Philosophy

My instructor in Middle School for Language Arts had a method for authoritative classroom management that not only organized classroom interaction but also motivated students to participate in classroom activities. The classroom was arranged face-to-face style, which contributed to open communication. Efficient classroom management may also be credited to the multidimensional nature of Language Arts that covers multiple activities from reading, writing, listening, and speaking, but the continuous flow of activities that left no gaps for disruption maintained organization in class. The classroom arrangement With the synchronized flow of activities in class, the instructor was an efficient communicator and facilitator, guiding student activity and clearly communicating learning goals and the importance of class participation not only to the students academic but personal lives as well. The instructor communicates well with eye contact and collaborating with students aside from simply directing the communication process. The classroom was a learner-centered environment. Us students were well guided and were aware of what we need to do.

My instructor in Social Science implemented authoritarian classroom management. The classroom was in auditorium style, which made the class less interactive and more formal or one-way. Learning meant listening and absorbing what the instructor said instead of reacting to information. The instructor was more instructive instead of facilitative, and the one-way communication lessened student motivation and attention in class.

The primary argument would be the conflict of learning versus unlearning. When students as young as second graders are subjected to a learning environment that is based on social constructivism, the usually perceived danger is miseducation especially since learning occurs during collaboration and interaction among the students. Another concern is the capacity of the teacher to facilitate the social learning process, ensuring that thought processes are correct and logical. Second graders are in the preoperational stage, based on Piagets cognitive theory, and are incapable of operational and logical thought. Complaints from students may be caused by the learners hesitance to interact and collaborate with each other due to their demand for guidance and direction, while complaints from parents may be their perception that the teacher should impose a dominant role in the classroom setting. Sue can turn the students and parents thoughts around by assuming the modeling role, as described in Vygotskys social learning theory. She should be able to assure the parents of her role in facilitating and guiding learning, and act as a model for her students to follow for them to be comfortable with the learning environment.

The results of my Self-Assessment revealed that I am more inclined to apply objective types of evaluation, such as multiple-choice and figural responses, truefalse items, and audiovisual context setting. However, considering the need for students to be involved in the evaluation process, I believe a balance between objective and subjective types of evaluation should be implemented. Thinking about it, students become more involved in the evaluation process if subjective assessment allows them to air their thoughts and opinions. Students should be given a chance to share what they think and have learned by writing freely about their thoughts on a regular basis. Thus, as a teacher, I will need to administer objective tests in order to determine the amount of learning from the content of the course among the students. Moreover, subjective tests, such as essay-writing, reflective journals, and personal interviews will be instrumental in involving the students indirectly in the evaluation process. It is important to know, beyond learning content, if they understand the value of the course, are aware of how they may be able to practically apply what they have learned in real life, how valuable the learning content and processes are for them, including the inquiry of stating their opinions about the fairness of the evaluation process.