Every child possesses a
curiosity for learning. This curiosity might manifest itself in different ways,
but it can be harnessed in the classroom to help the students build an
intrinsic motivation for learning. Although this natural inquisitiveness is
sometimes suppressed by the time a student reaches junior high or high school,
I believe that the proper classroom conditions can help students recapture this
desire for knowledge. Allowing students to discover ways in which they can
connect prior knowledge with new concepts helps build their confidence and
encourages them to take responsibility for their future learning (Svinicki,
1993). It also assures them that they already possess meaningful knowledge. If
new concepts are presented without connecting previous knowledge, the student
might feel that their prior knowledge was somehow invalid, or they may feel
that their prior experiences are not seen as valuable and useful. This
connecting of prior and new knowledge is supported by Vygotsky’s concept of
scaffolding, in which students have a knowledge base on which the teacher bases
new learning (1978). As the student takes ownership of the new learning, the
teacher can move to the next level of scaffolding, removing the prior scaffold
and allowing the student to feel a sense of accomplishment and confidence to
move on to new concepts. This is the sense of accomplishment and confidence
that I hope to instill in students by helping them see how their prior learning
is important.
The constructivist philosophy also encompasses the social background of the student, understanding that all prior experiences contribute to the way in which a student learns and assimilates information (Vygotsky, 1978). By continually encouraging and challenging students, I will capitalize on the concept of the zone of proximal development, in which the student’s “I can’t do this” turns into “I can do this with assistance,” and eventually into “I can do this on my own. When the teacher facilitates student growth by providing positive feedback and opportunities for students to take charge of the learning environment by being active participants, the students become capable of doing more than they might have ever thought possible.
Students should be encouraged to share their own cultural backgrounds in the classroom, as they can be some of the most useful experiences for developing connections to new learning (Vygotsky, 1978). Students rely on interaction with each other as they grow and develop. Sharing culture is an integral part of this need for socialization. Embracing student culture increases the comfort level of students, assuring them that their culture is relevant and important and leading to a richness of diversity in the classroom. Both I and the students will benefit from sharing our culturally grounded perspectives on different topics and issues that arise in the classroom. By encouraging students to be open with sharing their own experiences, I will also be fostering their love of learning by not denying them the opportunity to connect past experience with new learning. I also hope that this will help me connect to the parents of my students, because I know that they are a critical part of ensuring student success. If parents feel that their students are being listened to, they may also feel comfortable speaking to me about student progress and concerns. Learning does not begin or end in the classroom, and I hope that I can convey that to my students and their families.
Students should be encouraged to share their own cultural backgrounds in the classroom, as they can be some of the most useful experiences for developing connections to new learning (Vygotsky, 1978). Students rely on interaction with each other as they grow and develop. Sharing culture is an integral part of this need for socialization. Embracing student culture increases the comfort level of students, assuring them that their culture is relevant and important and leading to a richness of diversity in the classroom. Both I and the students will benefit from sharing our culturally grounded perspectives on different topics and issues that arise in the classroom. By encouraging students to be open with sharing their own experiences, I will also be fostering their love of learning by not denying them the opportunity to connect past experience with new learning. I also hope that this will help me connect to the parents of my students, because I know that they are a critical part of ensuring student success. If parents feel that their students are being listened to, they may also feel comfortable speaking to me about student progress and concerns. Learning does not begin or end in the classroom, and I hope that I can convey that to my students and their families.
I will always model to my students the importance of reading. I believe that reading and being exposed to various authors and ideas can be an important tool in helping a student take ownership of their learning experience. Stephen Krashen (2004) advocates the importance of literacy, especially literacy in a student’s native language. The importance of being able to read a newspaper, magazine, blog, poem, book, short story, or any other work of fiction or nonfiction cannot be overhyped. Reading is an essential piece to student learning. I also agree that students should be encouraged to pursue reading in their native language, especially if they are in an English classroom but are not native English speakers. These students have a rich linguistic and cultural background, with a family that has meaningful experiences to share. If these students are made to feel as if their language or experience is not important because it is not in English, then a great disservice is being done. I will always invite my students to be proud of their heritage, no matter what that heritage may be, and to find ways to make connections with other students and new concepts based on that heritage. Culture is a powerful tool, and if I validate my students’ cultural experiences, I can help them attain the self-confidence that is an essential part of truly owning their learning.
I also want to recognize my responsibility to help my students with their emotional development. Students spend around 25% of their time in the classroom when school is in session, during which time they are learning not only the content areas being taught but also how to interact with others and learn to control emotions. Salovey & Mayer (1990) describe the ability to perceive, use, understand, and manage emotions as being important skills, skills which can be at least partially developed through a fruitful student-teacher relationship. In my classroom I plan to model these emotional skills for my students as consistently as possible, and will look for opportunities to demonstrate appropriate emotional responses.
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Student assessment in my classroom will be rich and varied, just like my students. Objective assessments, such as tests and quizzes, will provide explicit opportunities for checking student learning. I also plan to have my students use a lab notebook, which will help chronicle their progress throughout the school year, acting as a portfolio of sorts. Knowledge checks during instructional time, asking questions during pair and group work, and using peer review and evaluation are just a few other ways that I intend to assess student learning.
My classroom will be full of questions. I will question myself, question students, question the textbook and the curriculum, always in pursuit of student growth and learning. Questioning myself ensures that I am naming, reflecting critically, and acting appropriately. Questioning the students involves helping them discover prior knowledge and make meaningful connections with new material. Questioning the textbook and the curriculum will keep me from becoming stagnant. Just because something works for one group of students does not mean it will work for the next. I hope that developing students’ intrinsic motivation, accepting students’ cultural and social backgrounds, appropriately building and removing scaffolding, expanding students’ zones of proximal development, encouraging literacy, and challenging myself to develop teaching materials based on student needs rather than my own, that my classroom will be one in which my students and I are all free and able to learn.
My classroom will be full of questions. I will question myself, question students, question the textbook and the curriculum, always in pursuit of student growth and learning. Questioning myself ensures that I am naming, reflecting critically, and acting appropriately. Questioning the students involves helping them discover prior knowledge and make meaningful connections with new material. Questioning the textbook and the curriculum will keep me from becoming stagnant. Just because something works for one group of students does not mean it will work for the next. I hope that developing students’ intrinsic motivation, accepting students’ cultural and social backgrounds, appropriately building and removing scaffolding, expanding students’ zones of proximal development, encouraging literacy, and challenging myself to develop teaching materials based on student needs rather than my own, that my classroom will be one in which my students and I are all free and able to learn.
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References:
Krashen, S. (2004, April). Free voluntary reading: New research, applications, and controversies. Paper presented at the RELC conference, Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/articles/singapore.pdf Salovey, P., & Mayer, J.D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. New Haven, CT: Baywood Publishing Co., Inc. Retrieved from http://www.unh.edu/emotional_intelligence/EI%20Assets/Reprints...EI%20Proper/EI1990%20Emotional%20Intelligence.pdf Svinicki, M. (1993). What they don't know can hurt them: The role of prior knowledge in learning. Essays on Teaching Excellence, 5(4). Retrieved from http://podnetwork.org/content/uploads/V5-N4-Svinicki.pdf Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The development of higher psychological processes. Eds. Cole, M., John-Steiner, V., Scribner, S. & Souberman, E. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. |
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