The greatest learning experiences I have ever encountered were just that: experiences. I have observed that to engage oneself in their own learning is the only way to truly understand the material. The philosopher Kahlil Gibran says in The Prophet, “The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and of his lovingness. If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind. The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.” The development of a student’s identity and understanding of the world is just as important as memorizing multiplication tables and vocabulary words.
In my opinion, the goals of education are two-sided. On one hand, there is the social component of a classroom, building relationships, developing as an individual, and expanding one’s awareness about the world in which they live. Prominent philosophers, researchers, and educators such as John Dewey, Theodore Brameld, and Lev Vygotsky supported this idea that learning is a social process, and that students should take and active role in their own education. On the other hand, I believe that if a child leaves elementary school without knowing addition or how to read, we have failed them as educators. Speaking from a practical point of view, there are basic skills that are essential to function successfully in society, and there is simply no getting around that. This does not mean, however, that learning these necessary skills cannot and be interactive and exciting for the students. At the end of formal education, a student should possess not only mathematical and literary capabilities, but also have a sense of life outside their small circle.
My own classroom will be based on the idea that most any lesson can be made interactive and involve even the most reluctant of students. This is where building personal relationships with pupils is so important, as a teacher cannot appropriately gauge a lesson without knowing his or her audience. I am strong advocate for Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, which explains that people learn in different ways. Children comprehend using their spatial, logical, kinesthetic, and musical abilities, to name a few. The implications that this theory has on lesson planning is that one needs to realize standing up in front of a class and simply reading aloud from a textbook is probably only effective for a small percentage of children. Instead, new material can be presented using the written and spoken word, pictures, videos, songs, white-boards, blocks, and a variety of other methods that actively engage students.
The role of a teacher is to present information in a variety of different and interesting ways so the students can personally experience and become invested in the material. That being said, most often a teacher’s job is more about asking good questions to guide student thinking than just explaining correct answers. They should facilitate interaction and conversation, and also put the content into a real-world context. While formal standardized testing can be helpful in many aspects, listening to one’s students discuss the topic at hand is a valuable way to asses understanding. In this manner, students are also encouraged to help one another grasp and interpret what they are learning, instead of promoting the typical competition-based system of numerical grades.
From my own personal experience, I have found that the most meaningful experiences are ones that we share with others. I loved doing group projects, having class discussions, and even just sharing out individual work with one another because learning is a social process; Life itself is about relationships. The best way to learn is to experience the material, and so my own classroom will involve constant hands-on activities, such as growing tadpoles, creating topographic sculptures, and dressing up in historical costumes. It is impractical to construct a curriculum solely around a child’s interests, but it is possible to plan lessons that engage their natural creativity and enthusiasm.
In my opinion, the goals of education are two-sided. On one hand, there is the social component of a classroom, building relationships, developing as an individual, and expanding one’s awareness about the world in which they live. Prominent philosophers, researchers, and educators such as John Dewey, Theodore Brameld, and Lev Vygotsky supported this idea that learning is a social process, and that students should take and active role in their own education. On the other hand, I believe that if a child leaves elementary school without knowing addition or how to read, we have failed them as educators. Speaking from a practical point of view, there are basic skills that are essential to function successfully in society, and there is simply no getting around that. This does not mean, however, that learning these necessary skills cannot and be interactive and exciting for the students. At the end of formal education, a student should possess not only mathematical and literary capabilities, but also have a sense of life outside their small circle.
My own classroom will be based on the idea that most any lesson can be made interactive and involve even the most reluctant of students. This is where building personal relationships with pupils is so important, as a teacher cannot appropriately gauge a lesson without knowing his or her audience. I am strong advocate for Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, which explains that people learn in different ways. Children comprehend using their spatial, logical, kinesthetic, and musical abilities, to name a few. The implications that this theory has on lesson planning is that one needs to realize standing up in front of a class and simply reading aloud from a textbook is probably only effective for a small percentage of children. Instead, new material can be presented using the written and spoken word, pictures, videos, songs, white-boards, blocks, and a variety of other methods that actively engage students.
The role of a teacher is to present information in a variety of different and interesting ways so the students can personally experience and become invested in the material. That being said, most often a teacher’s job is more about asking good questions to guide student thinking than just explaining correct answers. They should facilitate interaction and conversation, and also put the content into a real-world context. While formal standardized testing can be helpful in many aspects, listening to one’s students discuss the topic at hand is a valuable way to asses understanding. In this manner, students are also encouraged to help one another grasp and interpret what they are learning, instead of promoting the typical competition-based system of numerical grades.
From my own personal experience, I have found that the most meaningful experiences are ones that we share with others. I loved doing group projects, having class discussions, and even just sharing out individual work with one another because learning is a social process; Life itself is about relationships. The best way to learn is to experience the material, and so my own classroom will involve constant hands-on activities, such as growing tadpoles, creating topographic sculptures, and dressing up in historical costumes. It is impractical to construct a curriculum solely around a child’s interests, but it is possible to plan lessons that engage their natural creativity and enthusiasm.