Standard #8 – Instructional Strategies
The teacher candidate understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Summer 2015: One of most important tasks that a teacher has before him or herself is to engage his or her learners in the material that they must cover, irrespective of the students’ enthusiasm regarding the subject matter. Teaching methods and techniques employed must be sound and integrated with the daily lives of her students. Inquiry based activities and authentic learning experiences allow for students to better conceptually understand subjects and remember topics that may have previously gone unretained. Answering the question, “When are we ever going to use this?” is of utmost importance, as is helping students see the importance of pursuing potentially difficult areas of instruction to prove to themselves that they can accomplish great things.
Autumn 2015: Lecture is proven to be the least effective method to learn and retain information. Because of this, we attempt to minimize the time spent in a lecture format, preferring to use inquiry and traditional labs, group research and presentations, and kinesthetic activities to relay information. Students seem to receive working in groups well, and don’t complain when they are randomly assigned work partners. I look to Mr. Smith to guide and suggest ways to present content so that it is most meaningful. Much of the material in chemistry builds upon itself and cycles back around and it is vital to have a sturdy foundation of knowledge when it presented. The best way to achieve this is to ensure that students are engaged with authentic materials the first time something is presented.
Spring 2016: I feel that Standards 7& 8 correlate strongly as I rarely separate my planning for instruction from choosing instructional strategies. Lecture doesn’t cut it. Worksheets don’t cut it. Engagement and relatability must be at the forefront of my mind when tackling lesson planning. As such, fostering a collaborative working environment and a sense of equality is a must. From there, the use of lab and station work, board work, mini white boards and group work arise. Just like life is a story problem, group work is life. Accountability in all of it is key.