat it just as a normal interaction & instruction to people who you know before and wish to hear positive things from you with love
The experience can be very nerve-wracking with anticipation and anxiety, but note that they expect much from you and you cannot afford to disappoint them by behaving as if you don’t have the stuff.
This is an opportunity for you to apply everything you have learnt as a student teacher in the University, hence, you need to show yourself as an expert in the mastery of your area of specilisation.
It is also an opportunity to show that you are developing in character and learning. Be proud to be a matured person.
THE CARDINAL POINTS FOR GOOD CONDUCT
Be on time every morning and stay till the end of the day.
Dress professionally not casually
Ask for feedback from colleague before assessors come
Take a lot of notes and try to improve on observed lapses.
Act confidently. Have good self-concept.
Show initiative in your activities (in-class and outside the classroom).
Complete your lesson plans on time and ahead
Put forth maximum effort in all you do
Learn your students names quickly
Let students figure out their own mistakes through your guidance
Treat everyone with kindness and respect
Develop healthy lifestyle habits to avoid being sick
Arrive at school early to show you are ready to work
Stay after school if you need time to plan and help your mentor teacher
Volunteer for everything and anything that is going on at school
Watch your mentor teacher and other teachers to learn valuable information
(Yusuf, 2019)
BAD CONDUCTS ARE WHEN A STUDENT-TEACHER:
Try to and be friends with the students, you are their teacher
Be the last to be in school with excuses
Be the first one to leave the building after the bell rings
Be afraid to ask for help if needed
Pretends to be sick or miss classes
Gossip about other student-teachers or other teachers
Wear anything that you are unsure about
Be friends with any students on your social media sites
Expect every lesson to go the way you planned it, without any fallback position
Expect the children to know your rules and routine by the second day
Start attending to classroom problem while the assessor is on ground,
Allow students to call you by your first name or alias/codename
Do anything without permission (you are a guest)
Be too hard on yourself, and dwell on mistakes, everything will not go as planned.
Not using earlier assessment for improved performance in future
Pass judgment or disparage mentor teacher
(Yusuf, 2019)
UGLY CONDUCTS ARE WHEN A STUDENT-TEACHER:
Be unprepared for lesson presentation
Develop the lesson plan while the supervisor is around.
Use the worst form of the language of communication
Use mentally destabilising instructional materials (appropriateness, font size, display)
Ask questions, answer it or demand for chorus answer).
Run out of ideas under 20 minutes
Show deficiency in teaching the content of the subject.
Don’t come to school again after two assessors must have assessed you.
See the teaching practice exercise as a dating opportunity (ST-Student), even ST-T, ST-NT, etc.
Try to bribe the mentor teacher or Supervisor(s) in cash or kind.
Show disrespect to the school administration
(Yusuf, 2019)
Thank you and congratulations as you begin the last and exciting step to become a professional and life changer.
Reference
Yusuf, M. O. (2019) Teaching Practice: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Student-Teacher. Unpublished paper presented at the orientation of Teaching Practice Students, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin (June, 2019).