Teachers can not go one day without talking to their students. What a teacher says to his or her students is important and should be a good model of language as well as provide insight into why teaching is important. This domain of Danielson specifically focuses on how teachers communicate with their students.
What is Component 3A all about? This component of Danielson's framework is emphasizing the need for proper communication between teacher and student. Every day, teachers are talking with their students, yet are they using proper English? Are teachers conveying the importance of learning and teaching? This component wants teachers to convey why students go to school to learn and why there is a teacher. This communication could be from directions to simple conversations held in the classroom. This domain is emphasizing communication's importance in the classroom. Without language, there would be no reason for school and education. Why is Component 3A important? There are many different reasons why component 3A is important today, but in this summarization, there will only be a few reasons why this component is important. Each student that a teacher will have is different and it is the teacher's job to reach each one of these students. When the students are in the classroom it is extremely important that the teacher is using proper English to students. In addition to using proper English, it is key that teachers are making the purpose of the lesson clear to their students. This demonstrates why learning is key to students. Finally, I will mention that when teaching, it is extremely important that the teacher is helping the students are thinking deeply and think on their own. Teachers should be having students thinking on their own, even though it may be difficult to do at some points. Without teachers reflecting on their domain 3A, students could be inhibited from learning proper language as well as thinking on their own. It is key for teachers to reflect on their communication in the classroom. To know more about the component, below are the elements of this component along with a brief description. The elements are the following:
Expectations for learning
What the students are learning and supposed to get out of the lesson is clear. The students should not leave class wondering what the lesson was supposed to be about or what they were learning.
Directions and procedures:
The steps in the lesson are clearly communicated. The students know exactly what they are supposed to be doing and the instructions could be given verbally or on paper. This element is making sure the students do not go into a project without knowing what to do, rather they should know exactly what to do.
Explanations of Content:
The descriptions of what the students are learning should be clearly emphasized. Help or scaffolding can be given to students who need it, but it should not be very often. Also, the explanations should dive into student's interests when the opportunity arises.
Use of oral and written language:
As teachers, we are the best example of language that the students will probably receive. It is crucial that we are pronouncing words properly as well as adding to student's vocabulary. Exposing children to proper grammar and language can make a difference in the student's lives in the long run.
How to incorporate this component into the classroom. There are countless ways to incorporate this element into the classroom, but I will only be mentioning two different ways to use component 3A into the classroom. The first way to incorporate component 3A into the classroom is by having a list of classroom work expectations. This should be written in proper English and should be displayed in a spot where students can easily reference the poster. The students should be able to understand the poster and not ask for an explanation of what some of the words mean. Make the poster developmentally appropriate for the student's grade level. The second way to incorporate this element into the lesson is by using the student's interests to address certain topics. When introducing a lesson on seasons, to help students remember what the weather is like in each season, talk about the different sports that your students play. Ask them when they play their sport and what the weather is like outside. This is drawing upon the student's interests to help them understand the topic of seasons and weather. This also grabs the student's attention right away because it is something that they are interested in. If you have any suggestions about incorporating domain 3A into the classroom, contact me and let me know!
Reference: (2017). Arkansased.gov. Retrieved 29 October 2017, from http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/HR_and_Educator_Effectiveness/TESS/Facilitation_Guide_PDFs/3a._Communicating_with_Students.01June16.pdf