Teachers have an advantage being in a field of working with others. They are able to create an environment that supports students, and pushes them to challenge prior beliefs to form new experiences that will help shape their knowledge. The teacher should set the stage for learning, but they should never be the main act, and my philosophy for teaching is centered around that idea.
This starts at creating a strong foundation for respect and love within the classroom. Children need to feel cared for and empowered before learning can happen. It is important for teachers to focus on relationship building, which is at the heart of a student centered classroom. A student centered classroom allows for inquiry and gives students a chance to have a more authentic learning environment. "Children learn the best lessons when they're given a task and allowed to make their own choices (and fail) when the cost of failure is still small" (Fay and Funk, 1995). Then have the support of the teacher to foster those experiences into new knowledge. Each individual will have differences that can enhance or hinder their ability to conceptualize ideas. It is the teacher’s goal to take those differences and make them applicable in the classroom. A way that a teacher may address these differences in student’s needs is to differentiate instruction. This can be differentiating the content, process or product in order to address student readiness, interest, and learning profiles. In order to have a classroom that allows for student inquiry it is important to note how students cognitively develop. Overall I believe that the classroom is a place to explore and interact with the material presented. It should be student centered, and involve collaboration with others including the teacher. To have rigorous and relevant learning to challenge the students and to actively engage the mental process. It should contain meaningful assessment to ensure that every student is receiving knowledge that will help them assess the world around them. Students should always be the primary focus, teachers are simply there to aid in the process. |
Great teachers show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see Lauren had a high level of Inquiry in her lab |