"It is important that teachers understand the positive as well as the possible negative consequences of praising students. A compliment should be meaningful and should not be granted indiscriminately because, if given too readily and too freely it may lose its significance."
To be a tactful teacher you need to be able to instantly identify the pro's and con's of a given situation or action, and deal with it in a considerate, thoughtful, practical way. Praising is a common form of positive feedback for students, and I'm sure there is a proper place and time for it, but we need to be aware of some of the negative consequences that can come along with it as well. I remember in high school I got 97% on my first chemistry test and the teacher stood out in front of the whole class and said congratulations to Mr.McClellan for receiving the top mark in the class. While it felt good to be recognized, it wasn't necessarily "cool," and other students didn't fare too well with it. I don't really know how to combat the issue of praise as it seems vital to me that we recognize students who are improving or succeeding, but how can we do so without putting too big of spotlight on them? My initial thought was to give praise in private but Manen argues that "while a teacher may compliment a student privately, the compliment is more strongly felt when it is conferred in public, in the presence of others." So I find myself a bit confused as to the tactful approach to this scenario.
"On the one hand, our actions are sedimented into habituations, routines, kinesthetic memories. We do things in response to the rituals of the situation in which we find ourselves. On the other hand, our actions are sensitive to the contingencies, novelties, and expectancies of our world."
As teachers, we can only prepare ourselves for a limited amount of common situations. But our world has to many novelties and contingencies to be able to prepare for all situations. It is in these unexpected, or non-practiced, situations that our tact and practical wisdom take over. How can we develop our tact when it is something that is so instantaneous and unpredictable? How can we know what to do in a given situation if we have never experienced it, or been informed of it? I think general field experience is the only way to develop tact. You can only do so much in the classroom.
"Beginning teachers often seem to feel the tension or the poor fit between what they learned about teaching and what they discover is required in the practice of teaching."
This quote caught my attention simply because it is directly aimed at beginning teachers, which is what I am. I am interested to see the major differences between the theory and ideas brought up in our program versus actually implementing them in a practical setting. I think we are soon going to realize that what we have written down on paper isn't going to translate as nicely as expected. Within our first 'real' lessons I assume our practical wisdom and tact will be put to the test immediately. I look forward to my practicum as I think that being in the field is the only way to develop practical wisdom and tact.
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