Actions Of A Teacher Who Is Behaviorist

Actions of a teacher who is behaviorist: As a behaviorist, you believe that learning takes place when knowledge is separated into smaller bits. Students are rewarded for successful answers. Instruction focuses on conditioning the learner's behavior. Learning involves repetition and association and is highly mechanical. Behaviorist leaning teachers focus on a new behavioral pattern being repeated until it becomes automatic.(Schuman) The role of the behaviorist teacher is providing stimulus material and prompting the correct response, while the learner's role is to be the receiver of the information response until the behavioral change is permanent. (Applications of Learning Theories) Teachers with a behaviorist leaning view errors as not enough conditioning. Without repetition and proper conditioning, students will make mistakes. Behaviorism can also be thought of as a form of classroom management. Behaviorists believe human beings are shaped entirely by their external environment.If you alter a person's environment, you will alter his or her thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The system is based on rewards and punishments. Behaviorists believe that if teachers provide positive reinforcement, or rewards, whenever students perform a desired behavior, they will learn to perform the behavior on their own. The same concept applies to punishments. Behaviorists think people act in response to internally or externally generated physical stimuli. They basically consider human nature to be the product of one's environment.An example of behaviorism is when teachers reward their class or certain students with a party or special treat at the end of the week for good behavior throughout the week. The same concept is used with punishments. The teacher can take away certain privileges if the student misbehaves. 2. Actions of a teacher who is progressivist: Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are fundamental to one's education. Believing that people l earn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives, progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences, interests, and abilities of students.Progressivist teachers try making school interesting and useful by planning lessons that provoke curiosity. In a progressivist school, students are actively learning. The students interact with one another and develop social qualities such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. In addition, students solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter in their everyday lives. Progressivists believe that education should be a process of ongoing growth, not just a preparation for becoming an adult. An obvious example of progressivism would be our class.We are in groups a lot and we actively learn through discussion. We talk about how what we read can be incorporated into our future teaching careers. Dr. Theodore takes into account the suggestions from the previous semester's students an d modifies his class accordingly. My reflections pg. 15 As a future teacher, I must ensure that I am prepared to organize my classroom in ways to inspire my students. I believe most strongly in the constructivist philosophy of teaching. I believe a constructivist teacher should be a guide for the student.My classroom will be full of motivational words and pictures, with bright colors. I want there to be something on every wall that will inspire my students to ask questions. I want my students to think critically with my guidance and support. I feel it is important for my students to feel safe within the walls of my classroom and feel free to explore their environment and create their own learning. Through experiences and investigation, the students within my classroom will continue to take steps forward to their educational and emotional development.I also believe that children should grow together. Although some students may be advanced, while others may have special needs, I think it is important to start at one point. Occasionally, some students may need scaffolding in order to reach the ability of other students, but through guidance and support I want to allow each child to grow individually. Differentiated instruction will be vital be to help assist students on different learning levels. Moreover, each student's individuality should be considered when planning activities and molding each activity for them personally.I want to ensure that each student is being challenged, no matter what their starting level may be. My educational philosophy is simple; I believe all children have the right to an enriching education! I believe all children are unique and need a safe and enriching environment to learn and grow, emotionally and intellectually. Education is the stepping stone to a child's future and it is important to make sure every student learns what they need, in order to help them succeed in their adult lives.As a future teacher, the three areas I believe will make my classroom efficient and motivating to my students are (1) teaching as though I am guiding my students through the knowledge I present to them (2) giving my students the freedom to let their curiosity take them further and (3) encouraging my students to respect their peers and the things of the world. I plan to hold my students to the highest expectations because I feel that is my obligation. I want my students to know they can achieve anything, just as long as they put their minds to it.I will be open-minded and will always encourage creative thinking. I want the activities my students participate in to be intrinsically motivating. The Russian psychologist Vygotsky emphasizes the idea of allowing students to work together and help each other learn. This can be done through scaffolding; assisting students in the early stages of learning and slowly decreasing the assistance and letting students figure things out independently. I want my students to learn through interact ions with their peers and be able to use their minds and construct their own ideas about what information I give them.This idea comes from the constructivist theory of learning; giving students the freedom to discover and apply ideas through the information they receive. My desire is to have the students be completely satisfied in learning new and even challenging things and that they are fully engaged in what they are learning. I want their learning to be of the purest nature and I want them to really enjoy every aspect of learning. I want my students to feel comfortable in my classroom, so I plan to come to class everyday with a smile, an open heart, and a sense of humor.Teaching comprises many aspects, but the one aspect I feel that is most important is stirring the minds of students, letting their curiosity take them into learning, and allowing them to enjoy the rewards of their achievements. That said, the importance of philosophy in education is the fact that it is the foundat ion in which all academic teaching and intellectual learning is built off. My future application pg. 16 Learning encompasses three broad domains—knowledge, behaviours and attitudes.When we create a positive environment for learning, we set the conditions for students to move through a range of behaviours in each domain, from simple to increasingly complex, until they achieve mastery of the course learning outcomes. The challenge of creating a positive learning environment is one that all teachers face regardless of the physical environment in which learning takes place. Learning can occur in many settings, not just in the classroom. Accordingly, the term â€Å"classroom† in this book is used figuratively and includes a wide range of learning environments.Creating a positive learning environment is the cornerstone of effective teaching. In order for our students to succeed, they must first believe they can succeed. Students must have confidence in their abilities and th ey must feel that the teacher shares that confidence. A positive learning environment nurtures these feelings by allowing students to explore and expand their knowledge without undue risk or fear. A positive environment is fostered when learning outcomes and expectations are clearly communicated to the student.Students have a wide range of learning needs and styles, and this diversity must be taken into account in employing a variety of teaching strategies. The size of the classroom, the arrangement of the furniture, the functioning of equipment and other physical aspects of the class all contribute to, or detract from, the learning environment. When these factors can be manipulated to be positive influences, an environment more conducive to learning will be created. Creating a positive learning environment is the cornerstone of effective teaching.As teachers we are accountable to our students, as well as to their future employers. Clearly , there is no one â€Å"right† combi nation of elements that will magically result in a positive climate for learning for every student. Creating and maintaining a positive learning environment is an ongoing process. Clearly, there is no one â€Å"right† combination of elements that will magically result in a positive climate for learning for every student. The methods you devise will be uniquely yours and will reflect your own personal style and the philosophy, direction, goals and skills of your particular program, faculty and students.You will bring your own creativity as a teacher to build on the wide variety of experience of teachers across a range of disciplines. In teaching and learning Teaching and Learning provides leadership, service, and support in the development, implementation, and dissemination of learning standards in all curriculum areas. We support school districts and their educators in delivering high quality instruction of the learning standards that ensures students achieve at high levels. Clarity of communication, collaboration, coordination, and commitment are the core values that guide our work.Addressing diversity of learners The guiding research question – How well prepared pre-service teachers believe themselves to be to teach students of diversity? -provided an effective means of ascertaining the effectiveness of one university’s teacher preparation program as it relates to this issue. Discovering the pre-service teachers’ perspective was germane to this study for identifying the degree to which the teacher preparation curricula and field-based experiences influenced their beliefs about diversity; thus preparing them for teaching students of diversity.It became evident that these future teachers had differing meanings of diversity and there was a perceived disconnect between how well the curricula compared to their field experiences prepared them to teach diverse populations. The purpose for conducting this study has been twofold. First, th e objective was to learn how prepared the students in our teacher education program; perceive themselves to be to teach the diverse student populations found in an ever-increasing amount of public schools. Learning this information can influence policy and practices in this University’s teacher education program.Having conducted this study for this primary purpose, it is encouraging to have research drive decisions that address the issues of enhancing diversity training in teacher preparation programs. MY OBSERVATIONS 1. Classroom Arrangement The classroom I observed was the first grade class of Mrs. Wunderlin at Winchell Elementary School. The student’s desks were arranged into groups of six. I believe that the student’s desks were arranged into groups to promote social interaction, which builds a community for the students. When the students sit in groups it is easier for them to work as a team.The classroom also consisted of a reading area, which had a variet y of books. There were picture books and chapter books that covered low, average and advanced reading levels. In the back corner of the room there was a math area. The math area had several containers of manipulative objects that students could use to solve mathematical problems such as rods and cubes. Along the back wall of the classroom were two computers. Above the computers were photographs of the students and above each photograph were a drawing of a self-portrait created by that student.This is a great activity to use at the beginning of the year that helps students get to know the names and faces of their classmates. I really enjoyed looking at them and will do this activity in the future. At the front of the classroom was the teacher’s desk next to the board. Beside the teacher’s desk was a word wall. Word walls are excellent tools to use in the classroom. On the board Mrs. Wunderlin had the daily schedule which was reading, spelling, lunch/activity, story time , math, music, social studies, and ending with science. Also on the board were a class number grid and a clock to learn how to tell time.Next to the board was a bulletin board that had a calendar on it. All these items are essential to have in a first grade classroom. It did seem that students shared ownership in the classroom. They are allowed to have water bottles on their desks and a â€Å"toolbox† as the teacher referred to it, which was a small plastic container that the students put their writing utensils in. Besides from allowing students to have items on their desks during class time, students didn’t have to ask to use the restroom, they just get up even when the teacher is talking.The students also had a â€Å"respect† guide that was located on the wall so they can always refer to it. The â€Å"respect† guide is, for every letter in the word respect stood for a word that students should follow in the classroom. The letter â€Å"R† for resp onsibility, â€Å"E† for effort, â€Å"S† for solving problems, â€Å"P† for perseverance, â€Å"E† for empathy, â€Å"C† for confidence, and â€Å"T† for teamwork. I loved this idea and will add it to my list of things to have in my classroom. 2. Bulletin board display I went around the School Areas and I saw different Bulletin Board Displays located from the first to third floor.In every level of Basic Education, they have their own bulletin board display. Some are colorful and some are simple. The contents found are the list of the pupils with their pictures, lists of their subjects and their academic performances, schedules, word for the day, eye-openers, â€Å"legacy of excellence†, achievements, and the like. There are no misspelled words used in the display, the messages are clear, precise and consistent, the colors and designs always suit the interest and age of the pupils. 3. School playground I love going there; it’s such a celebration of the carefree spirit that all kids possess.The rear entrance to the school requires a short walk across two huge sports fields, which are always occupied by screaming, laughing, playing, running kids. There are books and chapters in books and no doubt countless pages on the internet describing various techniques for undertaking this part of a child’s assessment. Over the years I have practiced, I must have looked at hundreds of examples. For a parent or teacher seeking information on observation techniques it must seem very confusing. The following techniques are the methods I have settled on and used successfully for years; both are very simple.I always use both techniques sometimes in sequence but more often in tandem. If you are new to observation I would suggest doing them in sequence, you will naturally begin to use them in tandem as you gain experience. All you need is a note pad a pen and a watch. 4. Learning resource center Learning resources can be broadly defined to include books, libraries, bookstores, consultants, teachers, newspapers and journals, computers, on-line services†¦ just about anything that will either act as a source of learning or as a point of access to other learning resources.Until we start looking for them, many of us are unaware of the existence of these resources or under-estimate their potential value 1. Class routines Co-Curricular Activities are positive outgrowths and extensions of the regular curriculum in the schools. A co-curricular activity is one generated for a class or course, with the idea that all students participating in the class or course may be involved. Extra-curricular activities are those which contribute to the spirit of the school, personal growth of the participant and the positive aspects of school participation but do not offer credit.