The What the Why & the How

1. The What the Why & the How

2. A destination or a journey? We are from Allah, and to Him shall we return. Surah Al-Baqarah : Ayah 156

3. Baggage or Package! We are from Allah, and to Him shall we be returning Shall we return Vs. Shall we be returning What we are is God’s gift to us, what we become is our gift to God.

4. What lies beneath & beyond? Notice the difference in meaning of the Ayah in terms of: • Beliefs • Intentions/actions • Expectations How often do we? • Review our beliefs • Reflect on our actions/intentions • & • Re-assess expectations

5. Way of thinking 3Rs of Reasoning (Review, Reflect & Re-assess) • do we accept the knowledge that is handed down to us or do we challenge it? • do we remain at the superficial level & miss out the essence or do we explore and investigate? • do we miss out the essence and fail to see the linksordo we experiment and make connections?

6. Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught without prudence, do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning think what may be the end. So what does it take to embark on the journey to Professional Development?

7. What is CPD? Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the process of continually updating your professional skills, knowledge and attitudes throughout your working life. CPD is more than a process, it is also a philosophy and strategy for the management of change.

8. What can it do for you? Whether you’ve been teaching for years or you’re just starting out, the right development and training opportunities can: • increase your skills, knowledge and understanding, • open up new career options and help you to get more satisfaction from your career . Throughout your career, you need to: • identify your learning needs •  plan and manage your professional development so that you • demonstrate, and model to your students, a real  commitment to  lifelong learning.

9. Scope & Function of PD Professional Development encompasses the: • Psychology, Philosophy, and Sociology of teaching It defines: • Direction, focus, intention, It builds on: • knowledge, skills, attitudes and experiences It helps: Make links, clarify concepts, extend upon ideas, creativity and innovation It creates a/an: • Culture of learning, environment that nurtures values& ethics , a shared understanding of principles of both teaching and learning It addresses: • Beliefs, perceptions, assumptions, and issues

10. Scope & Function of PD It promotes: • Critical thinking, sharing of experiences and ideas, meaningful and rich learning, It considers: Theory, practice, ability, breadth, balance, relevance and progression It engages: attention, interest, passion, It leads to: A commitment to life-long learning, an awareness of the ‘bigger picture’, sensitivity to the environment

11. Tangles of teaching Subject • is as large and complex as life, so our knowledge is always flawed and partial. Students • are larger than life and even more complex. To see them clearly and see them whole, and respond to them wisely in the moment, requires a fusion of Freud and Solomon that few of us achieve. A mirror to the soul • As I teach, I project the condition of my soul onto my students, I expose my understanding of the subject knowledge, and I also establish a relationship with them. Knowing myself is as crucial to good teaching as knowing my students and my subject. If I am willing to look in that mirror, and not run from what I see, I have a chance to gain self-knowledge

12. ready to take risks… good teaching comes from theidentityand integrity of the teacher.In every class we teach, our ability to connect with our students, and to connect them with the subject, depends less on the methods we use than on the degree to which we know and trust our selfhood and are willing to make it available and vulnerable in the service of learning.

13. identity Is an evolving nexus where all the forces that constitute my life converge in the mystery of self: mygenetic makeup, thenature of the manand womanwho gave me life, the culturein which I was raised, people who have sustainedme and peoplewho have done me harm, the good and ill I have done to others, and to myself,the experience of love and sufferingand much, much more. In the midst of that complex field, identity is a moving intersection of the inner and outer forces that make me who I am, converging in the irreducible mystery of being human.

14. integrity whatever wholenessI am able to find within that nexus as its vectors form and re-form the pattern of my life. Integrity requires that I discernwhat is integral to my selfhood, what fits and what does not and that I choose life-giving ways of relating to the forces that converge within me: do I welcome them or fear them, embrace them or reject them, move with them or against them? By choosing integrity, I become more whole, but wholeness does not mean perfection. It means becoming more real by acknowledging the whole of who I am.

15. The process of self-discovery • Identity and integrity are not the granite from which fictional heroes are hewn. They are subtle dimensions of the complex, demanding, and life-long process of self-discovery.Identitylies in the intersection of the diverse forces that make up my life, and integritylies in relating to those forces in ways that bring me wholeness and life rather than fragmentation and death.

16. What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know. Rene Daumal What are the tools with which you can move mountains?

18. The Taxonomy Table

19. The Taxonomy Table

20. Classroom Example Most curriculum standards are organized around concepts which are usually labeled by one or two words. A concept such as “triangles” would include all the information components: • Vocabulary (information): isosceles, equilateral, hypotenuse • Generalization (information): All right triangles have one angle of 90 degrees. • Mental procedures: Conducting proofs and figuring the length of the side of a right triangle • Physical procedures: Constructing triangles with a compass and ruler

21. The Cognitive Domain Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation The Affective Domain Receive Respond Value Organize/Conceptualize values Internalize /Characterize values Thinking & Feeling

22. Doing &Willing Conationrefers to the connection of knowledge and affect to behavior and is associated with the issue of "why." It is the personal, intentional, planful, deliberate, goal-oriented, or striving component of motivation, the proactive (as opposed to reactive or habitual) aspect of behavior It is closely associated with the concept of volition, defined as the use of will, or the freedom to make choices about what to do (Kane, 1985; Mischel, 1996). It is absolutely critical if an individual is successfully engaged in self-direction and self-regulation. Some of the conative issues one faces daily are: • what are my intentions and goals; • what am I going to do; • what are my plans and commitments? (Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Muraven & Tice, 1998; Emmons, 1986).

23. Why CPD? The higher the mountain the deeper the valley.A friend will sing with you when you're on the mountain top, and silently walk beside you through the valley.

24. Consider… • What made you decide to enter the teaching profession? • What were your feelings/emotions after a substantial teaching experience? • What significant sets of skills (hard/soft) have you developed over the years? • What one aspect of your vocation has made you continue all this while? Why?

25. Beliefs-a "messy construct” Pajares (1992), refers to beliefs as a "messy construct", which "travels under the alias" of: "attitudes, values, judgments, axioms, opinions, ideology, perceptions, conceptions, conceptual systems, preconceptions, dispositions, implicit theories, personal theories, internal mental processes, action strategies, rules of practice, practical principles, perspectives, repertories of understanding, and social strategy, to name but a few that can be found in the literature"(p.309).

26. Our ‘lens’: Jaundiced or Rose-tinted? Another way of stating “the way we see the world” is “assumptions about reality” or worldview. Our worldview will consist of a combination of beliefs that are limiting and beliefs that are enabling—though always skewed to one end of the spectrum or the other.

27. Skewed beliefs Let us consider the following statements; • Hard work always pays off • Proficiency in English language is a definite success factor

28. Intelligence is of no consequence compared to hard work Experience is not always necessary Luck/chance/fate can be changed through hard work What other factors are there besides hard work that can help achieve success? How does experience add value to hard work? What examples are there around me of people achieving success through other factors besides hard work? My inward eye……Hard work always pays off

29. Language proficiency is a pre-requisite for a successful teaching career Language proficiency is a clear indicator of a person’s potential Language proficiency can hide all other flaws in a teacher What other factors are required to become a successful teacher? What other indicators are there to assess a person’s potential? What flaws can language proficiency not hide? My inward eye…… Proficiency inEnglish language is a definite success factor.

30. Closed Belief Systems Limiting FACTORS THAT LIMIT Lack of awareness Relying on the given/limited information Shying away from experimenting Being generally pessimistic Resistance to new ideas Open belief Systems Enabling FACTORS THAT EXPAND Observation Openness & receptivity to new information Drive & initiative for experimentation Being mostly optimistic & motivated Quest for innovation and diversity Both sides of the Spectrum

31. For there is no such thing as objective mountaineering, there is only a form of activity, generically termed mountaineering, which enables certain people to express themselves, or gives them a means of satisfying an inner need, just as there are other forms of activity and other means by which other people may try to attain the same ends."The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change." ~Carl Rogers

32. "Habits of Mind” • "Habits of Mind are the characteristics of what intelligent people do when they are confronted with problems, the resolutions of which are not immediately apparent." (Costa) Persistence  • Stick to it!  Persevering in task through to completion; remaining focused. Looking for ways to reach your goal when stuck. Not giving up. Managing Impulsivity • Take your Time! Thinking before acting; remaining calm, thoughtful and deliberative. Listening with Empathy and Understanding • Understand Others! Devoting mental energy to another person's thoughts and ideas; Make an effort to perceive another's point of view and emotions

33. "Habits of Mind” Applying Past Knowledge • Use what you Learn! Accessing prior knowledge; transferring knowledge beyond the situation in which it was learned. Questioning and Posing Problems • How do you know?  Having a questioning attitude; knowing what data are needed and developing questioning strategies to produce those data.  Finding problems to solve Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision • Be clear!  Striving for accurate communication in both written and oral form; avoiding over generalizations, distortions, deletions and exaggerations.

34. "Habits of Mind” Striving for Accuracy Check it again! Always doing your best. Setting high standards. Checking and finding ways to improve constantly Gathering Data Through All Senses Use your natural pathways!  Pay attention to the world around you Gather data through all the senses. taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight Creating, Imagining & Innovating Try a different way! Generating new and novel ideas, fluency, originality Thinking Flexibly • Look at it Another Way! Being able to change perspectives, generate alternatives, consider options

35. "Habits of Mind” Responding With Wonderment and Awe Have fun figuring it out! Finding the world awesome, mysterious and being intrigued with phenomena and beauty. Being passionate. Taking Responsible Risks Venture out!  Being adventuresome; living on the edge of one's competence. Try new things constantly. Finding Humor Laugh a little! Finding the whimsical, incongruous and unexpected.  Being able to laugh at oneself. Thinking Interdependently Work together! Being able to work in and learn from others in reciprocal situations. Team work.

36. "Habits of Mind” Remaining Open to Continuous Learning • Learn from experiences! Having humility and pride when admitting we don't know; resisting complacency. Thinking about your Thinking : Meta-cognition • Know your knowing!  Being aware of your own thoughts, strategies, feelings and actions and their effects on others.

37. Getting maximum benefit from PD • You will get the most from any professional development activity if you are clear about why you are undertaking it and how you will ensure that it has an impact on your teaching and your students’ learning. A good way to do this is simply to reflect on the activity, either alone, or even better, with a colleague. Honest professional reflection and dialogue help you to focus on any activities undertaken and to analyse your learning and how you will follow it up in practice.  Three key questions to ask yourself about any professional development activity are: • 1.  What did I do? [Reflect on the activity] • 2.  What did I learn? [Identify two or three key  learning points] • 3.  How will I change my practice? [Plan to implement your learning] • 4.  How will I ensure that the change has impact? [Decide how  and when you will evaluate the changes that you have made in terms of your teaching and your students’ learning].

38. Key to CPD You have a car with a full tank of gas, a well-tuned engine, good set of tires, quadraphonic CD system, and a sleek, polished exterior. There it sits. This car has incredible potential. (Have you heard that before?) However, until a driver sits behind the wheel, puts the key in the ignition, and cranks it up, the car doesn't function. MOTIVATION is theKEY

39. The Driver… The 3 factors of motivation by time period • Ignition: Need, Attitudes • Engine Running: Stimulation, Affect • Cruise mode: Competence, reinforcement

40. Ignition Need, Attitudes • Experience contrary to a dearly held belief • Awareness about misplaced beliefs • An attitude/habit/ orientation towards inquiry, problem-solving • A genuine need to resolve the problem • Observing surroundings/issues/context/effectiveness to look for alternatives • Locating/identifying/testing/alternatives • Changing strategy and earlier held beliefs

41. Principles of Motivation • The environment/context can be used to focus on what needs to be learned • Incentives motivate learning • Internal motivation is longer lasting and more self-directive than is external motivation • Learning is most effective when an individual is ready to learn • Motivation is enhanced by the way in which the stimulus is organized

42. At crossroads… a good teacher must stand where ‘personal' and ‘public’ meet, dealing with the thundering flow of traffic at an intersection where "weaving a web of connectedness" feels more like crossing a freeway on foot. As we try to connect ourselves and our subjects with our students, we make ourselves, as well as our subjects, vulnerable to indifference, judgment, ridicule.

43. PD Activities • Visits to colleagues’ classrooms to observe them teach • Joint observation of lessons with a colleague and professional discussion afterwards • Team teaching with colleagues • Working with a colleague to develop particular skills, such as effective use of ICT in your teaching • Visits to other schools • Visits to and teaching experience in other grade levels • Personal study • Relevant experience in other phases of schooling

44. Mussarat Mashhadi