Learning Outcome #7: Apply a variety of teaching strategies to develop a positive teaching-learning environment where all students are encouraged to achieve their highest potential.
I remember being in English class as a student and hated
getting worksheets with “critical thinking questions” written at the top.
Critical thinking is a skill that we learn and become master learners of.
Critical thinking causes us to question the world around us. I didn’t realize
how important of a skill this was until I started teaching my own classes. This
is indeed one of the most, if not, the most important skill that students need
to learn. I have discovered through my own teaching that worksheets are
probably not the best way to make that happen, but through challenging the
dominant discourse. The dominant discourse can be anything involving a majority
of society, so having the students question the lives in which they live and
the world around them will build the skills needed for life long learning. This
is why student centered classrooms, inquiry, and collaboration is so important
in building the learning for students.
As a beginner, it is our nature as humans to correct the students with the “right answer.” And students being students will always ask for reassurance with, “Is this the right answer.” I know because I was that student, and working with my students, they almost all do it. It has taken me almost my entire student teaching to get this right. When asking a question to the whole class, instead of giving them the right answer if they didn’t answer correctly, I ask more questions to get them closer to the answer. If they still don’t think critically enough, I ask them to take out a dictionary, or the IPAD to research. A lot of what we discuss is open-ended, so there might not be a “right answer,” but I want the students to get into the habit of thinking critically and making sense of something based on what was read, based on what was talked about, and/or based on what was researched. It is essential for the students to create their own meaning of the world, of texts, and of their writing. The more I teach this way, the more I realize it benefits both parties and in turn promotes life long learners.
As a beginner, it is our nature as humans to correct the students with the “right answer.” And students being students will always ask for reassurance with, “Is this the right answer.” I know because I was that student, and working with my students, they almost all do it. It has taken me almost my entire student teaching to get this right. When asking a question to the whole class, instead of giving them the right answer if they didn’t answer correctly, I ask more questions to get them closer to the answer. If they still don’t think critically enough, I ask them to take out a dictionary, or the IPAD to research. A lot of what we discuss is open-ended, so there might not be a “right answer,” but I want the students to get into the habit of thinking critically and making sense of something based on what was read, based on what was talked about, and/or based on what was researched. It is essential for the students to create their own meaning of the world, of texts, and of their writing. The more I teach this way, the more I realize it benefits both parties and in turn promotes life long learners.
"Positivity is Contagious"
With the seniors at Tully High School, I always tried
connecting the novel to their lives in hopes that all the students would see
the relevance in the language, in the structure, in the word choice, and in the
context that it wasn’t just about soldiers in the Vietnam War, but also, the
significance that stories reveal. For their culminating project, I had them
write an essay titled “The Things I Carry.” The title of the novel is “The
Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien. Many of the boys were interested because
of the soldier dynamic, and the language. Some girls found a connection with
it, but many didn’t try to. One of the essential questions of the unit was:
What are the things that the soldiers carry? And to connect to the soldiers,
and to truly create relevance through the eyes of the students, I had them ask
themselves: What do I carry? Throughout the unit I had the students ask
themselves these questions, and by the end of the unit, many of their answers
changed. In the essay the students were to come up with at least one physical,
emotional, and social aspect that define them as a person. They had the choice
to either discuss what they carry now as a senior in Tully, or what they will
carry as they take the next step in their lives. They also did a reflection on
the unit as a whole, and the text read; if it were my own classroom those
reflections would be taken highly into consideration. The students obtained
feedback from their peers as well as myself helping them with what needs to be
improved on specifically as well as depicting optimism, so they find their own
motivation to excel with their future goals.
Throughout the unit I incorporated a lot of visual aids, direct instruction, and class discussion. I provided them with the skills they needed to be successful. Although, I look back now on my first placement, and realize that I did not do enough group work, which I have found in my second placement at Homer that working in groups develops ownership and responsibility among the students gearing them to be successful the rest of their lives. The ball isn’t completely in their court, however, a larger majority of it is. It is my job to guide the students, facilitate the students, and teach the students, but it is their job to take responsibility of where there education goes, and how much they get out of it. This shows the students that they are trusted, and encourages them to proceed on in a higher level potential.
The Things I Carry Assignment
The Things I Carry Rubric
The Things I Carry Final Example
Throughout the unit I incorporated a lot of visual aids, direct instruction, and class discussion. I provided them with the skills they needed to be successful. Although, I look back now on my first placement, and realize that I did not do enough group work, which I have found in my second placement at Homer that working in groups develops ownership and responsibility among the students gearing them to be successful the rest of their lives. The ball isn’t completely in their court, however, a larger majority of it is. It is my job to guide the students, facilitate the students, and teach the students, but it is their job to take responsibility of where there education goes, and how much they get out of it. This shows the students that they are trusted, and encourages them to proceed on in a higher level potential.
The Things I Carry Assignment
The Things I Carry Rubric
The Things I Carry Final Example