Reflections on five important points from chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Hattie’s “Visible Learning for Tea

Reflections on five important points from chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Hattie’s “Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning”

1. Expert teachers can identify the most important ways in which to represent the subject that they teach.

One of the most important skills for a successful modern teacher to develop is the ability to differentiate instruction based on what a given student may need to find a connection to the material. Two items that may have an impact on how effectively a teacher may be able to differentiate are knowledge base and skill level with application of the content as noted in a 2002 article Stack the Deck in Favor of Your Students: “Teaching effectiveness is dependent upon the interaction between the instructor's subject-matter knowledge and teaching (pedagogical) ability” (Bulger 2002) A teacher with a strong grasp of the content, experience with instructing a broad range of student learners, and control of a versatile set of skills will be more likely to have success differentiating instruction for a student.

1. Expert teachers are proficient at creating an optimal classroom climate for learning.

Teachers have a responsibility to their students to provide quality instruction for their students but if the students do not feel they are in a comfortable environment that would support not only their successes but their failures as well, then the teachers are missing out on an opportunity to maximize the possibility of student success. A democratic classroom in which students can take more ownership of their learning will greater serve the students. “As children, we start our lives filled with a natural tendency to enthusiastically explore our world and increase our skills. However, as we enter school and each year of learning becomes more and more prescribed, there are fewer choices for students.” (Fretz n.d.)

1. Expert teachers monitor learning and provide feedback.

Feedback is one of the most important ways in which a teacher can provide for their students. The ability to provide feedback for students often starts with setting expectations and often, these expectations can come in the form of goals. “It will be easy for the students [to] achieve learning goals if they understand those goals” (Bashir 2016) When these goals are understood, giving feedback along the way (both immediate and long term feedback are useful at different times of a project) gives the teacher a firmer understanding of the individual student’s progression and eventually can lead to a more effective level of differentiation.

1. Expert teachers believe that all students can reach the success criteria.

The most effective way to help all the students under your instruction achieve success is to be realistic when setting goals. Working within the guidelines set by a district or state, and using appropriate differentiation strategies (as well as making use of scaffolding techniques where necessary) a teacher must make choices for their students that are challenging but not so difficult that some students could not ever possibly achieve success. Helping students earn a more worldly awareness of their education, may help them understand how to work towards the success: “Through these activities, students can become aware of what they do not know or understand” (Dolan 2015)

1. Expert teachers influence surface and deep student outcomes.

In a traditional “old-school” learning environment, students learned facts to answer specific pointed questions, sometimes with less context than necessary to develop a deeper understanding of the material at hand. There are times when some instructors may still favor evaluations such as these but students typically benefit from learning broader concepts first and then refined details following such. “This is where the concept of approaches to learning differs from the concept of learning styles in which all learners are claimed to have their own personal and stable learning style that should be aligned to instruction” (Dolmans 2016)

Bashir, M., Kabir, R. Rahman, I. (2016) The Value and Effectiveness of Feedback in Improving Students’ Learning and Professionalizing Teaching in Higher Education. Journal of education and practice. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1105282.pdf

Bulger, S. M., Mohr, D. J., Walls, R. T. (2002) Stack the Deck in Favor of Your Students by Using the Four Aces of Effective Teaching. Journal of Effective Teaching. Vol. 5, No. 2, 2002. https://uncw.edu/jet/articles/bulger/

Dolan, E. L., & Collins, J. P. (2015). We must teach more effectively: here are four ways to get started. Molecular biology of the cell, 26(12), 2151–2155. https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E13-11-0675

Dolmans, D. H. J. M., Loyens, S. M. M., Marcq, H., & Gijbels, D. (2016). Deep and surface learning in problem-based learning: a review of the literature. Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 21(5), 1087–1112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-015-9645-6

Fretz, J. R. (ND) Creating Optimal Learning Environments through Invitational Education: An Alternative to Control Oriented School Reform. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1163007.pdf