STEP 6: Recognising learners’ linguistic resources (TP2 & ProTeacher)
Guiding questions for observing a student's language resources and repertoires
What kinds of linguistic resources do the learners have? How should these be taken into account in planning your teaching?
In Teaching Practice 2, student teachers learn to identify the language resources and language skills development of learners. This task can be approached in different ways. One option is to use the guiding questions and the illustration of the student to record and reflect on observations. The option is to use the Fourfold Matrix of Language Skills is used to help identify what skills and challenges learners encounter in different language situations – in what situations can they function independently, and where is support needed? Language-related observations are taken into account when planning their own teaching, and language aware reflection is included as part of the lesson plans.
Texts, tasks and tools:
- Fourfold Matrix of Language Skills (On a journey with a multilingual student!).
- Kielitietoinen opetus – kielitietoinen koulu (EDUFI) (Language Aware Education — Language Aware School) Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) (material in Finnish)
- Ruohonen, T. (ed.) (2019). Kielitietoisen opettajan opas (Language Aware Teacher’s Guide) (material in Finnish), E-norssi
TP2 ProTeacher development work: Me encountering learners
The development of language awareness is part of teacher development, which is reflected on, explored and described in ProTeacher – an online personal-professional portfolio of student teacher development. On the Language Aware Pathway, the ProTeacher reflection tasks are linked with Teaching Practices 1-4. During each teaching practice, students reflect on their skills and abilities with the help of selected questions related to the core competencies of teacher education at JYU.
SWOT support from intermediate reflection?
TP2 ProTeacher development work – reflective questions
Interaction skills and diversity-related competence:
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What prejudices, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs do I recognise in myself that affect how I encounter and interact with others? How do I deal with these?
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Do I question what I assume about the learner? How do my attitudes affect how I encounter learners? Am I ready to learn more about the learners?
Pedagogical competence:
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How do I identify, recognise and consider the different needs of my learners?
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How do I promote the cultivation of a positive atmosphere?
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How, as a teacher, can I promote learners’ enthusiasm and motivation?
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What impacts does class atmosphere have on learning and well-being?
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How, as a teacher, can I take into account the lived experience of children and adolescents?