I think a good and effective teacher teaches the whole child. That is, teaching the child the social skills they need to become good citizens. I think that too often, teachers are transmitters of information. Teachers often stand or sit in front of the class, while the students sit on the floor. As a teacher, I want to collaborate with my students. I want them to feel like they can approach me and I want them to want to approach me if they are having difficulty.
Additionally, I believe that emotional engagement is the key to all powerful learning. Therefore, the lesson plans that I have described revolve around this belief. When I was in elementary school, I had one teacher that believed the only way to teach was to enforce discipline and structure. I remember going home from school and feeling relieved that I did not have to sit up straight and be prepared to answer any and every question the teacher might throw at me. She would pick on people to answer questions. I want my students to want to answer questions and not worry if they get it wrong the first time. I think by creating a sense of comfortableness in the classroom, students will actively participate in classroom exercises. My favourite teacher of all time was a teacher I had in high school. Every few weeks she would ask us to meet with her outside of class individually. During these appointments, she would comment on our progress. This showed us that she cared and that she wanted us to tell her of our difficulties, strengths, concerns, wishes, etc. Learning was a reciprocal process. In sum, I think it is important to connect with your students on an emotional level as I believe it is a key element in the development of learning skills.
Additionally, I believe that emotional engagement is the key to all powerful learning. Therefore, the lesson plans that I have described revolve around this belief. When I was in elementary school, I had one teacher that believed the only way to teach was to enforce discipline and structure. I remember going home from school and feeling relieved that I did not have to sit up straight and be prepared to answer any and every question the teacher might throw at me. She would pick on people to answer questions. I want my students to want to answer questions and not worry if they get it wrong the first time. I think by creating a sense of comfortableness in the classroom, students will actively participate in classroom exercises. My favourite teacher of all time was a teacher I had in high school. Every few weeks she would ask us to meet with her outside of class individually. During these appointments, she would comment on our progress. This showed us that she cared and that she wanted us to tell her of our difficulties, strengths, concerns, wishes, etc. Learning was a reciprocal process. In sum, I think it is important to connect with your students on an emotional level as I believe it is a key element in the development of learning skills.