Tact of teaching (entrance slip)
Beginning teachers often seem to feel the tension or the poor fit between what
they learned about teaching and what they discover is required in the practice of teaching.
We often know of a subject, but doesn't really know a subject. This is the same with teaching. We learn so much at the University, but the truth is we will not have the time and energy to use every single tactics we learn in school. It will take some time until we can fully feel comfortable around students.
What makes true reflection in action difficult is that life in classrooms is contingent, dynamic, ever-changing: every moment, every second is situation-specific.
We try to reflect on what we do in class as teachers, but we simply don't have enough time to carry out our reflective process. The clocks are ticking, and the students are waiting for you to make a decision. This is why the author eventually developed the idea of pedagogy tact, to explain the kind of experiential, split-second decision we make all the time as teachers. No one truly understand the intent of our split-second decision, not the students, not the parents, and not the teachers themselves. We may do reflection on the actions, but all of those after-thoughts are not especially useful when we develop our tacts. Parents, on the other hand, expect us to give explanation on all of our behaviour in class. Perhaps this is what the reflection really is for; on giving the parents satisfying explanations.
The ultimate success of teaching actually may rely importantly on the “knowledge” forms that inhere in practical actions, in an embodied thoughtfulness, and in the personal space, mood and relational atmosphere in which teachers find themselves with their students.
I really hope that we will be able to form our own tacts on practicum. I can't wait to apply the knowledge I've learned at UBC on real kids. Although it might be scary at first, I believe that this is a necessary process, as I will be doing this job for the next decades to come. Students and parents, please bear with us as our get into our forms. All of us are in this learning process together.
they learned about teaching and what they discover is required in the practice of teaching.
We often know of a subject, but doesn't really know a subject. This is the same with teaching. We learn so much at the University, but the truth is we will not have the time and energy to use every single tactics we learn in school. It will take some time until we can fully feel comfortable around students.
What makes true reflection in action difficult is that life in classrooms is contingent, dynamic, ever-changing: every moment, every second is situation-specific.
We try to reflect on what we do in class as teachers, but we simply don't have enough time to carry out our reflective process. The clocks are ticking, and the students are waiting for you to make a decision. This is why the author eventually developed the idea of pedagogy tact, to explain the kind of experiential, split-second decision we make all the time as teachers. No one truly understand the intent of our split-second decision, not the students, not the parents, and not the teachers themselves. We may do reflection on the actions, but all of those after-thoughts are not especially useful when we develop our tacts. Parents, on the other hand, expect us to give explanation on all of our behaviour in class. Perhaps this is what the reflection really is for; on giving the parents satisfying explanations.
The ultimate success of teaching actually may rely importantly on the “knowledge” forms that inhere in practical actions, in an embodied thoughtfulness, and in the personal space, mood and relational atmosphere in which teachers find themselves with their students.
I really hope that we will be able to form our own tacts on practicum. I can't wait to apply the knowledge I've learned at UBC on real kids. Although it might be scary at first, I believe that this is a necessary process, as I will be doing this job for the next decades to come. Students and parents, please bear with us as our get into our forms. All of us are in this learning process together.
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