Publications

Publication details [#8564]

Paine, Lynn Webster. 1990. The teacher as virtuoso: A Chinese model for teaching. Periodico di Matematiche 92 (1) : 49–81. 33 pp. URL
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English

Abstract

(From Conclusions) The virtuoso model, particularly in the structure of its preparation of teachers and organization of teachers' work, fosters collegial relations that give personal and professional support to teachers carrying out complex and demanding jobs. The predominance of team work and the opportunity for sharing are two examples. Begun during the training of teachers, and later reinforced through the organization of the teaching section, practitioners are socialized into a community that shares a common body of knowledge and speaks a common language. The interviews with scores of teachers over the past seven years provide vivid proof of this. The model's benefits to peer support and analysis of practice are things only wished for among advocates of American educational reform. The virtues of peer coaching, mentioned earlier, were identified by many teachers as key to their satisfaction and success. March describes emulation as one effective strategy of organizational adaptation; emulation in the Chinese teaching setting allows for carefully supervised innovation. (Lynn Webster Paine)