Gazi Md. Abdur Rashid :
The resource teacher in most instances initially worked directly with students, the role of the resource teacher in a school must be focused on supporting and working directly with classroom teachers, collaborating with school teams to develop, collaborating with school teams to plan, develop and implement programming and interventions for students, liaising with school teams or community supports under the close supervision of the head of the institution. The Resource Teacher is an integral member of school-based support services and a valued member of the School Based Team. The resource teacher must be an experienced and knowledgeable teacher who can provide special assistance to help build teacher capacity for utilizing differentiated pedagogical strategies in the classroom performances.
The activities/tasks of a resource teacher
o Working with teachers: This category covers mentoring, supervising and co-teaching teachers in the common learning environment, meeting with teachers to discuss and design special education plans and collaborating or co-planning around programming for students. Resource teachers in general their day supporting classroom teachers, helping them to better accommodate their students.
o Working with students: Time that resource teachers spent working directly with students, working with one or a small group of students in the regular classroom, working with a small group of students outside the regular classroom, and working with only one student outside the regular classroom.
o Planning and organization: It covers tasks related to accessing students, preparing special education plans and preparing educational material. A significant portion of this time was spent on developing special educational plans and preparing material for teachers and educational assistants for ensuring students learning outcomes smoothly.
o Professional development: Facilitating and preparing group discussion with another trained up teaches or after-school professional development sessions, researching teaching learning methods.
o Meetings: Meetings with different stakeholders including school staffs and parents.
At a time when classroom teachers seek different techniques and innovative teaching learning methods to work more effectively with their students, the resource teacher’s first priority should be to engage with and support the teacher. It needs to be common practice for all resource teachers to first check the needs of the teachers and their students before working on other duties. We know that classroom teachers place high value on opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, most especially resource teachers.
The priority must be for knowledgeable and experienced resource teachers to provide reliable and sustained support to classroom teachers and thus assure the highest possible classroom success for all students. Resource teachers prioritize taking class and working with classroom teachers. This will enhance the respect accorded to the role and responsibilities of all resource teachers and increase their capacity to contribute to teaching learning strategies and school improvement.
Resource teacher serves as an additional teacher and specialist in Math, English, Science or other specialised content area. As a specialist, the teacher trains other teachers and support staff in identifying, developing, and applying assessment and instructional intervention strategies designed to improve student learning outcomes in specific areas. Resources teachers may be assigned a specific classroom assignment on the basis of their pedagogical expertise. Resource teachers share in the responsibility for student safety and appropriate collaboration and attention to each student’s readiness to learn including needed guidance, discipline and welfare. The teacher works with a high level of independence and professional discretion under the general supervision of a designated school administrator as well as head of the institution. The resource teacher collaborates with assigned classroom teachers in planning for specific student learning outcomes based on assessed needs of individual students and the use of data and information to determine each student’s current knowledge and skill level, set student learning goals and assess student progress. Resource teachers may, as needed, conduct classroom instruction either for direct learning by students or for demonstrating effective intervention and teaching practices for classroom teachers.
Importance of Resource Teacher
o The teacher works collaboratively in a professional learning community with other teachers in addressing the needs of students, developing effective teaching and learning practices, and developing and implementing best practices.
o RT assist teachers in using classroom-based teaching learning strategies and content specific differentiated instruction in assisting teachers in planning, delivering and assessing lessons and individual students learning outcomes.
o The teacher develops, obtains, maintains and provides student data related to the specific content areas. The teacher integrates upazila approved and required technology into planning, learning, progress reporting and required record-keeping activities including the preparation in the case of students with special needs.
o The teacher will actively participate as a resource specialist and facilitator in every training session
o The teacher is constantly observant of the needs and challenges of students when a student is at risk or in danger due to such issues as sexual harassment/misconduct, depression or academic failure. The teacher serves as a positive role model for students and practices the behaviours that are expected of students.
o The teacher assists in the supervision of students at school activities and events. The teacher remains vigilant of students throughout the school day and the school location, taking the initiative to engage.
o Resource teacher develops and presents training to the subject based teachers in assessment and intervention strategies to improve learning for students struggling or lagging behind in the content area.
o The teacher will establish a professional growth plan and annually review the plan and progress with the education administrator.
o Required to follow program policies and stay abreast of updates and changes.
Bangladesh is on the list of countries lagging behind in the quality of science and mathematics education. Bangladesh ranks 106th in the global index of science and mathematics education. This is the lowest among the South Asian countries. And in keeping with this reality, the SESIP program has already recruited 1000 (one thousand) resource teachers. These resource teachers will be taught alongside regular teachers in science, mathematics and English in various secondary education institutes in Bangladesh. This is of course a effective and modern initiative.
(Gazi Md. Abdur Rashid, Research Officer, District Education Office, Secondary and Higher Education, Munshiganj)
