I believe that the purpose of education is to prepare students to become successful adults that contribute to society. Through necessary and proper education along with experiences that develop students' minds to think critically, it is possible for them to become successful contributors. It is my duty to play a small, yet important, part in the education of each student I teach. It is small because students will have many teachers throughout their education. However, it is important because anything a student learns in the classroom has its place in forming the mind of a student.
The modern classroom is diverse and that each student is unique. It is important to understand each unique student in order to successfully aid in their education. By understanding a student's cultural background, learning style, and personality, I can determine the best way to teach a student. I sincerely believe that students who feel understood are more likely to embrace learning rather than neglect it.
Students learn from things that truly engage their minds. By presenting material in an interesting and diverse way, students are more inclined to engage their minds into what is being taught. Challenging students in ways that develop their ability to think critically is important to the learning process. The curriculum should be designed in a way that requires students to dig deeper into material, but that will not be a given for my career. Sometimes the curriculum can be a little vague. As a result, this can lead teachers to simply present facts rather than teach. I've experienced many teachers that have done things in such a way, and their actions have left an effect on me. However, that effect has motivated me to be the teacher that students hate and love. Students may hate me because of the challenges I will present them. However, students may, and hopefully, love me because they will be prepared for the future.
Students are more effective learners when they are in a comfortable atmosphere. Students that feel uncomfortable will be distracted by whatever is making them feel that way. For example, if a student is worried about how a teacher may respond to a question, the student may not learn what is being taught at that moment. By creating an atmosphere that promotes and rewards participation, students are more likely to fully understand what is being taught. I also believe that how I present myself as a teacher influences how a student feels. Students that immediately feel adverse to their teacher will more than likely not learn anything from them. However, students that feel encouraged by their teacher are more likely to admire that teacher. Through that admiration, students are more inclined to learn from that teacher. If I encourage rather than oppress students, they will likely be more comfortable when I am teaching.
I believe that my focus should be on the actual education of students. If focus is placed on test scores, then students will learn how to simply take those tests. If focus is placed on simply presenting facts on a PowerPoint presentation, students may memorize those facts but not know what conclusions to draw from them. If focus is placed on babysitting students with busywork until they are eighteen years of age, then they will learn how to simply look up answers. However, I'm not saying that these things aren't important. Tests are needed to assess how much a student is learning. Facts from that PowerPoint presentation are needed to draw conclusions. Learning how to find answers rather than being told the answer is important as well. These techniques are all tools being used for a common purpose, but you can't build a house with only a hammer. If I combine these techniques as well as many others, then I can legitimately aid in the education of students.
The modern classroom is diverse and that each student is unique. It is important to understand each unique student in order to successfully aid in their education. By understanding a student's cultural background, learning style, and personality, I can determine the best way to teach a student. I sincerely believe that students who feel understood are more likely to embrace learning rather than neglect it.
Students learn from things that truly engage their minds. By presenting material in an interesting and diverse way, students are more inclined to engage their minds into what is being taught. Challenging students in ways that develop their ability to think critically is important to the learning process. The curriculum should be designed in a way that requires students to dig deeper into material, but that will not be a given for my career. Sometimes the curriculum can be a little vague. As a result, this can lead teachers to simply present facts rather than teach. I've experienced many teachers that have done things in such a way, and their actions have left an effect on me. However, that effect has motivated me to be the teacher that students hate and love. Students may hate me because of the challenges I will present them. However, students may, and hopefully, love me because they will be prepared for the future.
Students are more effective learners when they are in a comfortable atmosphere. Students that feel uncomfortable will be distracted by whatever is making them feel that way. For example, if a student is worried about how a teacher may respond to a question, the student may not learn what is being taught at that moment. By creating an atmosphere that promotes and rewards participation, students are more likely to fully understand what is being taught. I also believe that how I present myself as a teacher influences how a student feels. Students that immediately feel adverse to their teacher will more than likely not learn anything from them. However, students that feel encouraged by their teacher are more likely to admire that teacher. Through that admiration, students are more inclined to learn from that teacher. If I encourage rather than oppress students, they will likely be more comfortable when I am teaching.
I believe that my focus should be on the actual education of students. If focus is placed on test scores, then students will learn how to simply take those tests. If focus is placed on simply presenting facts on a PowerPoint presentation, students may memorize those facts but not know what conclusions to draw from them. If focus is placed on babysitting students with busywork until they are eighteen years of age, then they will learn how to simply look up answers. However, I'm not saying that these things aren't important. Tests are needed to assess how much a student is learning. Facts from that PowerPoint presentation are needed to draw conclusions. Learning how to find answers rather than being told the answer is important as well. These techniques are all tools being used for a common purpose, but you can't build a house with only a hammer. If I combine these techniques as well as many others, then I can legitimately aid in the education of students.