Learning Blog #1

When studying to be a teacher, you learn many things. You learn that people think and learn differently. You also learn that there are many creative ways to teach, that will be much more effective than traditional methods. These first few chapters have touched upon that knowledge. They describe the many ways of learning and also state that you cannot rely on just one. I truly respect and believe those things but when I think about my actual everyday teaching, I'm not sure I consider any of this. I'd like to think, that without really stating it, I am incorporating all of these things into my teaching, but I'm not sure. I think that even though education has progressed over time and changed with new knowledge about the human thinking processes, teaching has not changed all that much. Part of that reason is because of the stress they put on advancing the students at such a rapid pace. There is no time in the curriculum to be creative and try something new. There is not time to let the learners learn by their experiences. It is much more of "they need to learn X in one day and Y in three days and then you need to test them". I can't remember the last time I gave my students a project as an assessment. All these things that we should be doing and considering, we are, generally, not. Although I don't speak for everyone in my chosen field, I know there are a few who would agree with me on this subject. I hope now to try to be more mindful when I am planning lessons and to make sure that I am thinking about the way they are learning and the different types of learning. That may make things better for all involved.