A World of Monica Yohana

A common misconception among students of education is that if they pass the required courses, everything will work when they enter the classroom. As satisfying as that would be, the interpersonal element comes into play. Th e students you will read about in this book or in any of your other classes are not your future
students. Th e students you will work with are unique in time and in the environment in which you actually encounter them. Your teacher education program can prepare you for what things will be “like,” but it is only a representation of the reality you will experience. You can be prepared, but ultimately you will have to
observe, assess, and adjust on your own.
Th is does not mean that teachers are “born” to it. Although some people do seem to have a knack for teaching, what they really have is a talent for communicating.
Who can knock a nice knack like that? Yet, teaching in a school requires more than just being a good communicator. It requires being able to teach some very specifi c information and skills under some rather specifi c conditions of time, place, and available materials.
Th at’s where the art of teaching lies. Individuals must combine content knowledge and teaching skills (information that can be learned) with their own abilities, characteristics, and personality (qualities that they bring to the task) to develop what will ultimately be their own pedagogical style. Th at’s why you have never had two teachers who were just alike. It may even be that two of your favorite teachers were not at all alike. Yet despite their diff erences, their pedagogies were equally sound.
Developing the artistry of teaching can be demanding. Students of education are well advised to keep journals of their experiences in the classroom and to refl ect on what transpires. Th ey also need to be accomplished evaluators of their own performance. Rather than simply going to a classroom and “helping” a student or two, preservice teachers need to decide in advance what they want to do, try it, and refl ect on what happened. Over the course of a teacher education program, students should avail themselves of every opportunity to assume the role of a teacher and to try various styles, techniques, and strategies as appropriate.
Th is is a very personal endeavor, for each individual has to decide what feels most comfortable and effective. Most important of all is for students of education to realize that the art of teaching doesn’t just “happen”; it requires thoughtful development and practice (Moore & Whitfi eld, 2008). Bunting (2006) recommends that teachers (and we would include prospective teachers) spend 10 minutes several times a week or 30 minutes at a time considering questions such as “Why do I teach?” and “Are my motives fi nding expression in at least a part of what I do?”