This post represents Part 3 in a series focused on Teacher Credibility; the first two posts can be found here:
Part 1: What the heck is (Teacher) cred?
Over the last two posts , I have taken a deep dive into what Teacher Credibility is, and how it might be enhanced by building trust. This week we are going to unpack the second of the Teacher Cred elements: Competence.
What do we mean by Competence?
Teacher competence is about more than knowing your stuff – it is not simply about being a subject matter expert. Instead, it is about having deep levels of pedagogical content knowledge, which is a knowledge unique to teachers based on the they integrate their knowledge of pedagogy (i.e. what they know about teaching & learning) with their subject matter knowledge (what they know about what they teach).
What this means, is that for a teacher to be perceived as competent by their students, a teacher must have mastered their subject area AND be capable of delivering it in a meaningful and engaging manner. Having great classroom management skills and routines helps, as does the ability to answer questions. The capacity to break down and explain complicated topics and concepts into ways students can understand is also a winner.
So, what can you do to demonstrate competence in your classrooms?
Plan for success. Making a three-step plan (or your equivalent) doesn’t always work, but it is a good place to start. I like to remember the seven Ps of the good old British army adage when forcing myself to prepare for any type of activity.
Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
Use great classroom routines. Establish a fair and consistent code of conduct or expectations for student behaviour and learning in your class. The hardest part? Make sure you stick to it.
Invite questions about classroom rules, consequences, and course outlines. Emphasise that you are open to queries or suggestions so long as they are respectful. Explain what respectful disagreement means, looks, and sounds like. By giving students a chance to discuss rules , but not create the rules themselves (MUCH too laissez- faire for me), there is respect for the rules. If a student is disrespectful, enforce logical consequences as defined by your classroom management plan. Again, your insistence on respectful communication sets an important precedent.
Don’t’ aim for perfection. We don’t need to be perfect to be competent. In fact, a competent person acknowledges mistakes and errors, and learns from them. As teachers, it is totally fitting for us to model approximation and the art of screwing up. A competent teacher answers questions that students have, and admits when they don’t know the answer. In these cases, be honest, and make sure you follow-up after you have done your research.
Be real. A competent teacher also shares relevant personal experiences with the subject at hand. For instance, if we are teaching kids about engagement in reading, we might share an experience about when we were and were not engaged in reading. Use relevant personal experiences can provide greater insights for students.
Let go of the need to be right. It is also totally fitting to apologise to students, especially if we have wronged a student in some way (or if a wronged is perceived by a student). Perceptions matter.
Thanks for reading my blog! As usual, this list of suggestions is by no means comprehensive and we would love to hear your ideas.
Next time we will focus on tips and trick for enhancing students’ perceptions of teacher Passion.