Incorporate different instructional approach in the classroom
By Melissa Pfeffer
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
April 1, 2009
Today’s class was interesting because it delved into many different approaches of teaching that I never really thought about before. I feel that each approach has a certain relevance depending upon the age group that you are teaching. However, I firmly believe that a successful teacher will have the ability to draw upon each approach and fuse different facets together to fit any age group they are teaching. Limiting yourself to a single approach could potentially prevent you from using an otherwise effective teaching method. I enjoyed being able to create personalized lesson plans based on the approaches we learned in class.
When you become a certified teacher there is a large degree of independent decision-making that you must exercise at your own discretion. Getting the opportunity to decide which parts of an approach to incorporate into a lesson plan is just about the most practical and important aspect we could learn in class. I was pleased to see that people used different approaches.
One of my initial concerns was that class would be boring as people borrowed the same parts of an approach into their lesson plan. I just didn’t want everybody to use an approach that was like the “behavioral approach,” or in other words, dry and repetitive. My favorite approach was the cognitive one because it gave me the biggest challenge in understanding. One of the vital parts of learning is facing challenges and mastering things that you initially struggle with. My knowledge of the “cognitive approach” will only make me a more balanced and educated graduate student.
I think that if you are to use only a single approach it is better to associate it closely with the age group you are teaching. The “humanistic approach” is best suited for older students because young children tend to have frequent behavioral concerns. If you stress too much over every detail that the children may or may not understand there is a strong chance the child will grow up sheltered. In other words, he or she will have a hard time reaching conclusions and thinking on their own. It is difficult to make it through the entire day’s lesson if every single question and concern that a child has is answered in great depth. It is of course essential to review learning material with the kids and make sure that everybody in the class is on the same page. But it is important to keep in mind that you really cannot spend a full hour on just one or two questions because it would set the entire class back.
This made me realize that making quick decisions on the spot is another underrated aspect of being a teacher. Sometimes the job calls for making judgment calls which will impact the students in your class. Teachers must have notable analytical skills and a quick mind to diagnose problems. A major part in helping children to learn is being aware of the individual capabilities of those in your classroom. This is something that every teacher (whether new or experienced) should pay close attention to. A teacher is only as effective as his or her ability to connect with the students. Even that connection does not happen instantly, realizing that there is a delay in the communication or learning process can be the first step to righting the ship.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
April 1, 2009
Today’s class was interesting because it delved into many different approaches of teaching that I never really thought about before. I feel that each approach has a certain relevance depending upon the age group that you are teaching. However, I firmly believe that a successful teacher will have the ability to draw upon each approach and fuse different facets together to fit any age group they are teaching. Limiting yourself to a single approach could potentially prevent you from using an otherwise effective teaching method. I enjoyed being able to create personalized lesson plans based on the approaches we learned in class.
When you become a certified teacher there is a large degree of independent decision-making that you must exercise at your own discretion. Getting the opportunity to decide which parts of an approach to incorporate into a lesson plan is just about the most practical and important aspect we could learn in class. I was pleased to see that people used different approaches.
One of my initial concerns was that class would be boring as people borrowed the same parts of an approach into their lesson plan. I just didn’t want everybody to use an approach that was like the “behavioral approach,” or in other words, dry and repetitive. My favorite approach was the cognitive one because it gave me the biggest challenge in understanding. One of the vital parts of learning is facing challenges and mastering things that you initially struggle with. My knowledge of the “cognitive approach” will only make me a more balanced and educated graduate student.
I think that if you are to use only a single approach it is better to associate it closely with the age group you are teaching. The “humanistic approach” is best suited for older students because young children tend to have frequent behavioral concerns. If you stress too much over every detail that the children may or may not understand there is a strong chance the child will grow up sheltered. In other words, he or she will have a hard time reaching conclusions and thinking on their own. It is difficult to make it through the entire day’s lesson if every single question and concern that a child has is answered in great depth. It is of course essential to review learning material with the kids and make sure that everybody in the class is on the same page. But it is important to keep in mind that you really cannot spend a full hour on just one or two questions because it would set the entire class back.
This made me realize that making quick decisions on the spot is another underrated aspect of being a teacher. Sometimes the job calls for making judgment calls which will impact the students in your class. Teachers must have notable analytical skills and a quick mind to diagnose problems. A major part in helping children to learn is being aware of the individual capabilities of those in your classroom. This is something that every teacher (whether new or experienced) should pay close attention to. A teacher is only as effective as his or her ability to connect with the students. Even that connection does not happen instantly, realizing that there is a delay in the communication or learning process can be the first step to righting the ship.
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