5 Ways to Make Your Classroom Student-Centered
edweek.org
By Marcia Powell
Source: http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2013/12/24/ctq_strengths.html
Key Points: Teaching and Learning concepts that demonstrate learning from our students while we teach which incorporates their ideas in our classroom discussions.
Open-ended questions to induce critical thinking.
Pay attention to why the student is not fully engaged and find their strengths.
Honor the student and their interests in life.
Be vulnerable and admit you do not have all the answers.
Build a classroom students want to attend and develop connections with your students.
Relevance: We have to meet the student at their level of understanding and this will enable the teacher to build a connection of trust and respect. Once this is the foundation of the learning process, the student will have the desire to attend and engage with the material. It is our job to communicate that our classroom is student-centered by our words and our actions.
Audience: Educators.
Great post, this kind of ties into the post I just did as well. If classrooms are student centered, then teachers are incorporating different backgrounds and cultures into the curriculum. It is important for students to learn about different races, ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, etc so they broaden their knowledge and are culturally diverse. I think that if teaching is more student centered then embracing different ideas or thoughts will be more accepted by peers. It's a great way to build community.
ReplyDeleteYour article makes a good argument against the cookie cutter mold that classrooms try to force students to fit into. Working in SPED, I think it is really important to help design a classroom that fits the needs of our students. Students with disabilities are sometimes seen for their weaknesses and not their strengths, so as teacher, designing a classroom to have students utilize their strengths will help them be more successful in and out of the classroom.
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