How many and which of the five categories do I use?
ANALYZING ATTENTION BEHAVIOR
All of the moves from all five categories could be arranged along a single con- tinuum whose rule is authority to attraction (see Figure 5.1). Moves and catego- ries at the upper end of the continuum employ the most teacher authority most directly and firmly applied. As one travels down the continuum, the authority component becomes less and less dominant. Thus Attention is an area of per- formance of teaching that involves a more-or-less continuous scale of values along a functional attribute, the functional attribute being moves whose end is to engage, maintain, or re-engage students’ attention in the learning experience.
One way of thinking about the items in the figure is as a set of tools. We might consider those in the desist category to be different types of hammers, those in the alerting category to be different types of wrenches, those in the enlisting category to be screwdrivers of various lengths, sizes, and tips, and so on. Just as a craftsperson would recognize the various categories of tools and the subtle differences among items within a category, so too can teachers study each of the categories and items on this list as discrete and distinct tools available for use. And any craftsperson would know that hammers are designed for certain types of jobs, wrenches for other jobs, and so on. They select the tool that is best suited (or matched) to a par- ticular situation or job. So too it is with this toolkit for teachers: being familiar with and knowing how to use each of the tools is a goal to aim for over time. Acquir- ing a few of the tools in each of the categories—that is, building a repertoire from which you can pick and choose depending on the nature of the job—is essential to becoming a master of your trade.
One way to use this continuum is to profile one’s own teaching performance. Which attention moves do I use? How many and which of the five categories do I use? What does my profile reveal about my attention repertoire? Some teachers have had col- leagues or supervisors observe them to gather concrete examples of attention moves in their notes. Then later, using the notes as evidence, they check off on the con- tinuum the moves the teacher made. A self-profile or the pattern of attention moves shown from such an analysis can be used to examine your existing repertoire and the appropriateness and effectiveness of your choices, which leads to the issue of matching. (Visit The Skillful Teacher website to complete a self-assessment.)