Robert John Meehan argues, “Our teaching should always be artfully crafted. It should impart something that is in itself sacred to the senses of our students” (Meehan, John Robert, trans. 2013). I believe that as a teacher, one has the responsibility to not only educate their students but to prepare them for their future. Each student is filled with creative and thoughtful ideas that will benefit the whole class. As an English teacher, I hope to increase my students (a) reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, (b) provide them with an environment to flourish socially, and (c) impact their overall mindset towards learning. Not only do I wish to pass down my knowledge of English literature and writing to my students, I wish to continue
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Social interaction in the classroom will lead to an advancement in my students’ cognitive development (Vygotsky. 1978. pp 56-57). I believe in the Jigsaw method (Aronson, E. & Patnoe, S. 1997), as a way to incorporate group work into my classroom. Cooperative learning enhances student learning and achievement (Korkmaz Toklucu, S., & Tay, B. 2016). While I will have lectures in my classroom, I plan to incorporate frequent class discussions, in which my students build off of each other’s ideas and learn from one another. In doing this, my students will be able to form schemas and internalize the ideas being discussed in class (Vygotsky. 1978. p 56-57). I believe in the benefits of peer-led discussion of literature, in which the teacher acts as a facilitator. Peer-led discussions lead to increased (a)comprehension, (b) engagement, and (c) critical thinking skills. When students are given the opportunity to lead the discussion, they are more likely to have positive attitudes about the literature and a greater ability to read critically (Coffey, Genya. 2012). In addition, students have been found to use the ideas brought up in class discussions in their writing. Studies have shown that class discussions allow students to generate new ideas and propose them in their papers (van Drie, J., & van de Ven, P.
Social interaction in the classroom will lead to an advancement in my students’ cognitive development (Vygotsky. 1978. pp 56-57). I believe in the Jigsaw method (Aronson, E. & Patnoe, S. 1997), as a way to incorporate group work into my classroom. Cooperative learning enhances student learning and achievement (Korkmaz Toklucu, S., & Tay, B. 2016). While I will have lectures in my classroom, I plan to incorporate frequent class discussions, in which my students build off of each other’s ideas and learn from one another. In doing this, my students will be able to form schemas and internalize the ideas being discussed in class (Vygotsky. 1978. p 56-57). I believe in the benefits of peer-led discussion of literature, in which the teacher acts as a facilitator. Peer-led discussions lead to increased (a)comprehension, (b) engagement, and (c) critical thinking skills. When students are given the opportunity to lead the discussion, they are more likely to have positive attitudes about the literature and a greater ability to read critically (Coffey, Genya. 2012). In addition, students have been found to use the ideas brought up in class discussions in their writing. Studies have shown that class discussions allow students to generate new ideas and propose them in their papers (van Drie, J., & van de Ven, P.