Ideas and Concepts Prior to the Practice
Perhaps, one of the most popular myths that are subverted unbelievably fast in the environment of a classroom is that everything goes according to the lesson plan and that all the items from it will be addressed in an expected manner. It turned out that, in fact, there are a plethora of impediments on learners’ way of acquiring the necessary skills, and that removing each takes an impressive amount of time. Another idea that I was positive about until I started my teaching practice concerned the application of visuals. It seemed to me that the more visual aids are incorporated into the lesson, the better understanding of the subject the learners will have.
Teaching Experience: Bursting the Bubbles
It should be noted that some of the elements that slowed down the learning process were somehow expected. For instance, it would be wrong to assume that a teacher could be capable of helping all students at once become invested in the topic of the lesson. Therefore, a significant part of the introduction was spent on motivating the learners to participate in the lesson and be responsive to the information provided to them. Nevertheless, the fact that some of the learners could have attention issues clearly slipped my mind when I was getting ready for the lesson.
As far as the second myth is concerned, it would be wrong to consider it a pure misconception, yet I clearly underestimated the power and significance of the students’ imagination. Although providing examples to basic rules is crucial, learners must also be offered an opportunity to use their imagination and creativity when acquiring new information. It turned out that, when deprived of an opportunity to create their own perspective on the subject matter and use the images that they consider related to the discussed topic, students are likely to lose their interest in the issue rather quickly. As a result, a significant drop in motivation is to be expected (Furrer, Skinner, & Pitzer, 2015).
Challenges and How I Overcame Them
As stressed above, time management was clearly the key issue that needed to be handled in an efficient manner. Although shaping the learners’ behavior is important, the teacher must not inhibit the students’ curiosity. Furthermore, the issue mentioned above could also be viewed from the perspective of control. Although it is important to make sure that the learners receive the necessary information in the course of the lesson, it is also crucial to help them remain invested. There seems to be no harm in the communication process reeling off of the topic slightly when the teacher clarifies something with what the learners have an issue.
Addressing the second challenge required a lot of creativity. While I kept the essential examples that illustrated the key rules intact, I had to develop a more flexible approach toward communication with the class. Inviting the learners to participate in the definition of the problems was a challenging yet welcomed change of pace.
Theory and practice do not necessarily go hand in hand in teaching, which means that an educator must be flexible in applying the required strategies when communicating with learners. As my experience has shown, it is necessary to trust students with their ability to become invested in the process. Furthermore, it is crucial to apply time management strategies that help keep the communication natural and, at the same time, cover the essential elements of the lesson plan.
Reference
Furrer, K. J., Skinner, A. E., & Pitzer, J. R. (2015). The influence of teacher and peer relationships on students’ classroom engagement and everyday motivational resilience. National Society for the Study of Education, 113(1), 101-123.