Didactically and Professionally Competent
Teachers in an urban context should have sufficient knowledge and skills to create a powerful learning environment in which students can prepare themselves. Because of the diversity of students in race, wealth, life experiences and other learning needs, the teacher should have the competencies to assess their students’ level and learning profile and differentiate his/her instruction accordingly (Goodwin, 2004; Kapadia Matsko & Hammerness, 2013). According to successful teachers, teaching in urban education, an urban teacher should be competent in the content he/she teaches and utilize current educational literature, especially the one related to diversity in culture and learning theory in order to
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Moreover, they should have the ability to seek support systems for their students and themselves, and collaborate with colleagues to form a network of support, consistency and safety for their students and participating in joint work with other reform-minded teachers (Goodwin, 2004). What is more, minority students need teachers who inspire them, have rapport with them, have high expectations of them, and who can provide students with supportive environments which bolster their confidence. These teachers need to be able to communicate with the parents, modify the curriculum where needed, and to have the skills and the time to talk with students about life and its problems (Easter et al., 1999). This asset of urban teachers to work with others, and especially colleagues, is also mentioned by Erskine-Cullen and Sinclair (1996) under the term “collegiality” as well as Goodwin (2004) and Kapadia Matsko and Hammerness …show more content…
Howard (2003) argues that critical reflection should be further incorporated in teacher education. Teachers who make the most progress often are very reflective of their own work and beliefs in the particular ‘urban classroom’. That way, pre-service teachers can become more understanding and more supportive of their students. A teacher in urban education should also be able to care for themselves since the environment in urban schools is really challenging their emotional, physical and personal status and possessing a sense of humouras well as reflecting is an important asset in achieving this (Erskine-Cullen & Sinclair