Van Manen’s pedagogical sensitivity and teachers’ knowing-in-action

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“It is important that teachers understand the positive as well as the negative consequences of praising students” (Van Manen, 2008, p. 2).

Teachers often give praise to students for providing the correct answer to a problem, correct behaviour, or even contributing interesting insight to discussions or conversations in the classroom. This happens almost instinctively and unknowingly by educators, likely due to experience working with students or from theories learnt in teacher education programs. When students receive compliments, it is felt more strongly when conferred in public because others are witness. It produces a positive sense of self, like how one receives positive public recognition. Van Manen warns educators that there are also potentially negative connotations where students may feel embarrassment when being “singled-out” which creates a sense of inequality or assigned a special value by the teacher. Van Manen says that a tactful teacher has the sensitive ability to understand feelings and desires of children from indirect clues such as gestures, expression and body language (Van Manen, 2008, p.16). Therefore, a tactful teacher who can pick out these cues must be aware of the consequences that may result from praising students; every student responds to praise differently.

 

”It is not uncommon that, in spite of this excellent preparation, great frustration is encountered […] the new teacher finds, to his or her disillusionment, that all this planning still falls short of what is required by the classroom reality […] the hard-won knowledge base of subject matter, teaching skills, educational theories, and curriculum programs still does not live up to the demands of pedagogical life in the classroom” (Van Manen, 2008, p.9).

Teacher education programs provide so much foundation knowledge to prepare future educators for their own classrooms, yet still emphasize how they cannot teach us everything we need to know to become educators; the rest comes from experience. From my personal experience in the program so far, it sometimes does become overwhelming. It is difficult for me to give my thoughts of tact and practical wisdom of teaching on this quote as I have yet to begin my first two-week practicum, I can understand the nervousness and sense of disillusionment a student teacher might experience when attempting to put all the theory learnt into practice. Classroom environments are “contingent, dynamic, [and] everchanging” (Van Manen, 2008, p.12). I think a tactful teacher will take opportunities to reflect from different situations they face in the classroom and consider ways they can repeat/avoid desired/undesired classroom events. The tactful teacher must remember that the solution to one classroom event may not work for another similar classroom event and be ready to act instantly.

 

“The practical knowledge of teaching resides in the things that surround us” (Van Manen, 2008, p.18).

Van Manen brings up this quote from an observation of how a teacher can “command” and “take-charge” of her classroom based on how she moves in the classroom space. When teachers are involved with students, they become part of the environment students learn from. Van Manen mentions how “confidence is active knowledge; the tact of knowing what to do […] or what to say” (Van Manen, 2008, p.19). A confident teacher pushes students to their limits and challenges them. When a teacher is confident, the students are able to recognize the confidence through the leadership the teacher displays when progressing through their lesson plans.

 

Reading: 

Van Manen, M. 2008. Pedagogical Sensitivity and Teachers Practical Knowing-in-Action. Peking University Education Review. Pp. 1-23

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