Teacher Learning in a Community of Practice: A Case Study of ...

Cindy began the workshop with a thought for the day ...
"We are all leaders. This world was created round for a very good reason. It means that
wherever you are, no matter in what position you are, you are always ahead of someone,
behind someone - following or being followed - each of us is in a leadership role someone is
watching us, someone is learning from us. - What are we teaching them? Like it or not you
are a leader. What then is this thing called leadership"- stopped at that point and said that
she would complete the quote at the end of the session.
Cindy began by explaining that the EMS learning area had many features, one being the RDP
and sustainable growth and development. Noted that according to the NCS, this feature
must be taught from grade 4 -7.• Learners need to understand very simply - sustainable
growth, reconstruction and development as well as to reflect on related processes."
According to the NCS, its L02 and AS3" - explained that the focus of today's workshop was
introducing this topic to learners and about exploring ideas for teaching in the classroom.
Cindy asked the teachers to break up into groups - said that their own class could have
their own arrangement. - Depended on local conditions.
She distributed pictures to each group and posed the following questions:
1. Is there a problem?
2. What is the problem?
3. Reasons for the problem?
4. Possible solutions?
She handed out pictures/photos of different contexts -writing material; - newsprint ­
efficiently ensured that every group had all requisites. Groups began to study the contents
of the pictures- discussion/ debates- interpretations of the pictures -some groups are more
animated than others - some laughter - more discussions - hand movements, nodding of
heads, smiles, disagreements - some groups busy making work-in-progress notes. More
laughter/ humour in groups.
Group reports-
Gl - Ben was elected by his group to present. He began by explaining/describing what his
group had seen in the picture. - class - congested suggested that the teacher in that class
may not be able to cope. Suggested reasons for large classes school could have better
buildings, lower school fees than other schools, shortage of classrooms and limited
furniture.
Solutions - build more schools, employ more teachers, more funding - extend the school
G2 - John's report back
Found many problems in the picture. He emphasised that the problems that
educators may find in the picture may be different from the problems that pupils
may see. Eg • If I showed this picture to children in my class (picture of a
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