Pre
School-Teachers as researchers
Role of teachers has been shifted from a teacher to
a researcher especially in Pre Schools as they shape up the live clay.
Every child differs in his/her levels of mental,
physical, socio emotional and language. Above all throughout the day, children
experience a wide range of feelings or moods which may lasts for minute to
minute or sometimes hour to hour.
This makes the teachers’ role to shift from that of
giving direct instructions to allowing children’s thoughts and ideas to plan
the direction of the curriculum. A flexible curriculum which can be guided well
by the moods of the learners where the method changes but objective remains the
same.
Teachers as researchers need to carefully listen, observe
and document children’s work. Simultaneously they are also committed to their
own professional growth and use documentation to reflect on their own practice.
Who
is a researcher?
A researcher is someone who conducts research, i.e.,
an organized and systematic investigation into something. Scientists are often
described as researchers.
There is a researcher within all of us including
children:
1.
An analytical
mind
2.
The ability
to stay calm
3.
Curiosity
4.
Quick thinker
5.
Intelligence
6.
Commitment
7.
A people person
8.
Sympathetic
9.
Excellent
written and communication skills
1 Personal effectiveness
1.
An analytical mind (5 W- what, when, who, where, why and 1 H)
A teacher researcher constantly analyzes a variety of factors. What is
the appropriate methodology to deal with the individual child? What are the suitable questions to put up why
and how? When is the right time to implement the method? Why does the child want
to do it in his own way? Why are they asking questions? What are the
observations telling us? Why are they telling us that? How do the teacher
researcher best communicate the observations?
The teacher researcher has to be able to see the bigger picture in
detail. People often find it easy to do one or the other but a skilled teacher
researcher can do both simultaneously.
2.
The ability to stay calm (inner peace)
A teacher researchers work can be really stressful many a times,
especially when they are expected to complete the syllabus in a stipulated
time. When such situation occurs they need to stay focused and think logically
and work persistently peacefully.
3
Curious
The teacher researchers may have the necessary
intelligence but if they are not curious enough then they won’t be passionate
about delving deeper to unearth more accurate and deep understanding of
learners and their potentials.
A teacher researcher has to have an inherent
interest in what learners think potentially about anything, only the curious
teacher researchers can observe at the greater depth and extract the best
information.
4.
A Quick thinker
As mentioned in the beginning every child differs in
his/her levels of mental, physical, socio emotional and language. Above all
throughout the day, children experience a wide range of feelings or moods which
may lasts for minute to minute or sometimes hour to hour and that changes all
the planning so the teacher researchers has to be a quick thinker to take a
decision and manage the situation.
5.
Intelligence
Teacher researchers require critical analysis but
most of all common sense, that is the best sense. They need to expand their
knowledge and intellectual abilities through their role as a teacher
researcher.
6.
Commitment
A teacher researcher needs to be committed towards her
work. She has to be committed to be a
lifelong learner from multiple sources of knowledge. Avail all the
opportunities to learn from all around the classroom and school. Each learner
and each challenge provides a chance to learn, practice by making mistakes.
Teaching becomes very different when a teacher practices as a researcher, one
becomes a student in a classroom of learners.
7. A people person
This is important because a teacher researchers works
with live stock, children and their parents to explore the potentials of the
learners to the fullest.
8. Sympathetic
A teacher researcher should have a sympathetic ear
when listening to some children or parents’ problems, is always a good skill to
have.
9.
Excellent written and communication skills
A teacher researcher have to have excellent written
communication and be fluent in the language to express as she can convey her
observations well to the parents of the learners and does a proper
documentation too.
10.
Systematic
Check again and again. It seems simple but proper
amount of time for checking the work always pays dividends. This applies to all
parts of learning process. Attention to detail the ability to ensure that data
is accurately presented and reported.
11.
Personal effectiveness
Maximize the personal effectiveness as a teacher
researcher by developing knowledge and skills that will bring rewards to you,
learners and parents as well.
Teachers need to be ready to develop scientific skills to play their
new role as teacher researchers. We at ‘Bakhal’ train teacher researchers.
