Constructivist Approach Essay

The theory I find myself agreeing with the most is the constructivist approach because it is a balance between teacher and student. As a future teacher, I feel it important to have some say in the running of my classroom but I also want the students to feel it is also their classroom. The constructivist approach allows the teacher and students to work as a team but under the direction of the teacher. The teacher provides direction in how the classroom environment should be established, what content will be covered, and conflict resolution. The students are still given options to choose from in each of these category so they feel in control of the learning experience and environment.

Getting to Know Your Students

It is extremely important

A constructive teacher realizes students should participate in creating classroom rules because they will be more willing to follow them. This also means that by “encouraging children to make classroom rules, the teacher minimizes unnecessary external control and promotes the development of children’s moral and intellectual autonomy” (DeVries & Zan, 2003, p. 67). I consider myself an autonomy-supportive teacher because I believe in involving “students in the process of learning by giving them choices” (Brophy, 1998, p. 130). This supports the idea of intrinsic motivation which is to get students excited about learning by giving them freedom to choose how they will complete an assignment. For example, when it comes to students giving a report on an assigned book, they will be given the choice of how they would like to share what they learned and choice of working alone or with other classmates. The method used to share what they learned could be a book report or a video that allows the student to be creative. The goal is for students to have the freedom to choose in a safe environment they help to create.

Class meetings allow students an opportunity to solve group issues as a class under the direction of the teacher. The students gather in a circle and each one shares their observations of the problem, but not “how the problem made them feel . . . (or their) ideas for solving it” (Crowe, 2009, p. 178). Once everyone has shared their observations, each student has the opportunity to share their feelings and solutions. If they do not have something to share or do not feel comfortable sharing their opinion they say pass. They must all agree to a solution or at least be able to live with it. This is a great way for me, a constructivist teacher, to guide students in finding solutions to