Teaching and learning are social
activities, supported through interaction with others. In earlier times, most
of the world’s work was learned through apprenticeship. The wheelwright, the farrier,
the carpenter, all learned the art and science of their professions by watching
and listening to skillful practitioners.
A decade ago, Marzana published the book The Art and Science of Teaching, stating that although instructional
strategies should clearly be based on sound science and research, knowing when
to use them and with whom is more of an art. The chemistry of a successful
classroom can’t be reduced to a formula, and instructional decisions must be
based on continuous feedback loops that demonstrate our students’ strengths and
needs.
I was chatting with a coach this week
who is also an art enthusiast; she particularly loves Van Gough, and learned
that Van Gough’s study of color theory inspired his adventurous use of
color. Understanding the laws of color
allowed for their unique application. This is true of teaching, too.
When coaches model, they convey this
blend of science and art. They use best practices flexibly and uniquely with
real students in the complex chemistry of a classroom. Teachers participate in an apprenticeship as
they see this blend in action and as we dissect it together through
conversations before and after.
The educational theorist Albert
Bandura described four principles of social learning that apply to modeling:
attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. Learning from a model requires focused
attention; it’s helpful to determine a focus with the teacher before modeling a
lesson. Retention is demonstrated through the ability to recall the modeling
later, when a similar situation arises. Rather than using Bandura’s term “reproduction,”
which implies imitation, I prefer “adaptation,” or “appropriation.” Teachers make it their own, recognizing that
no two learning situations are exactly alike. This is where the art comes
in. The final aspect, motivation, is spontaneous
when teachers see the effectiveness of the practices modelled.
The brush strokes of an effective
lesson blend the know-how of the profession with the originality of the
teacher. Modeling on the “canvas” of the
teachers’ classroom is apprenticeship that demonstrates the instructional blend
of science and art.
This week, you
might want to take a look at:
This
podcast about project-based learning:
How
coaches can support a “future ready” school environment:
Nourishing
self and others:
Tips
for including instructional assistants in PLC’s:
Helpful
phrases for redirecting students (meant for parents, but they work for
teachers, too!):
That’s it for
this week. Happy Coaching!
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