Before learning can occur, students’ basic personal needs must be met. For example, they should come to school with full tummies, weather appropriate clothes, and be fully rested. In my class, I plan on having food accessible for hungry children and will also do what I can to provide suitable clothing to those in need. I hope that as I help to meet their personal needs, my learners will recognize that they are in a safe and caring environment and be able to focus their energy on learning.
As a teacher, it is my responsibility to provide the best education possible for each of my students. Along with Gardner, I recognize that “each individual possesses seven distinct and measurable forms of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, body-kinesthetic, musical, intrapersonal, and interpersonal” (Gardner). It will be important for me to distinguish what type of learners I have in my class so that I can design lesson plans, activities and assignments that will accommodate my students’ individual learning styles. For example, if I have body-kinesthetic learners, I will be sure to include manipulatives for them in math class. I truly feel that understanding and providing for my students’ learning styles will be essential to my success as a teacher, and that it definitely will drive all that I do in my classroom.
Inquiry based learning is one of the most effective ways for children to learn. This style of teaching is guided by the teacher, but fully allows students to decide how to communicate their learning. Simply, inquiry ensures that the ultimate goal of education is realized – that students acquire the skills and abilities necessary to perform and contribute to their community. Students taught by this approach learn effective communication, reasoning and problem solving skills while achieving curriculum outcomes. Inquiry based learning leads to student engagement as students choose topics that interest them and acquire and present their learning in ways that best suit their learning styles. Education theorist John Dewey contends that learning takes place through experiences, and after witnessing this type of instruction taking place, I can’t help but believe that this type of instruction is the best way to provide this experience.
Students learn best when they have a healthy, positive rapports with their teacher that is based on mutual respect. I always loved when a teacher got to know my classmates and me as individuals, and took the time and interest to ask about our weekends, sports events, and family outings. In my experience, their interest in us led to a climate in which we could focus on learning without fear of making mistakes and in which misbehaving was very unlikely. This is the type of relationship that I hope to enjoy with my own students, and the sort of classroom atmosphere that I hope to create.
From Learning to Teaching 