What worked and why?

When I first began my ten week practicum, my teaching philosophy seemed pretty simple and easy to follow through – my duty, as an educator, was to assist each and every student to the best of my ability to help them reach their fullest potential. However, as I began teaching in various classrooms settings, I began using a teacher-centered method, which, very much so, backfired in my face. There were times where I felt hopeless and lost as I realized that I was unable to aid every student to the best of my ability. I was unable to cater to every student’s individual needs and I became extremely frustrated.

With the help of my faculty and advisor and school advisors, I began to slowly realize that not all students learn the same. When planning units and interacting with students, I had to become conscious of their different learning styles and the rate in which they learned concepts. I started to switch from a teacher-centered method to a student-centered method, where students were placed in small group discussions and group activities. As soon as I started trying out this new method, the atmosphere of my classroom settings completely changed. Students became more engaged with the curriculum and with each other and as a result, they began learning from their peers. I was no longer a dictator of learning, but rather a facilitator.

As a facilitator of teaching, it is essential to give students the opportunity to learn on their own. It is a teacher’s job to assign tasks and let students take the reigns to expand their knowledge. As a facilitator, it is also important to ask students thoughtful questions that students will critically examine and reflect upon. By taking on a facilitator role as a teacher, I am now able to learn more about each student individually as part of a smaller group (via assisting students during small group discussions), while also giving students the opportunity to explore their independent learning styles by introducing more than just a lecture-style environment. I have realized the importance of creating depth in my lesson plans while still giving students the responsibility of taking control of their own learning.