reflection.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
I realise teaching is a profession that requires constant reflection. Everyday, I find myself thinking about the lessons I've had with my classes, and asking myself if there is any way to improve the way I conduct the lesson, so that the students learn more, and hopefully have fun as well.
I also make it a point to obtain feedback from the students, because I believe that teaching is not just the teacher delivering content. Teaching is a subtle art; it involves not just the introduction of new concepts, but also facilitation of the students' learning process and meeting their needs. Once the students feel that their learning needs are met, they will feel happy to be in the class, and the lesson will become very effective for learning. it's a positive cycle, so building this right from the start is important.
This brings me to the point of morale. I think it is important to raise the students' morale. I've been to a class whose morale for a particular subject is very low, and I find most of them giving up totally, despite it being their final year. I don't exactly blame them, but I think that it is sad that such a thing is happening. A teacher, as I said, should not be just concerned about teaching content and setting killer papers, it is also encouraging the students and making them confident about themselves.
One last point about independent learning. I think independent learning comes about when students attempt questions or tasks that require application on their own, and then asking when they face difficulties. This is what I mean by teachers facilitating students' learning. However, I believe strongly the foundation should be taught and explained in the simplest manner possible. If they are supposed to read everything on their own at home, then what is the point of going to school and attending class?
To me, the ideal case should be as such: The students get the handout or notes before the lesson proper, and are told to read before the lesson. During the lesson, the teacher explains the concepts in the simplest way possible. Along the way, the teacher can include real life applications and/or little tasks that make the students think, given their knowledge on the subject matter. If possible, approaches to tackling the topic should be taught. Then, independent learning starts. Students are given assignments or tasks to work on their own, and in the process, they learn.
I have met a fellow teacher who believes that the ideal case is for students to learn a theory from the conduct of experiments. While I think this certainly is a good way to learn, especially in the case of science, this may not be the most practical and feasible method. First and foremost, it's time constrain. Let's face it, at the end of secondary 4, there is O Levels staring right at us. There really isn't time to do experiments all the time. And with a rowdy class, the effectiveness of such a method leaves much to be desired. Another important constrain is the lack of background knowledge. A important assumption in such a model of teaching is that the students actually do have a lot of such background knowledge. However, this is not true of the majority of the students. Before we actually start the experiements, it is important to equip the students with the background information, which more often than not involves foundation concepts. And who says such concepts and information will not spark off the inquisitive minds of our students?
There is so much to share, but for today I will stop here. More of this the next time.
I also make it a point to obtain feedback from the students, because I believe that teaching is not just the teacher delivering content. Teaching is a subtle art; it involves not just the introduction of new concepts, but also facilitation of the students' learning process and meeting their needs. Once the students feel that their learning needs are met, they will feel happy to be in the class, and the lesson will become very effective for learning. it's a positive cycle, so building this right from the start is important.
This brings me to the point of morale. I think it is important to raise the students' morale. I've been to a class whose morale for a particular subject is very low, and I find most of them giving up totally, despite it being their final year. I don't exactly blame them, but I think that it is sad that such a thing is happening. A teacher, as I said, should not be just concerned about teaching content and setting killer papers, it is also encouraging the students and making them confident about themselves.
One last point about independent learning. I think independent learning comes about when students attempt questions or tasks that require application on their own, and then asking when they face difficulties. This is what I mean by teachers facilitating students' learning. However, I believe strongly the foundation should be taught and explained in the simplest manner possible. If they are supposed to read everything on their own at home, then what is the point of going to school and attending class?
To me, the ideal case should be as such: The students get the handout or notes before the lesson proper, and are told to read before the lesson. During the lesson, the teacher explains the concepts in the simplest way possible. Along the way, the teacher can include real life applications and/or little tasks that make the students think, given their knowledge on the subject matter. If possible, approaches to tackling the topic should be taught. Then, independent learning starts. Students are given assignments or tasks to work on their own, and in the process, they learn.
I have met a fellow teacher who believes that the ideal case is for students to learn a theory from the conduct of experiments. While I think this certainly is a good way to learn, especially in the case of science, this may not be the most practical and feasible method. First and foremost, it's time constrain. Let's face it, at the end of secondary 4, there is O Levels staring right at us. There really isn't time to do experiments all the time. And with a rowdy class, the effectiveness of such a method leaves much to be desired. Another important constrain is the lack of background knowledge. A important assumption in such a model of teaching is that the students actually do have a lot of such background knowledge. However, this is not true of the majority of the students. Before we actually start the experiements, it is important to equip the students with the background information, which more often than not involves foundation concepts. And who says such concepts and information will not spark off the inquisitive minds of our students?
There is so much to share, but for today I will stop here. More of this the next time.