The Social Studies Teacher I want to be
This is just an informal entry...
I want to be the social studies teacher that makes students realize and develop their potentials to be critical and creative thinkers and most importantly, to assure them that their inputs matter! That they are the stakeholders who can contribute to the social studies classes to make them more interesting and purposeful... In order for me to achieve that,
I want to be the social studies teacher that makes students realize and develop their potentials to be critical and creative thinkers and most importantly, to assure them that their inputs matter! That they are the stakeholders who can contribute to the social studies classes to make them more interesting and purposeful... In order for me to achieve that,
- I must not think of my students as passive recipients of knowledge. They have the tendency to communicate, inquire, construct and express (Westbrook, 1993) and I will ensure that the lessons are designed to promote these predispositions.
- My lessons should infuse their personal experiences and interests with the subject matters. Such that they become more meaningful for the students as they assimilate new information with their prior knowledge or schema.
- They should be made to participate in decision- making and problem- solving of various issues. (Often, it is when we're faced with a problem that we become critical and creative in thinking in order to get out of the fix! )
- I will walk through the processes of thinking and constructing knowledge with them not as teacher but as a learner. I will learn from them and likewise share with them my experiences and strategies. Together, we will be able to contribute to a rich learning environment that respects individual differences and promotes intense discussion of ideas.
But I know that this will be a challenging task... I will need lots of planning, patience, determination, flexibility etc... Will I be able to do it???
I don't know... But I will try and try and try and try… and with every try, I hope... I will get closer to being 'the effective social studies teacher ' that I want to be. =)
"The obstacles you face are... mental barriers which can be broken by adopting a more positive approach."
-Clarence Blasier-
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