Teachers supporting teachers: Episode 7 with Claire Tang
Teachers supporting teachers
Episode 7 with Claire Tang
Say hello to Claire Tang. This is such a special podcast where we hear from Claire, a current pre-service teacher at Swinburne in the double degree of arts and secondary teaching. She’s really taken up the opportunity to help others during COVID-19. Her generosity and innovation was sparked in a way that both challenges and extends herself, and supports others.
Prior to social distancing and isolation, Claire worked part time in hospitality and was a babysitter for a family. With COVID-19 a new opportunity arose in being able to offer tutoring support for young people who are now undergoing flexible and remote learning.
In this episode Claire shares some insights to being a learner in flexible and remote learning herself and the need for engagement with others for thinking, creative and critical thinking. A timely share, reminding us about how we make links and how we can facilitate learning experience, and inviting different ways of how to work with one another with idea generation.
Tutoring has afforded an opportunity to support learning for young people, and meet with classroom teachers to form a partnership in learning. We talk motivation, teamwork, and how to support learners at this time, and different communication strategies for planning and communicating with parents.
Stress points are noticed with parents not knowing how to support their children with their learning at the moment. The relationship with parents is so keen and we unpack this with some unique insights – she invites parents to tell us as a teacher what their child is interested in, what are they inquiring in so we can support authentic learning.
Unexpected surprises in working as a tutor with young people has moments of extending new ways to find out information, finding ways to extend and develop skills with new and innovative ways, and strengths of perseverance and open-mindedness. Working with reporting and assessment from schools to also support learning opportunities while tutoring is unpacked in this episode.
A positive energy oozes this episode generated from inspiration, hope, optimism, and confidence in young people as in the role of being a tutor where skills are being transferred from being a pre-service in the university and classroom contexts.
We talk all things openness of how to develop rapport in an online space. Claire poses the questions: How can you transfer what you do face-to-face to the digital space? How can we find out about each other? How do we form trust? How do you scaffold questions?
Best ever tip received that Claire wished she has listen to is to be approachable. We chat more about this in regard to verbal and non-verbal communication and what this looks like in person and online.
Key take aways:
• Innovative thinking and possibilities are present for rich opportunities to extend your skills and also be generous with your skills set
• Learning from others about how the flexible and remote learning can be successful
• Extend your networks in different ways
• Valuing what teachers do
• Relationship with parents is critical to supporting authentic leaning
• Integration is key to spark inquiry and curiosity
• Inquiry sparks love of learning and a physical smile when you think about it
• Finding opportunities to transfer your skills in creative and engaging ways
• Rapport is key; plan in how you do this.
• Thinking about the questions you want to ask, and embrace the question young people ask.
• Be approachable. Be aware of your energy, voice and body language to share your personality and true self.
Questions to think about:
How will you engage with parents?
How will you engage with verbal and non-verbal communication and what this looks like in person and online?
How do you share your smile?
How do you connect with students?
How can you support authentic learning?
How do you translate leaning in different ways during flexible, remote an online?