Being an effective primary school teacher

Being an trenchant native school instructorBeing an effective essential school instructorIntroductionThis test discusses the question, What do you bring to be an effective primordial t for to each one oneer?. With extension service to recent explore, g overnment initiatives and your take experience, the raise explores this question, based on my mold cultivational principles and the ship stinkpotal in which these will underpin your professional praxis in the future.The examine begins by reviewing the Government policies and initiatives that ar relevant to the interrogation question, discussing, in sectionalizationicular, the chronicle faithfulness and Enjoyment A dodge for primitive Schools(DfES, 2003) and the subsequent elementary strategy frame form for original discipline. The essay and then moves on to discuss the aims of these policies and initiatives and the implications these fork over had for schools and instructors. The opinion manakin is dis cussed, and how this impacts on teacher effectiveness is alike noted. The essay then moves on to spirit at the qualities of effective teachers, and effective dogma in a main(a) distinguishting, and concludes that few of the facets of Government policies and initiatives much(prenominal) as continual judicial decisions numeration counter to my ethos of effective program line and actu altogethery serve as low other than distractions from elegant teaching time, done all the arrangement such(prenominal) surveyments bring and the arrive of time this takes away from lesson planning, for example.Recent policies and initiatives in chief(a) preparationIn footing of Government form _or_ system of political sympathies towards primary education, in 2003, the Government launched the indemnity registerExcellence and Enjoyment A dodging for ancient Schools(DfES, 2003)which set away a vision for the future of primary education built, formally, on the striving for laste r standards by dint of the formulation of a rich and vary widecast which is aimed at developing churlren in a number of ways. As explained by the DfCSF (2008), the rudimentary to making this vision a reality lies in the need to empower primary school children to take control of their suffer shooting, to be innovative and to develop their make character. The DfCSF (2008) too noted that the aims of the policyExcellence and Enjoyment A dodging for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003)should also be achieved by schools be fit to set their witness targets, based on challenging but realistic targets for the pass on of each individual child, with pasturage targets macrocosm set after this.In addition, the policy documentExcellence and Enjoyment A system for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003)encourages schools to lucre to train from each other and to develop serious exert, in coalition with parents in severalise to help children as far as accomplishable and to forge golf links be tween schools and communities (DfCSF, 2008). The policy documentExcellence and Enjoyment A Strategy for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003)was intended as an en equalr, with leadership in schools being modify in cost of professional maturation of teachers towards the whole curriculum, and in cost of helping schools themselves design broad curriculum that links diverse areas of the curriculum and which thus provides children with as wide as possible a seethe of acquisition experiences (DfCSF, 2008).The policy documentExcellence and Enjoyment A Strategy for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003)argues that the best primary schools are those that offer a broad and rich curriculum, and that, based on this it is fundamental that schools develop their sustain typical character by means of taking ownership of the curriculum, by being seminal and innovative, using tests, targets and tables to help every child to develop his or her dominance (DfES, 2003). Essentially, the policy documentExcellen ce and Enjoyment A Strategy for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003) urged the promotion of excellence in primary teaching finished make on the success of the subject area Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, using the bare-ass Primary Strategies to carry this success in to other areas of the curriculum, including in foreign languages, sport and creativity, amongst other areas, measuring the success of this curriculum by assessments (DfES, 2003).The Assessment Process its implications for teaching practice and childhood attainmentThere are many ways in which assessment activities merchantman take place in the classroom, including supervise normal classwork activities, using proper(postnominal) assessment tests designed by the teacher, designating assessment tasks as part of normal classwork, providing assessment tasks as part of readying assignments, and others, which are the domain of higher educational aims than the foundation introduce, such as the use of standardized depicted object computer program tests and/or formal examinations (Kyriacou, 1999 p.107). Kyriacou (1999 p.107-109) flesh out each of these assessment protocols, showing, for example, how, although monitoring classroom activity is a part of the normal routine of a teacher, the monitoring, when it go aways investigative and active cannister start a form of assessment (Kyriacou, 1999 p.107 Kyriacou, 1997). In this way, the monitoring can protest teaching practice, through leading to suggestions for improvements in how reading is delivered, based on observations of areas in which the children are failing to learn as quickly or as thoroughly compared to other areas, for example. In this way, monitoring and assessment can be a route through which teaching can be improved and teachers can become more(prenominal) effective.In terms of how the assessment is actually made (i.e., the actual sour of assessment), evidence is collected through an ongoing transit, via the teachers friendship of the child, development from other contributors who are in mend contact with the child, anecdotes about significant moments in the childs development, and rivet assessments, based on observation where observation is understood to mean the practice of watching and listening to a child as they engage in an activity and demonstrate specific knowledge, skills and understanding (NAA, 2007). As pointed out by Kyriacou (1999 p.106), it is imperative that an adequate record of the childs achievements, and their assessment, is kept, and that portfolios of childrens work are kept in order to exemplify the standards that are being sought, and so that teachers can use these records as a benchmark to chassis upon, through which improvements to teaching practice can be made and teacher effectiveness be improved.Teachers thus need to be adapted in many areas in order to ensure that the assessment demonstrate goes swimmingly for all concerned and that the assessment process is something that can be useful for teachers, in terms of improving teaching practices. The need for teachers to be competent in the assessment of children is reflected in the fact that the DfEE (2000) list of standards for teachers lists the ability to assess and record each pupils progress systematically as a cogency (Kyriacou, 1999 p.106). In addition, it is fundamental that assessment judgements are agreed amongst all concerned, so that all those involved can make the best, fullest, use of the information.The Primary Strategies draw in the policy documentExcellence and Enjoyment A Strategy for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003)thus built on the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies to lead to the development of the Primary Curriculum, with the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies being embedded in thePrimary Strategy(under the framework of the Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics that was launched in October 2006) (DfCSF, 2008). This new framework builds on the tuition that has t aken place since the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies were launched in 2003, providing new structures and new impetus to the vision embodied in the policy documentExcellence and Enjoyment A Strategy for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003), extending, as it does, the countenance given only to literacy and to numeracy to other subjects (DfCSF, 2008). The overall ethos of the new Primary Strategy framework is that minute education is an education that is tailored to childrens specific needs, allowing them to engage with the educational process and broad them the start they need to be able to accompany in the stage setting of secondary education (DfCSF, 2008).In terms of the future education of primary children, and how assessments at the primary take aim affect childrens future educational development, it is puff up documented that the take aim of educational attainment of a child (as assessed through Key form 1 assessments) cannot alone be used as an indicator of how hea d a particular teacher or school has performed it is therelativeprogress that needs to be considered in terms of making an assessment of how childrens future educational prospects are affected by the assessment process (Kyriacou, 1999 p. 106). Ways to do this include taking baseline measurements of achievement and comparing these with achievement following a certain time period of education, or taking value-added measurements (Kyriacou, 1999 p.106).In terms of tracking how children progress beyond the primary level, the relationship between Key demonstrate 1 assessments and attainment in terms of National Curriculum levels needs to be explored (AAIA, 2007). As discussed by AAIA (2007), however, Key Stage 1 attainments cannot be directly related to National Curriculum levels and any such attempts would result in spurious information (NAA, 2006). It is clear, however, that the higher the childs assessment at Key Stage 1, the more likely it is that the child would attain high levels following the National Curriculum tests (AAIA, 2007).Models of good early long time educationCohenet al.(2004) provides information on how to plan and organise classes, and shows how the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has set out principles for early years education (QCA, 1999 2000 2001), on the basis that, effective education requires both a relevant curriculum and practitioners who understand and are able to implement the curriculum requirementsbuilding on what children already know and can do, encouraging a positive attitude and a disposition to learn and to protect against early failure. As the QCA (1999, 2000, 2001) point out, early years education should be carefully structured, providing different starting points, depending on what the child can already do, should have relevant and appropriate content, matching the different levels of childrens needs and should provide planned and purposeful activities which provide opportunities for teaching both indoors and o utdoors, with teachers who are able to observe and respond fitly to the children under their care. This is on the basis that parents are childrens first and near enduring educators (QCA, 2000, p.9), and that teachers provide a series of stepping stones through foundation stages, through Early Learning Goals, through primary level, which articulates with the National Curriculum which all children from age five are legally bound to follow (Cohenet al.,2004 parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2000).Cohenet al.(2004) show how key aspects of effective schooling at the primary level are active, integrated, socially constructive, cognitively constructive and lingually rich schooling, beginning where the individual learner is at themselves, in terms of their learning process, so that the individual child is the agent of their learning, empowering the children to enable their own learning by casting learning as problem-solving (Morrison, 2000 Cohenet al.,2004). As Morrison (2 000 p.122) states, the purport (of learning) is to extend play, to empower students and to enable them to take province for their own, active and autonomous, learning and to develop in all aspects of their learning. This is conducted, generally, through four key elements classroom arrangements (with such things as centres of interest), day by day schedules of plan-do-review sessions, key curricular and learning experiences and content and assessments through observation, recording and sharing, using authentic assessment and portfolios (Cohenet al.,2004).By following such suggestions for enabling learning at the primary level, doggednessandprogressionare ensured. Continuityisgenerally defined, and understood, as ensuring that the overall aims, determine and beliefs that give direction to, and put boundaries around, the scheme of work are consistent, heedless of who is teaching or answering later questions (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002).Progressionis defined, and understood, generally , as the process through which the schools planned activities gradually extend pupils thinking, their exploration of values and attitudes, better language, knowledge and strategies through increasingly demanding inputs and challenging explorations, matched to pupils chronological age, readiness and item (Fabian and Dunlop, 2002). Through ensuring continuity and progression, children can be enabled to achieve the goals they want to achieve, at bottom the frameworks that are set them.My personal teaching ethosThis section takes one or two of my principles to explain how I intend to be an effective primary teacher, using examples from your my school experiences. In essence, I concur with Cohenet al.(2004) that, effective education requires both a relevant curriculum and practitioners who understand and are able to implement the curriculum requirementsbuilding on what children already know and can do, encouraging a positive attitude and a disposition to learn and to protect against e arly failure and I agree with the overall stated ethos of the new Primary Strategy framework is that excellent education is an education that is tailored to childrens specific needs, allowing them to engage with the educational process and giving them the start they need to be able to succeed in the context of secondary education (DfCSF, 2008).Taylor and Hayes (2001) provide a discussion as to how educationshouldbe delivered, leading me to arrive at several conclusions as to how I should organize my time as a teacher in order to provide the most effective teaching possible to my pupils. I agree with the aims of the Primary Strategy as set out in the policy document,Excellence and Enjoyment A Strategy for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003), whichencourages schools and teachers to network to learn from each other and to develop good practice, in partnership with parents in order to help children as far as possible and to forge links between schools and communities (DfCSF, 2008).The dictate s of the assessment processes and the Curriculum mean I have to teach within these boundaries, but this does not mean that lessons have to be rigid and that assessments and tests and Curriculum have to be frightening terms to primary age pupils. One of my responsibilities as an effective teacher is to fix students, as well as possible, for the assessments and to teach the Curriculum in such a manner that the childrens nose out of enquire is upheld (see Allen and Ainley, 2007) and that childrens consciousness of themselves as part of a whole and as spiritual beings is also encouraged (Eaude, 2005). My aim as a primary teacher is to promote a smack of enjoyment in the learning process and, through this, to foster a love of learning that will continue well beyond the primary level, encouraging success at the secondary level and forging a lifelong love of learning in each individual pupil, based on a sense of call into question at the world, its contents and its processes.I, pers onally, agree with Cohenet al.(2004), who show how key aspects of effective learning at the primary level are active, integrated, socially constructive, cognitively constructive and linguistically rich learning, beginning where the individual learner is at themselves, in terms of their learning process, so that the individual child is the agent of their learning, empowering the children to enable their own learning by casting learning as problem-solving (Morrison, 2000 Cohenet al.,2004). It is my aim as a teacher, wishing to be an effective teacher, to foster the empowerment of children, through developing a sense of the wonder of learning and empowering the children to direct their own learning, within the context of the Curriculum, so that children feel they are capable of learning and are capable of achieving the standards they set themselves.The Success of New Labours Policy Towards Primary learningTymms (2004) look at how successful the changes to primary education have been, following the introduction of the Numeracy and Literacy Strategies and finds that, whilst the introduction of these Strategies contributed to a abstract in standards, independent tests of childrens attainment have shown that this rise in standards is not as widespread nor as high as claimed and that, as such, an independent body should be set up to monitor standards over time, with the purpose of examination how Government planning for education is actually being received on the ground, as it were. A recent Oftsted report (Ofsted, 2003) also shows that some of the aims of the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategy were not achieved (with weak subject knowledge being a common failure of schools), suggesting the Governments advance to primary education needs to be looked at further.Allen and Ainley (2007) back this suggestion, through their analysis of education in the UK, presented in their bookEducation make you fick, innit?Allen and Ainley argue that as institutionalized learnin g has become more common-place in the Uk, through schools and work-based training programmes, possibilities have been foreclosed for emancipating minds, something that is increasingly being applied to primary level education, through the introduction of the Primary Strategy, for example, and the assessment-based curriculum this embodies, which, argue Allen and Ainley (2007) forces teachers to dilute more on training children in the Curriculum for the purpose of attaining high heaps on the assessments than on actually schooling a sense of wonder in learning. Allen and Ainley (2007) argue that this process is killing the sense of wonder in children, and that, even for primary school children, education, the process of going to school, has become little more than a daily grind, rather than a jovial process the children are happy to undertake because they enjoy the process and because the process can bring them knowledge and enjoyment.ConclusionThis essay has discussed the question, What do you consider to be an effective primary teacher?. With reference to recent research, government initiatives and your own experience, the essay has explored this question, based on my own educational principles and the ways in which these will underpin your professional practice in the future. The essay began by reviewing the Government policies and initiatives that are relevant to the research question, discussing, in particular, the documentExcellence and Enjoyment A Strategy for Primary Schools(DfES, 2003) and the subsequent Primary Strategy framework for primary education. The essay then moved on to discuss the aims of these policies and initiatives and the implications these have had for schools and teachers. The assessment framework was then discussed, and how this impacts on teacher effectiveness was also noted. The essay then moved on to looking at the qualities of effective teachers, and effective teaching in a primary setting, and concluded that some of the facets of Government policies and initiatives such as continual assessments run counter to my ethos of effective teaching and actually serve as little other than distractions from pure teaching time, through all the administration such assessments bring and the amount of time this takes away from lesson planning, for example.The main conclusion to the essay is that effective teaching at the primary level should serve to instill a sense of the wonder of learning and should open childrens minds to the possibilities that learning, and the learning process, encompasses. I converge with Allen and Ainley (2007) that the current trend towards assessments, more assessments and yet more assessments is not healthy for children, because it causes stress and can initiate a sense of failure in children who do not achieve high scores on these assessments and also because managing these assessments takes time away from teaching, through all the administration that the tests generate. The argument that these tests do little than to confirm that the education policies the Government is espousing are correct seems valid, and it is, as has been seen, in any case questionable that the standards suggested by the Government, in the Primary Strategy are actually leading to rises in standards (see Tymms, 2004).That the overall stated ethos of the new Primary Strategy framework is that an excellent education is an education that is tailored to childrens specific needs, allowing them to engage with the educational process and giving them the start they need to be able to succeed in the context of secondary education (DfCSF, 2008) is thus a good basis to begin, as an effective teacher, but, in order to avoid tediousness in the education process, and psychological problems, due to the huge amount of testing and assessment primary children are subject to, effective teaching not only needs to teach the Curriculum and prepare children for the battery of tests and assessments they will be subje cted to, but also needs to foster the empowerment of children, through developing a sense of the wonder of learning and empowering the children to direct their own learning, within the context of the Curriculum, so that children feel they are capable of learning and are capable of achieving the standards they set themselves.Effective teachers are thus not only bound by the dictates of Government policy and teaching research which suggestshowteachers should teach, but they are, in my opinion, also bound by a responsibility to children, to instill in children a sense of the wonder of learning. In my opinion, and something I will endeavour to achieve in my teaching practice, this sense of wonder can be best achieved through empowering children to go through their potential and to realise they can achieve their goals, through fostering a love of learning. These qualities not only make for an effective teacher but also an stimulate teacher, who will inspire their pupils to want to lear n.ReferencesAAIA (2007). Assessing childrens attainments in the foundation stage guidance produced by the AAIA. uncommitted fromhttp//www.aaia.org.uk/PDF/FAQs%20-%20assessing%20childrens%20attainment%20in%20the%20foundation%20stage.pdfAccessed on 29thFebruary 2008.Alexander, R. (2004). whitewash no pedagogy? Principle, pragmatism and compliance in primary education.Cambridge J. of Education34(1), pp.7-33.Allen, M Ainley P (2007).Education make you fick, innit?Tufnell Press, Reading.Brown, M.et al.(1998). Is the National Numeracy strategy research-based?Brit. J. Educ. 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