Today was a good day. I say that because I feel that as a class we touched an a lot of really great ideas and that I was able to start viewing things in a different light. I think that a great aspect of this course is not just want we can learn in terms of tools and strategies that we can bring into the classroom but--and perhaps more importantly--the ways in which we can change our thinking and view things differently.
That is what is happening (though it may be slowly) for me. Though intellectually I understand the importance of making accommodations for where students are developmentally, I have to say I never really took it into consideration in my teaching or in my interactions with students for that matter. I come from and was raised in a culture where, for the most part, you do what you are told, you don't ask questions, and you respect the teacher and do what he or she says. Seeing students as individuals is not something that was really taken into consideration. The article on biology and risk-taking, along with the videos and discussion, has started to change that for me. I am now able to see how behaviours that I viewed as negative can lead to positive outcomes. I am learning to appreciate that by giving students guidance and the opportunity to learn for themselves without me interfering in the process promotes independent thinking and can allow for solutions and ways of thinking far greater than they would likely have come up with if they had been limited by the constraints of the rules and rigidity that are so often found in math.
Hello Nadia,you mentioned several points that I also agree on. One was taking in consideration the developmental state of the students that is in the classroom is something that shapes a teacher's lesson planning and pedagogy. I believe that teachers need to also act as a person that guides the thinking of students if they go off topic. But I do not think that rules in math make it rigid because math is a language and like each language, it is structured around rules.
ReplyDeleteNadia,
ReplyDeleteI fully agree with you regarding the value of continued education, especially as teachers! I find, when I take AQ courses, I get the opportunity to learn a lot about creative lessons I can take back to my own classroom. However, it is the opportunity that I receive to reflect on my own thinking and biases and learn from my colleagues’ views and experiences that helps me grow the most as an educator. As a busy teacher, sometimes we forget to take the time to stop and put ourselves in the shoes of our students, and to stop to reflect on our own teaching practices. That’s why I find that taking AQ courses and having professional development opportunities really helps me be a better educator, because as you put it, it gives us the chance to “change our thinking and view things differently”.