I can honestly say that Bruce Wilkinson’s “The Seven Laws of the Leaner” has changed my life; at least the way that I look at and process my role as someone who teaches others. Wilkinson’s writing style was down to earth and very applicable to everyday life. The book concentrates on teaching you to be a better teacher, which means you are “causing your students to learn”. Wilkinson breaks this book down into seven principles of teaching; the law of the learner, the law of expectation, the law of application, the law of retention, the law of need, the law of equipping and the law of revival. He clearly understands that students learn best when teachers take the responsibility of the students learning. The laws are broken into two chapters each: the first chapter aims at changing your beliefs about teaching and the next, your actions .
The first law, the Law of the Learner, is the building block upon which all other laws are built: the teacher is responsible to cause the student to learn . This is the mindset that all teachers who aspire to be effective must wrap their mind and heart around. Effective teachers must do whatever it takes to ensure that students are learning and attentive. The teaching model should be more than just
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First and foremost, I will always be focused on the fact that it is my responsibility as a teacher to “cause my students to learn”. I cannot teach my students content unless I have prayed and asked God for illumination and for an “appliers heart”. It is important that I understand the content and application before I teach this to my students which should result in a life change for them. Application is the main reason for God’s revelation and it is my responsibility to share this with my students. My ultimate goal is to illustrate how scripture can be used in daily
Both Ronald Morrish and Craig Seganti have been educators for many years and have subsequently developed their theories over many years of teaching. Both believe that it’s important first to establish the belief in students that the educator has the authority and is in command. Morrish and Seganti both also stress the importance of establishing rules and teaching students how to comply with those rules. For instance, Morrish and Seganti assert that it’s critical to practice appropriate classroom rules. Both also agree that it’s important only to make rules that you’re absolutely willing to enforce and that students should not be involved in creating these rules. Moreover, Morrish and Seganti also have similar perspectives regarding how self-esteem
The editors certainly strive to share their passion for this method of understanding Scripture which seems to have been essentially lost to time. The student, formal or layman, is given clear examples of the various writings the editors feel are relevant to the various sections of
Gregory askes, “How can something come out of nothing?” this is a question that queries teachers’ theory of teaching without having the knowledge of teaching. The second law focuses on the where students’ attention is directed, and if they are willing to pursue their education. Gregory points out that the students have to be engaged and interested in what they are learning in order to be considered a learner. This law instructs teachers to pay close attention to where their students are focused on before they begin a lesson or continue on to another subject, because if one student is distracted this will affect the class as a whole and prevent the class from learning. The third law that Gregory points out is the expectation for communication between the educator and the students. This law focuses on the way a teacher talks with their students, and how they need to be clear and direct with their students for them to understand what is being communicated. It also tells teachers to be observant in how their students learn and behave, so they can better understand how to communicate
According to MacCullough (2012), knowing key worldview questions and biblical answers, a teacher is more prepared to integrate biblical worldview activities into their lessons. Moreover, this can be accomplished with ease in Christian schools by integrating the Bible and lessons from the Bible into the lessons being taught. For example, MacCullough (2012) talks about student processing activities and how one story opened up a whole discussion on God and how as humans we can talk to God and that He talks to us through the Bible. Additionally, Dr. Sam Smith talks about those in public schools and how they can integrate biblical principles. He affirms, “We believe you can integrate biblical principles in the public school best by living your life as a model of Jesus Christ and by doing what you do well” (Smith, 2012). This is encouraging for those who choose to work in a public school because, although they are restricted in what they can say, they are still able to integrate a worldview. This can be done by letting Christ shine through them to their students. Similarly, this approach can and should be done in both public, private, and Christian schools. Letting Christ shine through should not just be for those times teachers are in a Christian environment, but in every situation that teachers encounter in their daily lives.
Ornstein, A. C., & Lasley, T. J. (2004).Strategies for Effective Teaching. (4th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill.
My personal philosophy of classroom management focuses on creating an environment where children feel safe and where they feel like they belong. I will create this environment for my fourth grade class through making my expectations of the students clear while developing an engaging lesson plan and personable interactions with my students. I developed my philosophy from studying different theorists and based my philosophy on the theories of Glasser and Kounin. Glasser believed that the teacher’s roll in the classroom is that of a leader rather than a boss. He believed that students should be given power in the classroom and that the teacher should share it with the students. I will use his ‘7 caring habits’ specifically supporting and respecting to help my classroom feel safe and welcoming to my students. Meeting the individual needs of my students will be the focus of my classroom management routine. I will meet individual needs by promoting self management and self efficacy in my students by creating an environment that that has predictable and consistent daily routines while focusing on my student’s successes (Shindler, 2010). Having a predictable routine will encourage a success oriented environment and will reduce anxiety and help towards creating positive self efficacy in each of my students (Shindler, 2010). In Glasser’s Choice Theory he talks about focusing on the present and not bringing up the past (Glasser, 2010). Therefore, I will focus my classroom on being goal driven and will help each student obtain their goals. Thus, helping my students have positive self efficacy. I will apply Kounin’s technique of Momentum (Pressman, 2011). This involves the teacher keeping exercises short and moving around the room a lot so...
Many people in history, as well as my mentors, have influenced my personal learning philosophy about early childhood learning.
Upon being faced with the task of writing my philosophy of teaching, I made many attempts to narrow the basis for my philosophy down to one or two simple ideas. However, I quickly came to the realization that my personal teaching philosophy stems from many other ideas, philosophies, and personal experiences. I then concentrated my efforts on finding the strongest points of my personal beliefs about teaching and what I have learned this semester, and came up with the following.
Over the course of observations, I learned that there is no one way to do anything in teaching. After a few weeks of observing, I was relieved because I thought that I could stop worrying so much about doing the “right” thing with the students. I saw a successful teacher doing, or neglecting to do things that went against what I had been taught. I incorrectly assumed that the choices the teacher made about how to organize the day, approach a lesson, or manage the classroom were mostly a matter of personal preference and that several approaches would produce equally desirable results.
A teaching philosophy is critical in my role as a future successful teacher. It will guide me in the way I conduct myself, how I develop curriculum, and how I establish order in my classroom. As a teacher it is important for me to be consistent with how I manage my classes. With a central philosophy as a backbone it will be easy to follow my own simple guidelines.
The first rule of teaching is "ASSUME NOTHING", this is the most important rule in teaching, as it states teachers must never assume they know everything. They must be updated with every single subject they are teaching, need to know their boundaries, roles, responsibilities and professional values. They have to be aware of changes in policies and rules and be updated with all subjects they are teaching. Teachers are also responsible for updating their knowledge on rules such as Health and Safety at Work, Risk Assessment and Child Protection Guidelines.
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.
Along these two weeks we have been prompt to make a recall to our own way of learning and why we became a teacher: Was it because coincidence, due to life circumstances, maybe because family tradition, was it a conscious decision or because someone influenced us? Whatever the answer is, we have to face reality and be conscious that being a teacher does not only means to teach a lesson and asses students learning. It requires playing the different roles a teacher must perform whenever is needed and required by our learners, identify our pupils needs and preferences, respecting their integrity and individuality but influencing and motivating them to improve themselves and become independent.
The role of the teacher is to instruct his students with valuable and worthy lessons that would produce a favorable change in the life of the students. In order for the instruction to be effective, and in order for the change in the life of the students to be lifelong, the teacher must instill discipline and “make disciples” out of students. Since the law of apperception dictates that all learning depends on skills that were previously acquired, should a teacher succeed in instilling discipline in his students, then his students will be prepared for the next set of lessons that life has in store. Thus, the teacher will have performed his role.
Pike, B., & Bradley, F. (1997). The philosophy of teaching: Developing a statement that thrives in the classroom. Clearing House, 70(3), 125. Retrieved October 6, 2011 from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9703092460&site=ehost-live&scope=site