I believe in a student-centered classroom, where students and teachers learn together. In some classrooms where it is a “teacher-centered classroom” students are passive and the teacher mainly does the talking and teaching. Students are expected to listen and not share their thoughts. This is not what I believe in. I believe in a classroom that revolves around the students, because they are the learners.
I have learned that in order to be an effective teacher, my students will learn from me, and I will also be learning from my students.
When you are a teacher, you have to drop your expectations that every lesson will be perfect. Sometimes, a lesson will fail. Students might not understand the way you teach something. I learned to drop these expectations, and to prioritize the students and how much they are learning. This being said, changes have to be made and you need to be flexible in order to be a teacher who listens to the classroom.
Through my three units I taught this year, I grew as a teacher. I learned to listen to my students in a different way. I committed to teaching and learning from them.
The three units I taught helped me to develop this mentality. Now, I am constantly thinking of my students when I plan my lessons. In my three units, the student work and videos will prove my commitment to centering my students.
I believe all of my students are future scientists, historians, mathematicians, and writers. My students will believe this if I am able to show them how smart they truly are. I committed to finding different ways for my students to access the material. Centering my students in every lesson I create allows me to create lessons that are meaningful and engaging.
Thank you all for listening.