1. The
importance of the "informal", especially when dealing with language
learning.
Lionel, ever
the informal Aussie, really insists on a first name basis for their teacher -
student relationship. He insists on calling the king, "Bertie".
Moreover, he stresses informality and humor in the teaching environment. This
is so important a concept for language / literacy teachers - lightening the "affective
filter" so language may be acquired. Research suggests that using a
student's name during instruction can alone, raise scores and help learning, as
opposed to no name being used.
2.
Credentials are over valued.
There is a
scene at the end of the movie where the king is angry/overcome
upon learning that "Dr." Lionel has no official
"credentials". That he learned everything through the "teacher's
college of hard knocks". The point is that teachers are not trained or
taught, they are developed. This is a big point. Credentials are not as
important as we think, in our over crazed world for a certificate, any
certificate.
There are too
many great teachers in action, great teachers without a modicum of formal
training, to think otherwise. Teachers should be judged on what they do in
class and have done in classes. A system of merit not credentials. Bertie
proves this.
3. Teaching
is mostly about relationships.
In the movie,
the relationship between teacher and student grows as it goes through a rocky
series of ups and downs. The movie shows a man teaching/helping a student, not
teaching a subject. Teaching is about the relationships we form with students,
how we connect with them. It doesn't have to be overly personal but we have to
connect on some "human" level, to be successful and make a
difference. Further, we have to also realize our student's have their own lives
and background. Just like the King, each student has their own world they bring
into the classroom. Teacher's must know their students - administrators have to
give teachers more time to develop relationships and less time for paperwork
and lesson drafting.
4. A
Teacher's Belief is what counts.
Passion makes
the "great teacher". Passion for their subject but also passion for
their students. Lionel truly believed in his student, the king. Truly. He
told him, he kept with him along the struggle to succeed and learn. Never
discount the power of a teacher's faith in their student to transform the
world. We all remember our homerun teachers. And what made them have such an
impact on us, was the faith in us that we felt they had. Research too shows
this is more than just emotional snake oil. In blind studies, a teacher's
belief in their student's ability increased the student's own scores. Faith is
the word!
5. Childhood
development is crucial in long term success.
"Bertie"
experienced a lot of trauma in his development. His "inability" both
in stuttering but also (and they are sides of the same coin) emotionally was
because of a lack of a proper environment when growing up. We have to
continually fight for all students to get the support and nurturing that is
required at an early age so they may succeed at school. A lot of what we see at
school - what we call failure and non-achievement is not because of a student's
own laziness or inability. It is societal. We don't value the young until it is
too late, despite our pronouncements and platitudes. If we put as much money
into universal early education and child development as we did Trident subs -
we'd have a much different world in our high schools and universities. Look at
the damage Bertie suffered. Many will tell you it is just "physical”.
Wrong! It is all about how the child is raised in 95% of cases. We need to
follow more, the principles of re-education. Let's too, also remember how
determining environment is for language and literacy development.
So, are you a
good teacher?
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