Week+1

=Week 1: Teachers work, professionalism and reflective practice=

Focus Questions:

 * What does a teachers work embrace today?
 * Why and how has the nature of teachers' work changed over time?
 * What qualities does a teacher need to cope with this work?
 * How important are these for pre-service teachers?
 * What are the competing perpectives of teachers work?
 * What makes teaching a profession?
 * How can teachers deal with challeges and complexities in their profession?

Marsh (2010), pp 2-7

 * A consideration of what it takes to be a good teacher and the importance of developing reflective practice rather than depending on existing role models.
 * Jazz creation analogy - need to be able to bring many different elements together to creat good, positive class room experiences.
 * Need to be to consider the positive experiences about school (friends, affirmations, fun, games, being praised, becoming competent) and minimise the negative especially being conscious of students vulnerability;
 * Secondary students have particular developmental needs which should feed into your teaching - ability and desire to understand complex issues.
 * Teaching should not be just about acquiring content - information and skills - also about providing opportunities to make meaning from this content and effectively transfer it to new situations. The need for a good learning experience must be balanced up against the pressure of academic measuring.
 * Complexity of teaching requires a number of personal and professional attributes (eg respect, approachability, humour and good organisational, professional relationship and appreciation skills of others).
 * The way we prefer to learn will affect how we teach and so need to be aware of this and also the reason why we want to teach.