Teacher in Role

Teaching in role is not an activity but rather a teaching tool. It can be used to hook students into a lesson, stimulate student learning or get students to reflect on what they have learned.

Teacher in role can be used at the beginning of a lesson to hook students into a lesson, getting students to use their imagination and helping teachers grab student attention. For example the teacher can come in the room as a scientist at the beginning of a science lesson. Another way to use this tool is during a lesson, to enhance student learning. Giving students not only knowledge but experience. For example the teacher can stay in role as a scientist during the whole lesson as if they were a professional sharing their knowledge with the class. This tool can also be used to get students to summarize what they have learned or read. The teacher comes into the room and acts like he/she knows nothing, relying on the students to tell them what has happened. For example the scientist/teacher comes into the room and is in a hurry because someone needs something quickly but they don’t know how to get it or how it works, giving student the opportunity to share their learned knowledge with the teacher/scientist.

I will use this great tool in my future classroom in all three aspects to promote, enhance and assess student learning. Making learning exciting is a great way to get students involved and this tool is a good way to add excitement to any lesson. I will also use teacher in role as an assessment tool by listening and later recording observational notes as students answer questions and tell me what they know. In the future I will practice this tool in all three aspects to enhance student learning in my classroom.

Scientist: BioJobBlogger, August 5, 2009

http://www.biojobblog.com/tags/scientists/