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questions, by employing the word  really in phrases such as  Do you really need to chat
to Imogene? where the intended meaning is  Stop talking to Imogene. Similarly in  I am
not really sure that it is really that important, is it? where the intended meaning is  I do
not think that it is important. The improper use of a question can even be used to avoid
confronting poor standards of work. For example,  Have you really done your best? is an
indirect way of stating displeasure. Although every teacher occasionally employs
questions as a control strategy, its excessive use can lead to children becoming confused
and uneasy about the genuineness of all the other questions they are asked and invokes
stagnation rather than fostering effective communication. The teacher who asks if the
child really needs to chat to a friend is better advised to make a direct statement, such as
 Amy, please don t talk to Abigail, and finish your writing. Do you need any help?
Classroom control is assisted by teachers being firm but tolerant, natural and sincere.
Teachers win pupils cooperation when they take a genuine interest in them, listen to
what they say and respond appropriately, praise, explain calmly avoid nagging and trust
children to be sensible. Although such an approach takes longer to secure order than
coercion does, it provides for a more secure learning climate and stores up a bank of
pupil goodwill from which teachers can draw throughout the year.
Many control problems are avoided through thorough lesson preparation and by
teachers practising the art of mentally envisioning the session from start to finish, as a
lesson cannot run smoothly if it is punctuated by stops-and-starts in dealing with trivial
matters that should have been foreseen. Not only do diversions disrupt the lesson, but
also they exhaust the teacher and create an unsettled atmosphere. Teachers have to strike
a balance between allowing pupils  freedom to attempt something and  freedom from
constraints of any kind. Obvious contraventions of rules have to be dealt with but wise
teachers find that it pays to take time finding out the facts before making accusations.
Most incidents can be dealt with without causing humiliation or loss of face for child or
teacher.
Primary education 44
Further reading
Dreikurs, R., Grunwald, B.B. and Pepper, F.C. (1998) Maintaining Sanity in the Classroom,
London: Taylor & Francis.
Hook, P. and Vass, A. (2002) Teaching With Influence, London: David Fulton, chapter 1
CREATIVITY
Creativity releases pupils from the rigid constraints of a formalised scheme of work to
explore and investigate by active participation in genuine events and enterprises that
delight them. Primary children of all ages are stimulated by hearing stories from real
books, purely for pleasure, without then having to complete a worksheet. They prosper
when they meet poets and authors instead of just seeing photocopied extracts of their
work. Theatre attendance, visits to art galleries, museums, exhibitions and concerts all
help to stir pupils enthusiasm, promote purposeful conversation, excite their emotions
and extend their horizons. Primary-aged children develop a sense of wonder by spending
regular time outdoors to appreciate seasonal change, by tending a garden and by
collaborating on projects. Methods for creative teaching and learning therefore include
imaginative use of the school grounds, close involvement with the local community and
an emphasis on children gaining direct experience of people, places and events.
There has been a lot of debate about whether creativity is an innate ability that is
possessed or not possessed, or a skill that can be developed, caught, taught or wrought.
Two key issues underpin a search for answers: first, whether a creative child behaves
non-creatively in particular situations and creatively in others; second, whether an
apparently non-creative child can discover a reservoir of creativity that no one (including
the child) realised existed until that moment.
Teachers are sometimes categorised as creative types and noncreative types but this
simple polarity fails to recognise the complexities involved in defining creativity.
Teachers may find it easy to introduce creativity into their teaching in one school
situation but fail to do so in another owing to the prevailing conditions that release or
suppress their creative tendencies. A popular view among education specialists is that
creativity is not a fixed entity but one that relies upon judgement, discernment and
confidence to produce new and original ideas.
Creativity does not occur in a vacuum, but relies upon a framework of understanding,
skill acquisition and knowledge that facilitates and supports a climate of problem
solving, investigation and experimentation. True creativity is characterised by teaching
that takes account of every child s interests and styles of learning and encourages them to
employ their abilities in new contexts. Creativity is therefore closely linked to thinking, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]