Answer to Question #228297 in English for CIEH!!

Question

Shulman (2005:504) described classroom teaching as “perhaps the most complex, most challenging and most demanding and frightening activity our species has ever invented” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? List five reasons and give practical examples to illustrate your answer on each statement.

Answer 1

I agree with Shulman’s statement that classroom teaching is perhaps the most complex, most challenging and most demanding, and frightening activity our species has ever invented. This is because of the following reasons;

 Lack of Resources is a reason that makes teaching to be a challenging profession. School funding impacts students learning in several areas. For example, underfunded schools have overcrowded classrooms and outdated technology and textbooks and this becomes a challenge to the teachers when they want to teach something which is not present in the available textbooks.

Varying Levels of Parental Involvement is another reason that makes teaching complex and challenging. This is because parental involvement is one of the greatest indicators of academic success for students. An example of this is when most parents want what is best for their children, but they may not know how to be involved with their child’s education and also not really offer their children the learning materials required.

The individuality of Students also makes teaching complex and challenging. Every student is different. They have their own unique personalities, interests, abilities, and needs, and therefore gauging these differences can be extremely difficult. For example, it would be a challenge for a teacher to handle a class of learners with different abilities and meet their desires at the same time.

A disruptive Environment is also a reason why teaching is the most complex, challenging, and frightening profession. Disruptions can be external and internal. An example of such disruptions is when issues such as student discipline problems, student assemblies, extra-curricular activities, and even announcements interrupt the flow of the school day.

Expectations in Flux are a challenge in the teaching profession. This is because the rules of teaching are constantly changing. Lack of stability creates nervousness, uncertainty, and an assurance that our students are being cheated on in some aspect of their education. A good example is a new curriculum which was recently introduced in Kenya. This has made teachers get training about how the new curriculum should be admitted to learners.