Teachers play a variety of important roles, from co-constructor and facilitator to advocate and collaborator, in order to promote play, learning and development (McNaughton & Williams, 2009). This essay will investigate the responsibilities and characteristics of an effective educator, drawing from relevant theory, to illustrate methods of supporting learning for children from birth to age 8.
Teachers have the role of co-constructing with students through collaborative social interactions. This reflects Vygotsky’s ideas of learning through exchanging knowledge, with the shared contribution of ideas and understanding encouraging children to develop complex thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills (Duchesne, Bochner, McMaugh & Krause, …show more content…
Influenced by the work of Vygotsky, the concept of scaffolding was introduced by Wood, Bruner and Ross, highlighting the role of educators to provide “support and guidance in learning” (Verenikina, 2008, p.162). Scaffolding learning experiences is shown to be most successful when attuned to the child’s interests, and at a challenging, developmentally appropriate level (Woods, 2015). According to Rogoff (1990), teachers can extend children’s comprehension and knowledge through shared experiences and dialogue, such as asking purposeful questions and providing feedback. Teachers can support and extend a child’s abilities according to Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ (Duchesne et. al., 2015). This demonstrates what a child can accomplish alone to what they can achieve with the assistance of an adult or advanced peer (Bruce, 2011). Through partnering with the student, teachers can support children to accomplish more complex and difficult tasks, which “promote maximum cognitive growth” (Ormrod, 2011, p.41). For instance, educators can provide assistance through prompts, hints and dialogue. Both spontaneous exchanges and formal instruction can help shape a child’s understanding of the world (Ormrod, 2011). However, it is important that teachers recognise students as “active” and “self-regulated leaners”; positioning children to dynamically participate as problem-solvers, and progress towards more advanced thinking and understanding (Verenikina, 2008, p.163). This is further consolidated by Woods (2015), who states scaffolding is most successful when it is child-centred, and an extension of children’s play to maximise learning in an engaging way. Teachers also have the role of ‘passing-on’ cognitive tools, through social interactions and meaningful experiences, in order to help facilitate children’s growth in “mature thinking and action” (Rogoff, 1990, p.190; Verenikina,
Teachers have the role of co-constructing with students through collaborative social interactions. This reflects Vygotsky’s ideas of learning through exchanging knowledge, with the shared contribution of ideas and understanding encouraging children to develop complex thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills (Duchesne, Bochner, McMaugh & Krause, …show more content…
Influenced by the work of Vygotsky, the concept of scaffolding was introduced by Wood, Bruner and Ross, highlighting the role of educators to provide “support and guidance in learning” (Verenikina, 2008, p.162). Scaffolding learning experiences is shown to be most successful when attuned to the child’s interests, and at a challenging, developmentally appropriate level (Woods, 2015). According to Rogoff (1990), teachers can extend children’s comprehension and knowledge through shared experiences and dialogue, such as asking purposeful questions and providing feedback. Teachers can support and extend a child’s abilities according to Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ (Duchesne et. al., 2015). This demonstrates what a child can accomplish alone to what they can achieve with the assistance of an adult or advanced peer (Bruce, 2011). Through partnering with the student, teachers can support children to accomplish more complex and difficult tasks, which “promote maximum cognitive growth” (Ormrod, 2011, p.41). For instance, educators can provide assistance through prompts, hints and dialogue. Both spontaneous exchanges and formal instruction can help shape a child’s understanding of the world (Ormrod, 2011). However, it is important that teachers recognise students as “active” and “self-regulated leaners”; positioning children to dynamically participate as problem-solvers, and progress towards more advanced thinking and understanding (Verenikina, 2008, p.163). This is further consolidated by Woods (2015), who states scaffolding is most successful when it is child-centred, and an extension of children’s play to maximise learning in an engaging way. Teachers also have the role of ‘passing-on’ cognitive tools, through social interactions and meaningful experiences, in order to help facilitate children’s growth in “mature thinking and action” (Rogoff, 1990, p.190; Verenikina,