SPECTRUM COLLEAGUES
Brendan SueSee
PhD graduate student and Teacher for 14 years
Brisbane, Australia
Email:
Brendan_sue@hotmail.com
I was first introduced to the Spectrum at the university as an undergraduate student at the Queensland University of Technology around 1992. Later, through further part time study, I came across the theory of the Spectrum again and decided to use it as a tool for a study identifying the teaching styles that teachers used when teaching senior PE students in Queensland. Senior Physical Education is a subject that is studied over the 2 final years of high school and contributes to a score to obtain entry to university. What began (for me) as a tool for my study, became the greatest influence on my learning about teaching.
I wrote Sara Ashworth to ask her a question about the Spectrum and she was kind enough to write back. We have continuously corresponded for three years about different aspects of the Spectrum–its theory; its implementation; how it applies in different situations and with different content and students; how to refine the tools for my study to remain constant to the theory; and what to say and what not to say in each style.
Over these three years we have spoken about many topics. We have discussed definitions of the teaching styles, cognition, decision making by students and teachers, other teaching styles/ideas and how they relate to the Spectrum, why certain teaching styles seem to dominate, we developed a questionnaire tool together and even just discussed the weather and politics! However, the factor that I think has been most influential out of all of these relates to language that teachers use, learning experiences and cognition. Part of my study has involved analyzing lessons that I videotaped. I sometimes sought clarification from Sara to help with the analysis. I would send her the text verbatim and we would discuss the cognitive intent of the teachers. This process made me realize that what we as teachers ask of students cognitively and what they do, do not always align. She has become one of the greatest influences educationally and intellectually on me—and I’ve never even met her face to face!
The Spectrum has helped me develop as a teacher by giving me numerous ways to meet many educational objectives (physical, social, ethical, emotional and cognitive) and how to assess and integrate other ideas into the different styles. My continued Spectrum study and my correspondence with Sara continue to teach me about the options and opportunities in teaching and learning.
About Brendan SueSee
Brendan is a 36 year old PE teacher from Brisbane, Australia. He has taught for nearly 14 years and has been studying for a PhD for 5 years part-time. He teaches (full time) at a great co-educational government school called Cavendish Road High School. He loves surfing, cycling, traveling, teaching, music, reading, his wife, great conversations with open-minded people, and listening to others.