I made it clear to my students that they had a voice and should not feel intimidated, even by their peers. I focused on building their self-esteem and confidence early enough because self-confidence was linked to everything else either in the classroom or out in the community. Notably, my students are aware that they could correct me or voice their ideas if they thought I was wrong in a teaching concept. It was surprising, but I learned a lot from that exercise, at times when I would lose insight into a concept. At such times, I picked on an idea that improved my teaching methods and the learning experience at classroom. Even when the students were working in groups, the touch was not lost, and I ensured that I gave the same attention to everyone. …show more content…
Miller (2010) indicates that holistic education incorporates both social change and personal growth, which complements student’s educational achievements. Whereas the presence and guidance of a teacher was needed, it was also best to have the students learn in groups and plan how they will achieve the set tasks. I planned a program where my students were to fulfilled several projects in groups. After ensuring the groups were all set, I released them to working on their own, even choosing their own group leader. I wanted the students to understand the importance of a team to optimize on efficiency and effectiveness. The students also needed to learn the basics of dependence and the importance of sharing value and benefits with others. The groups presented exemplary work and the variety of concepts presented was quite encouraging. By encouraging them to take part in these exercises, I was able to awaken their creativity and beauty in them to shine and reflect on others. I was as impressed by the synergy created by the teamwork and the variety of ideas incorporated into the teamwork. The exercise went well and even proved to be more effective than I had projected. After these strategies, I noted that my students’ grades improved because they had better academic skills, presentation skills, social skills, and even expressed their enthusiasm in working in such similar projects in future. This reflected the essence of holistic education of molding a whole
Another important issue for me has been that each student participates in classroom discussion, that each student has a voice.This is a practice I think is important not because every student has something valuable to say (this is not always so), but often students who do have meaningful comments to contribute are silent. In my classes, everyoneís voice is heard as students read paragraphs which may explore a particular issue.The do not have the opportunity to refuse to read paragraphs.When I hear their voices, I become more aware of information they may not know I can provide.Whether a class is large or small, I try to talk with all students individually or in small groups so I can have a sense of their needs.How can we transform consciousness if we do not have some sense of where the students are intellectually, psychically? (hooks Talking 54, emphasis mine).
I listen to my students. I allow time for their individual impute in what they are learning, and adjust accordingly. I really believe that is why students can be so into the idea of being taught, because they are all encouraged to lead the discussion and projects before them as it relates to the curriculum. I try to learn from my students by listening to their interpretation. I am learning what interest them, and feed off of it in the work that needs to be performed. Work towards a positive social society, with this education does takes place for our students, teachers, and community, all for a better future, one that is full of knowledge and acceptance. What could be any
The job of a teacher is never easy but we have seen how cooperative discipline and enabling students to feel capable, connected and contributing can improve classroom management and maybe even our own moods. If we create an environment of mutual respect and give our students legitimate power of voice and choice in the classroom we will see positive results in improved student behavior and student achievement. Because when our students believe that they can succeed, they will.
Collaborative learning is a situation where two or more people attempt to learn something together. Dillenbourg, P. (1999). Lev Semenovich Vygotsky, (born in 1986), introduced his theory that, human development—child development as well as the development of all human kind—is the result of interactions between people and their social environments. What this states is that the development of a “higher education” is the product of comparing and contrasting ideas of others ultimately to conclude a solution to a problem as a whole or group. Everyone’s input in a collaborative situation will play a role in final solution.
With my personal experience with the class, I believe that it has been about learning different ways to gain info about the world around us. With this information, people gain knowledge of what they know and or maybe something new. Gaining information on certain topics does not only benefit individuals but it can give insight for an entire group of people. Learning these different methods of gaining information such as interviewing, surveys, ethnographies, etc. is not only valuable in sociological studies , but in other subjects. The information we know now when it comes to how people feel about, for example, Donald Trump, most likely came from surveys. Based on methods like that, we make that opinion a fact, no matter how small the group
‘No one can consider themselves a professional unless they are prepared to engage in reflective activities’.
Reflect and discuss how the content in Module 1 prepared you to demonstrate mastery on the assignment in Module 1.
Over the few days that I got to observe at Magnolia Elementary, I observed that the teacher followed the same procedure every day. In the morning before the class started she would allow the students to have a restroom break and fill out their water bottles.
Every classroom is filled with different students and different ways of learning. No two function the same. Therefore, as a teacher, you must create your own learning atmosphere. In my classroom, I hope to have a rich learning environment that corresponds to children of any race and cultural, those who are English Language learners (ELLs) and students with special needs. Furthermore, my classroom should also be a place of collaboration between the teacher and family. Building this strong relationship is important for everyone in the classroom.
Spending time in a classroom can have a way of opening your eyes to parts of the education system that some never considered questioning. I found myself lucky enough to be able to experience time at Cannella Elementary school and Claywell Elementary school which are both located in Tampa. During my time observing I was able to see and discuss the roles of a teacher and how at times they can be limited. I was also able to witness that retention, an age old practice, is still exercised used in schools today. The time I spent in these classrooms have opened my eyes to some new things. I hope to take these experiences and use them to better myself as a teacher.
I introduced new topics by explaining it to the class and then asked the students questions. If I were starting metabolism, for example, I would talk to them about the concept and then would give them a case study. These questions would encourage students to think about the new idea and then apply it to the case study that we had already talked about in class. I always encouraged my students to ask questions. After giving case studies I would put them into group of three and would ask them to write down their thoughts and suggestions. Some of the students have told me that they feel like I am talking ‘with’ them rather than talking ‘to’ them. I have noticed that they are very comfortable in my class and approach me with brilliant questions. While I was invigilating a group of final year students I had to explain them the method to calculate concentrations and dilutions. In science experiments, often one needs to know how much material to use or how much of a solute is present in a solution. I asked them to pair up with the person next to them and gave them a few problems to work on. They approached me whenever they were stuck and I cleared it out for them. By the end of the day they were quite acquainted with all the necessary calculations. They discussed together and prepared the work plan for the week. Group work can be an effective method to motivate students,
High school was incredibly difficult for me. Although I loved learning and was a dedicated worker, my inability to accept anything of my self other than perfection often crippled my ability to do any sort of work. As a result, one of the most significant learning experiences that I have had in school was being shown that perfection is impossible, and that my best effort is enough. My English teacher Miss Pressman facilitated this experience during my senior year. Her empowering compassion as a “warm-demander” truly transformed not only my education experience but also my perceptions on life.
In this course I experienced an important change in my beliefs about teaching; I came to understand that there are many different theories and methods that can be tailored to suit the teacher and the needs of the student. The readings, especially those from Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011), Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2007), and Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010), have helped me to understand this in particular. In composing my essay about teaching methods and other themes, my learning was solidified, my knowledge deepened by my research and my writing skills honed.
Humans are lifelong learners. “Holistic approaches to teaching and learning recognize the connectedness of mind, body and spirit…” (Deewr, 2009). The various learning styles and the needs of evolving human beings’ responsiveness impact on the holistic education. Holistic education’s principle is to prepare children to meet the challenges of living and learning. It involves the children learning to be humans and growing up. Such an education firmly believes that young people should learn about healthy relationships, pro-social behaviour, emotional and social development.
Underpinning my teaching philosophy is the notion that I, as a teacher, will need to connect with my students on a personal level before creating rich learning experiences for them to engage in. I believe that every student is unique as they all have their own knowledge, skills and interests that they bring into the classroom. I feel that it is my responsibility to continuously nurture and challenge them. In saying that, it is also important to provide opportunities for them to learn new things and make new discoveries about themselves and the world around them.