PERSONAL NARRATIVES

Becoming better teachers

How can a good teacher be defined? How does teacher training influence teacher’s performance? Is a reflective analysis of classroom events a tool for improvement?

Authors such as Fernandez, Elortegui Escartin and Perez ( 2003) agree that critical incidents are used as strategies to solve problems spontaneously. According to them, teachers should be taught to reflect on their practices since “reflection relates, directs and confronts ideas” (Marcelo, 1996; Day, 1994 as cited in Fernandez, Elortegui Escartin and Perez, 2003). Furthermore, the writers agree that reflection not only allows an integration of theory and practice but also becomes the first step towards professional development.

As Fernandez, Escartin and Perez (2003) assume, teachers should know not only what to teach but how to teach. Similarly, Monereo ( 1999) agrees that teachers should be given the tools to cope with unexpected situations in the training process. As the proverb says, “Give someone a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish and you feed them for life”.

References

Fernandez, Gonzalez, J., Elortegui Escartin, N., & Medina Perez, M. (2003). Los incidentes criticos en la formacion y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de ciencias de la naturaleza. Revista Universitaria de Formación de Profesorado, 17-001. Zaragoza. España: Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrived September 2010, from http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/src/inicio/ArtPdfRed.jsp?iCve=27417107