Learning Experience In The Classroom

After a semester of my methods classes and student teaching in a U.S. History 11th grade classroom, I now have a better understanding of the expectations I’ll be required to meet as a teacher. For instance, I know it will be necessary for me to build a trusting relationship with my students in order for them to be receptive in the classroom. Only by getting to know my future students’ interests, talents, and needs I will be able to create lessons that cater to their learning experience. One lesson I learned this semester in my methods class was to not rely heavily on teaching from school textbooks. Textbooks today are written by publishing companies, not historians. That factor alone is a major reason why information in textbooks is usually …show more content…
In all of my classes, there are students who lack motivation and consequently, struggle to complete their work. You can call on them from across the room to get back on task, but that usually only works half the time; a lot of the time they go back to their laptop or cellphone. I have noticed that when I work one-on-one with a student, a positive behavioral change appears. Students I do this with tend to listen more, focus on the conversation, and answer guided questions. I can see that this usually helps them make connections and form opinions, which has proved to be very helpful before they begin working on assignments. Positive reinforcement works really well, too. Saying something like, ‘that’s good!” or “good job” really does help get students to continue to focus on their work and complete their assignments. The more positive reinforcement they receive, the more their confidence and performance in the classroom boosts. This is because when students feel intelligent, they are more likely to commit themselves to achieving academic standards. Interacting with students and showing them I am invested in their academic success is one thing I will continue to do for years. My hope is that with enough attention and encouragement, low-performing students will want to raise their own standards of the quality of work they …show more content…
I want to be the kind of teacher that keeps the students in mind at every moment and in every decision I make. This includes taking responsibility to look into other history sources other than school textbooks. Not all textbooks are bad, but history teachers should provide their students with alternative history texts so that they can analyze how topics are treated differently depending on the author and the intended audience. Beside that, most history textbooks are boring. History is interesting when it is told as a story. Rather than trying to to get students to learn loosely connected events, people, and dates, they would more likely learn the subject better if there was narrative. Fortunately, in today’s day and age anyone can access history and students have many learning opportunities that did not exist before. When I begin teaching, I want my students to have the resources to view and read historical documents and to observe past events through the eyes of people who experienced it. Due to technology, students can immerse themselves in history’s many stories. Another thing I have learned is that showing that you care can also go a long way. Checking-in is a great example of this because it lets the students see that I am concerned and invested in knowing what their learning needs and preferences are. Taking the time to walk rounds around students’ desks, asking