„Það var bara svo gaman að kenna“

Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir, kennari og kennsluráðgjafi

Abstract

Narratives regarding teachers’ classroom practices from teachers who have retired from their professional lives provide valuable information for student teachers and teacher educators about developments in teachers’ practices. This book article aims to give an insight into the work of a primary school teacher, Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir, who started her teaching career in the mid-20th century and finished her career as an educational consultant at the end of the century.

Aspects of school development and teaching methods in Iceland in the second half of the 20th century are discussed to shed light on Matthildur’s story of her professional career and the aspects that influenced her work as a teacher and educational consultant.

When Matthildur began her teaching career, there was a flush in education policy in many countries and changes were made in school systems, teacher training, curriculum writing and assessment methods. More emphasis was placed on diverse groups of students’ access to education, and people’s views of the nature of knowledge and its benefits for our society changed (Wolfgang Edelstein, 2008).

Narrative inquiry was conducted when writing Matthildur’s story, which is described and placed chronologically. This approach helped us capture the moment she expressed at each instance in her narrative. Two interviews were conducted with her. In the first interview, she talked about what was most memorable from her career. The themes in her story were analysed, and in the second interview, the elements that shaped the narrative were discussed in more detail.

In her professional life as a teacher, Matthildur actively studied innovations in teaching practices and progress in school work and adapted them to her classroom practices. She collaborated with inspectors at the Department of Educational Research and the Iceland University of Education staff. The teaching of reading was at her heart, and she looked for ways to improve her teaching methods, making learning to read interesting and enjoyable. She collaborated with specialists in mathematics teaching and sought advice for introducing to parents how she used open tasks and hands-on materials when teaching her students mathematics. Participation in a course about new curriculum material in social studies resulted in her collaboration with a group of teachers who developed ways of teaching social studies. Environmental education and outdoor learning intertwined with her teaching of all subject areas.

When she took on the position as an educational consultant at the Reykjavík Education Office, Matthildur made use of her experience as a teacher and continued to collaborate with professionals in the field of education. She was proud of her contribution to the transition project between kindergartens and elementary schools. Her innovative work concerning dance lessons in the city’s elementary schools, where she collaborated with the Sports Federation and private dancing school in Reykjavík, was successful. The cooperation with the Iceland University of Education contributed to a joint effort to improve teachers’ opportunities for professional development.

The Iceland University of Education, in collaboration with educational offices, organised a Professional skills program that was popular in Icelandic primary schools in the late 19th century. As an educational consultant, Matthildur participated in the program and later on was responsible for organising it in some schools. Emphasis was placed on creating an individual curriculum in special education, and the analysis of learning needs, goal setting, planning of studies and assessment were discussed. Many teachers found that the professional practice program profoundly affected their work in their schools (Þorsteinn Sigurðsson, 1991).

In 2005, the book Fagleg kennsla í fyrirrúmi was published by Hafdís Guðjónsdóttir, Árdís Ívarsdóttir and Matthildur Guðmundsdóttir. The book was built on action research conducted with a group of teachers who collected data from their practices and shared it with the authors.

The intention was to collect stories from teachers about their practices, experiences, and ideas about teaching and learning. As well as working with the teachers doing their action research, Matthildur shared her knowledge and understanding built on her longtime experience as a teacher.

We have concluded that Matthildur succeeded in developing her classroom practices during the more than 30 years she worked as a teacher. Her collaborations with her colleagues and other professionals were significant. During her career as an educational consultant, she built on her teaching experiences and continued to collaborate with other professionals in the education field.