The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2013) has developed a state framework called the 'e5 Instructional model' that has been produced as a 'reference point for school leaders and teachers to develop a deeper understanding of what constitutes high quality teacher practice in the classroom' (DEECD 2013), it demonstrates how to teach well - top down policies within the school environment. The e5 instructional model consists of five different stages that teachers can use to help 'inform conversations and guide observations, critiques and reflections of classroom practice' (DEECD 2013). The five stages are engage, explore, explain elaborate and evaluate, all allowing students to access and expand on their prior knowledge whilst also being able to build and construct new understanding.
The e5 Instructional model is a framework that significantly influenced my pedagogical approach as I found that many of its insights are structured towards a constructivist approach to teaching. Throughout the framework it wants teachers to allow students to expand upon prior knowledge as well as construct new and meaningful knowledge, while being assessed through a learner-centered portfolio that ultimately allows students to ‘reflect on their learning processes and the impact of effort on achievement’ (DEECD 2013).
While the e5 Instructional Model framework is only a guide to help teachers become ‘good teachers’ I believe that it assumes that every student who goes to school is a middle class white learner from an English speaking background. However, in reality this is clearly not the case and it is apparent that Kincheloe (2008) worries about the oppressive nature of teaching as it caters for most of the dominant cultures, leaving the rest to fall behind. He goes on to describes teachers as researchers who must ‘uncover materials… based on their emerging knowledge of students and their sociocultural background’. By listening to students and the issues that provoke them, critical teachers are able to better understand and explain to students therefore allowing them to ‘make meaning’ during their learning (Kincheloe 2008, p. 20). Living in such a multicultural society, our classrooms will be filled with students from different socioeconomic statuses, religious beliefs and cultures. Therefore as a teacher, I believe that it is crucial that we bring students to life with our ‘knowledge, passion for learning and [our] ability to engage’ students in the process of teaching themselves and others’ (Kincheloe 2008, p. 4) as it is our job to ensure that every students has a fair go and is not oppressed by the political nature that surround the school environment.
The e5 Instructional model is a framework that significantly influenced my pedagogical approach as I found that many of its insights are structured towards a constructivist approach to teaching. Throughout the framework it wants teachers to allow students to expand upon prior knowledge as well as construct new and meaningful knowledge, while being assessed through a learner-centered portfolio that ultimately allows students to ‘reflect on their learning processes and the impact of effort on achievement’ (DEECD 2013).
While the e5 Instructional Model framework is only a guide to help teachers become ‘good teachers’ I believe that it assumes that every student who goes to school is a middle class white learner from an English speaking background. However, in reality this is clearly not the case and it is apparent that Kincheloe (2008) worries about the oppressive nature of teaching as it caters for most of the dominant cultures, leaving the rest to fall behind. He goes on to describes teachers as researchers who must ‘uncover materials… based on their emerging knowledge of students and their sociocultural background’. By listening to students and the issues that provoke them, critical teachers are able to better understand and explain to students therefore allowing them to ‘make meaning’ during their learning (Kincheloe 2008, p. 20). Living in such a multicultural society, our classrooms will be filled with students from different socioeconomic statuses, religious beliefs and cultures. Therefore as a teacher, I believe that it is crucial that we bring students to life with our ‘knowledge, passion for learning and [our] ability to engage’ students in the process of teaching themselves and others’ (Kincheloe 2008, p. 4) as it is our job to ensure that every students has a fair go and is not oppressed by the political nature that surround the school environment.