A HOLISTIC VIEW ON TEACHING

After completing study unit 1, you should be able to:

- Consider the holistic nature of the teacher profession.
- Explore the dominant discourses and myths surrounding the teaching profession.
- Identify the characteristics of an effective teacher.
- Critically reflect on your personal teaching philosophy and approach.

STUDY UNIT 1.1 INTRODUCTION

We all have perceptions about teaching and and the support they extended when we sometimes
experiences that define our notion of what constitutes needed it the most. We also remember some of them
a "good teacher". Whether your experience is based in for excellent subject knowledge and for possibly
your own experience as a learner, in teaching practice igniting a passion for a future career in you.
sessions you might have completed, or even in already
being in a teaching position yourself, it is essential Watch the following two videos of inspirational
that you critically reflect on these practices that you teachers...you might have come across these videos
consider to be examples of best practice. before...and there is a reason for that. Both these
videos have had more than 5 million views each on
Regardless of personality, teaching style, etc there are YouTube. People can relate to the truths and values
some basic rules that all excellent teachers follow. We shared in these videos. They want the connection that
remember them for the way they made us feel, the way is talked about here. Consider your own needs while
they impacted our lives, the inspiration they provided you watch these videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p5286T_kn0

It is so easy to feel inspired after watching videos like stressed and possibly burnt out. The workload and
these! You want to be that kind of teacher...you want expectations are so much that you do not have the
to make such an impact, leave such a legacy. But the energy to be a Rita Pierson or a Mr Jensen.
cold hard truth is that it is not always that
easy....sometimes reality is much harder, learners are You are in no place to thrive, you just want to
more difficult to deal with and normal people, survive. It is so important that you focus on self-care
teachers included, get very tired. You are overworked, as much as you focus on being an excellent teacher.
That is what will make you an exceptional teacher...In
order to that, you need to conceptualize your own creates space for you to do more...to do the extra-
golden rules of teaching. The rules that will ensure ordinary...the exceptional.
that you do the basics right...because doing the basics
Below 10 golden rules are discussed that can assist you to thrive, to be extra-ordinary...

STUDY UNIT 1.2: The 10 golden rules of teaching

From: Botha C. S. 2020. Ten golden rules of teaching, in Botha, C.S (ed), Wolhuter, C, Vos, D .
2020.Towards Thriving, not just surviving: The Journey from Pre-service to Beginner Teacher.
Van Schaik, Cape Town.

Just imagine if I were to offer you a R100 note right now. Could you use that money?
What would you buy with it? Let’s now imaging that I crumple the R100 up in my hand, would
you still want it? What if I were to step on that note or even tear off the one corner? Would
you still want that dirty, crumpled up note? I suspect that you still wouldn’t mind taking the money,
regardless of its physical appearance. Why do you think that is? Your answer might probably be
that the note is still worth R100.
My question to you today is why, when the world have crumpled up our children, when they have metaphorically been stepped upon and
had their corners torn off…why do we think of them as being worth less? Why do we see them as failures or not worthy? But a lifeless piece
of paper money is still considered to be worth a lot? Sometimes life happens to us and we get all crumpled up, we all feel as if life has
trampled us and torn up apart. When you have the privilege of standing in front of a class, you will be facing a whole class op crumpled R100
notes.
What will you see when you look at them? Will you see all the folds in the paper, the torn corners? Or will you see a child who is still worth
R100?
Do you still think of yourself as being worth R100?
You are embarking on a journey that will, through many years of studying and teaching, bring you in contact with hundreds, if not thousands
of learners who are all a R200 note in their own right. Will you be that one teacher who chooses to see the real value? Who will guide that
child towards recognizing their own value? Might you be the only person who sees value in that child? Who looks beyond bad marks or poor
behaviour and see the true value of a person? Will you be the one who truly mean it when you say that you potential in a child’s eyes?
In this book the authors will attempt to give you some practical advice to prepare you on an academic and emotional level to become an
extraordinary teacher. To cope with the challenges that being a learner teacher and later beginner teacher, throw up you. All the advice and
lessons in this book are summarized in a few golden rules. Before we discuss various topics in greater detail, think about the following golden
rules:

Golden rule 1: Every child has a story

One of the greatest lessons that we as teachers can learn is that every child has a story. And once we know and sometimes have the privilege
of understand such a story, we see a glimpse of a child’s heart. All behaviour in school, good or bad, stem from their stories. Their academic
performance should never define a child. Our job as teachers is to educate. To teach lessons and to prepare learners for life outside the
classroom. But we also have another purpose. It is our purpose to see children and their potential. When adults talk about teachers that
really made a difference in their lives, they will rarely speak about someone teaching good lessons or setting effective exam papers. They will
talk about specific incidences or long time involvement in their lives. They will refer to someone who went to the effort of really getting to
know them. If you think back to a teacher who you loved, you might say that that teacher understood you, or that teacher felt like they really
cared about you as a person.
The moment we look further than a child’s academic performance (or lack thereof), or their poor behaviour or habit of never doing
homework, we open the door to seeing a child’s heart, getting to know their story. And then we realize that this is where we can really impact
the lives and future of the children we teach. Then we realize that it is all about relationships.

Golden rule 2: Children don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
An anonymous story is told about a philosophy lecturer who had notoriously difficult content in his module. The learners were petrified of
his exam. So he spent the whole semester explaining all these renowned philosopher’s theories, from Derrida to Foucault, and his learners
had no idea what he was talking about for most of the time.
He then told them that there would only be one question in the end-of-year exam paper. That single question would count 100 marks. They
could not believe it. For weeks before the exam they tried to study all those difficult theories! And then the day of the exam arrived and they
saw the question paper.
For 100 marks, it read: What is the name of the lady sweeping the floors in this building?
Do you know the name of the lady sweeping the floors in the building where you live?
Relationships matter. If I call you by your name, I validate you. It means something. As a teacher, you might be the only person greeting a
child in the morning, you might be the only person making eye contact with them. Those are the things that will create a relationship of trust
that will last for years to come.
CHILDREN DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW THAT YOU CARE.

Golden rule 3: You can’t always make them love your subject, but you can make them love you
Teaching is about much more than conveying academic knowledge, it is about relationships, about connections. It is not always a given that
all children will love the subject you teach them. But when you truly connect with children, get to know them and their stories, they will grow
to love you. And when they love you, they will care for you. And then they will work for you. They will work so hard not to disappoint you
and do everything in their power to please you. You will see the results in their academic achievement, even if they really are not fond of
your subject, because you have made an emotional connection with them.

Golden rule 4: You are in the business of raising world leaders

Amy Kleinhans was miss South Africa in 1992. She is now a full-time mum of three beautiful children. During a radio interview she was asked
what she does for a living, asking of course what her career was. She in turn, answered about her three children: “I am in the business of
raising world leaders”.
What a powerful answer! You, as a teacher will also be in that business. We, as lecturers, am in that business. If you look at your learners
through those eyes, you will unlock potential that they might not even have known they had.

Golden rule 5: Be the pack leader

Cezar Milan, commonly known as television’s dog whisperer, always reminds dog owners that dogs are members of packs. If you have dogs
as pets, they will consider you part of their pack .The question however is who they consider as the leader of that pack. Because their can
only be one pack leader and the others will obey. The same goes for a classroom in a school. There is only space for one pack leader.
The reality is that if you, as the teacher, is not stepping up to fulfil the role as pack leader, that role will be filled by someone else – in all
probability one of your most challenging learners. And then you will be in trouble and will set yourself up for a very long year. So it is crucial
that you position yourself as the pack leader during the first minutes of the first day of the year.

Golden rule 6: An effective teacher manages a class, an ineffective teacher disciplines a class
There is a big difference between a classroom manager and a classroom disciplinarian. Most schools have a code of conduct they use to
enforce discipline in their classrooms. Many teachers hold on to such a code of conduct to threaten or punish upon the first blink of
disobedience. They will allocate demerits as much as they can. Other teachers in the same school will very seldom use the code of conduct.
They will manage their class in such a way that they do not need to hand out demerits. Learners very quickly assess which teachers are in
control and who needs disciplinary crutches to threaten or punish. Effective classroom management is about much more than only
maintaining discipline, it includes areas like creating an engaging learning environment, managing the setup of your class, being prepared for
lessons and fostering respect and caring amongst your learners.

Golden rule 7: Praise publicly, criticize privately

There will be times when you need to address a learner about homework not being done, attitude, poor behaviour etc. It is crucial that you
do not criticize or scold them in from of the rest of the class. In doing so, you not only humiliate the learner, but you also set yourself up as
public enemy number one. Chances are very good that the rest of the class will turn against you and back who they see as the underdog. The
risk is further that it could seem as thought you are picking on that learner, or the conversation could become emotional and their can be
serious consequences that will impact your relationship with the rest of the class. Be sure to take the learner to one side after class and
address the situation in a calm and unemotional manner then.
Mark Twain said “I can live for two months on a compliment”. This is so true of sincere compliments and praise, especially when done in
front of their peers. We live in a world we critique is abundant. How different would our approaches be if we decided to look for reasons to
praise, rather than critize. In her seminal video “Every kid needs a champion”, veteran teacher Rita Pierson tells the story of a little boy who
only got 2 out of 20 questions correct in a maths test. Instead of writing 2/20 on his paper, she wrote +2 and drew a big smiley face. Once
she handed back the tests in class, he called her over. “Miss Pierson”, he said, “ why did you give me a smiley face if I only got two correct?”
“Because you didn’t get them all wrong! Won’t you do better next time?” Pierson so aptly explains her behaviour: “Minus 18 sucks the life
right out of you. Plus two says I am not all that bad.” What messages are we giving our learners when we mark papers? When we comment
on their achievement or their behaviour? Sincere praise, publically or privately, can make a child feel worthwhile, ca n make them feel loved.

Golden rule 8: Move your body, don’t move your voice

Raising your voice has never been conducive to creating an enabling learning environment and to promoting a sense of a teacher being in
control of their class. Using strategies like changing the level on which you address learners and moving to closer proximity, can improve
your classroom management skills and at the same time promote a sense of respect in your classroom.

Golden rule 9: You can’t talk yourself out of something you behaved yourself into
Blame shifting might be one of the worst illnesses of our generation. Taking responsibility and being willing to admit your mistakes and
apologize if you have to, sets the example for the learners in your class. Then only can we expect of them to do the same.
One of the first lessons that learners in your class need to master is that they need to be responsible for their decisions and the actions they
choose to take.
 Golden rule 10: Every child deserves a first time experience
Once you start teaching, it is very probable that you might have to present the same content year after year. It is imperative to remember
that the learners sitting in front of you deserve a first time experience. It might be the fifth or tenth time that you are presenting that lesson,
but it is their first time. The learners deserve the same enthusiasm and passion that you displayed when you first presented the lesson. They
deserve the same effort put into planning and presenting the lesson.

Self-assessment 1.1 (10 marks)

Choose two of the 10 rules that you can really resonate with.
Why do you feel that these rules are important?
Which of the rules do you feel that you might need some practice in? How can you enhance those
skills?

STUDY UNIT 1.3: What good teachers are made of…

Before you can be a teacher and live the golden rules you just read, you need to establish the ground rules and non-negotiables of
your professional identity. As you very well know, there are a lot of myths about the profession. Many of them have been debunked
through your experiences during teaching practice. We have all been in conversations where we heard things being said about
teachers that made the hair in your neck stand up straight. General assumptions about teachers that you know is absolutely
untrue can really upset teachers who are passionate about their chosen career. Consider the following myths that is generally
believed about teachers...

Reality or myth?
Let’s explore the most popular myths about teaching and then look at the characteristics of good and bad teachers.

• Teachers have 4 vacations a year. • Teachers exaggerate about the challenges they
have with classroom discipline.
• Teachers only work from 8 to 2
• A good teacher only has to explain new work
• Teacher never works on weekends. once.
• Teachers just sit behind a desk all day. • Teachers do not need to plan a lot; CAPS tells
them exactly what to do.
• Teachers have an easy job.
• All schools have a lot of money.
• You only pick up germs in your first year.
• All teachers are very patient.
• Nursery- and primary school teachers just play
and colour all day long. • Teachers never burn out or need professional
help with their wellness.
• Anybody can be a teacher.

• Teachers simply go back to school after they

finished studying.

• Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.

• Most teachers in South Africa are paid too

much.

• You will never be unemployed if you have a

teaching qualification.

• Teaching is a good career choice for a woman.

• Teachers have a lot of free time because you

plan only once and then just repeat that lesson
year after year.
 Self-assessment 1.2 (10 marks)

Contemplate the myths about teaching that you have just engaged with. Which of those
myths did you grow up with? Which of them do you still hear in a social setting? How does it
make you feel to be confronted with these myths?
What role do teacher behaviour play in addressing these myths? Consider positive and
negative behaviour in your answer....

STUDY UNIT 1.4: Characteristics of a good

teacher
Things that excellent teachers do differently….

Effective teachers Effective teachers set goals on various levels. They have subject related goals
have specific aims that they want their learners to reach. They also have other goals for
and objectives extramural activities etc. But they also have other goals in terms of personal
and professional development. To gain enough CPD points over a three year
cycle is an important issue for teachers and this creates opportunities for
growth, development and the setting of new goals.
Effective teachers Being is teacher is different than being a lawyer or an accountant. Many
have a specific calling teachers belief that they have a calling and therefore they do not feel like they
are merely doing a job, they are truly living out a calling. It is however true
that when you make the choice to become a teacher you have to adhere to a
different set of values than the lawyer or the accountant. You have to live the
values of a role model and a teacher with a calling.
Effective teachers When you are a full-time teacher you will not always get immediate feedback from
can live without learners. Especially in a high school, children won’t spend time thanking you
immediate feedback for all your wonderful work and the difference that you have made in their lives.
Sometimes children in primary school will bring a gift at the end of the year,
but in high school that is different. In all circumstances, you have to find
your reward in other ways. You find it in the eyes of children that light up when
you speak to them, in that moment that you realize that a child eventually
grasps a concept that you have been trying to explain for a long time.
Effective teachers Your attitude determines your career happiness. If you are positive, it will be
have a positive attitude integrated into all aspects of your professional life. It is impossible to leave real
life outside the classroom door, and there will be days where you feel that you
do not know how you are going to teach today, but your attitude is mirrored
by the learners, so the manner in which you start will be echoed by your
learners. Living in SA brings about enough challenges, excellent teachers have
an obligation to instil hope in learners and convince them that there are a
future for them in this country.
Effective teachers Effective teachers expect excellence from learners. They give much more than
expect their what is expected of them and expect their learners to do more than the basic.
learners to be There are learners who are able of achieving 80% and good teachers should
successful motivate them to work towards that goal. Other learners’ best might be 60%
and effective teachers have the ability to recognize that achievement of those
learners. Such teachers will make it clear from day 1 that they expect
academic excellence and in that manner show that academics are their main
priority.
Effective teachers Effective teachers can laugh at a joke. They will never feel that children are
have a sense of laughing at them, their experience is that they laugh with them. This often
humour happens when teachers work in their second or third language. It is never
easy and one often falls over your own tongue…but laughing with people
about it and not taking comments personally, contributes to your building a
relationship of trust.
Effective teachers Treating all children the same is the greatest safety net that a teacher can
do not have favourites have. It is not always easy. There will be children that you immediately like
and love. There will always be learners that you like more than others, but
you can never let them know. For their own sake and yours, you cannot treat
them any differently. There will also be children that you do not like, and they
may never know it either. If they realize that, they can easily manipulate you,
or make your life very difficult.
Effective teachers know It is crucial that teachers take time to reflect on their practice. Reflection is
how to reflect on their not only thinking about WHAT happened, but it requires thinking about what
practice happened before and during, and what the impact of this will be. What could
you have done differently and what should you do differently next time.
Effective teachers can Communicating with parents can involve academic work or during parent-
communicate with teacher conferences. It always helps to have your facts straight and ready
parents when talking to parents. Keeping the channels of communication open and
building good relationships with parents always come in handy.
Effective teachers love It is a privilege to enjoy going to work every day. This does not imply that every
their job day will be easy. But it does mean that you get emotional rewards from the
work that you do and that the joys overshadow the bad.
Effective teachers adapt It is crucial that effective teachers can adapt and change their plans once they
to the needs of their realize that a plan might not be working or that a lesson might not be going as
learners planned. Sometimes such a change can prevent a big disaster. Effective
teachers learn to think on their feet.
Effective teachers In the same manner, effective teachers welcome change. The reality is that
welcome change things change very quickly in education in South Africa and you might just be
comfortable with a curriculum or an educational system and then the
announcement comes that it is changing. Effective teachers cannot be afraid
of adapting to change.
Effective teachers uses Effective teachers have the ability to use technology to support their teaching.
new technology to They are not dependent on technology to gain or keep attention, but they use
enhance their teaching technology in a wise manner. It is important that technology should never
become a crutch. You should be able to present the same lesson with all the
bells and whistles of PowerPoint presentations, interactive whiteboards, and
websites like Kahoot…but a great teacher will be able to present that exact
lesson with nothing more than a chalkboard and a piece of paper.
Effective teachers offer Good teachers sincerely cares about their learners. They get to know their
emotional support learners and their stories. They support where they can but they also
know that caring too much can become toxic. It is important that you
care for yourself as well. You cannot give if you do not have any caring in your
tank left to give. Remember the first golden rule: children will never care how
much you know until they know that you care”
Effective teachers Effective teachers are not stuck in a comfort zone. They change things up in
become comfortable in terms of their teaching styles, methods and ways of doing in their class.
unknown circumstances
Effective teachers are not Effective teachers do not feel threatened by people who do things differently.
easily threatened If children love a colleague, they will go to the trouble of finding out why that
is true and what they can learn from that person. As a species, teachers are
notoriously sensitive and we tend to take things too personally. So if is
important that you filter and decide whether the criticism is aimed at you or
whether it is about a situation.
Effective teachers have In those teachers’ classrooms, learners often have fun. There is however a big
fun in the classroom difference between being an effective teacher who can use fun to create an
enabling learning environment and a teacher who wants to be their learners’
friend. Keeping professional boundaries is crucial to your success as a teacher.
Befriending learners on Facebook or spending a Friday evening with them at
the local hangout place is not conducive to a respectful relationship in
which your authority is unnegotiable.
Effective teachers teach Although our primary task is the teaching of academic content, teachers are
holistically also tasked with teaching skills and values. We are responsible for the
intellectual and emotional education of our learners. Teaching the hidden
curriculum is just as important as teaching the content prescribed by CAPS.
Effective teachers never Effective teachers are lifelong learners, not only because they are forced to be
stop learning by the DoE, but because they want to keep learning and in that manner stay
in touch with development in their field and research in their area of
specialization. This is also very relevant for the use of technology in their
teaching.
 Effective teachers think Effective teachers can create new resources and invent their own teaching
out of the box strategies in order to deliver content in a way that is new and fresh. They will
also strive to come up with interesting methods and tools for assessment.
Effective teachers are Effective teachers are loved. They live that golden rule that says that you
loved cannot always make a child love your subject, but through sincerity, you can
make a child love you. And then they will work for you!

Self-assessment 1.3 (10 marks)

With which of the characteristics of a great teacher can you resonate?

Which of the characteristics do you find challenging?

What support will you need to master these skills?