We are life long learners too

Today I came to the realization that becoming a teacher will be a lifelong journey. To say that anyone can master the art of teaching would be naive. We will always be presented with different situations that we will have to adapt to. I have come to realize that one of the best skills we can develop as teachers will be the ability to read our school environment and the students in our class. We will have to be able to cater our class to meet the needs of our students. Easier said than done. Take for example this conversation I had with a few students.  

Last week I had been helping one of my history classes with a French Revolution simulation assignment. The class was divided up into the 3 estates and were to come up with a list of complaints for King Louis. The idea behind the assignment is that the students will realize that on all issues the 3^rd estate is out voted by the other two, and they will have uncovered the beginning causes of the French Revolution. When asking students how the simulation went, they responded with comments of dissatisfaction. They told me in a history class they like when the teacher talks and they take notes. This caught me by surprise as I thought students hated lectures and notes.

Upon further reflection I realized that to meet the needs of all students we need to gauge the learning styles of our classes. But at the same time, we may have many different learning styles in one classroom. We will have to use a variety of techniques in order to ensure our students meet the learning outcomes and reach their full potential. We need to create an inclusive school environment and this includes including everyone’s learning preference.  It is possible that there are some students in the class who learn better through simulation activities. When it comes time to design lesson plans and activities, I will have to take into account all of the different learning styles of the class. For as long as I am teaching, I will always have to come up with new approaches to teaching similar lessons. We have to be active in our reflection throughout our teaching career. Our teaching will always be evolving.