Classroom Environment, Ideas on Learning and Ideal Teacher

Introduction

This is ideal teacher essay where I, as a teacher, will show my ideas at classroom environment, ideal teacher and learning. Education is the process of teaching and learning with the view to remove ignorance. According to Wolhuter, et al. education is the ever changing process of acquiring, knowledge, and skills with the purpose to free the human mind. In light of the above definitions it is apparent that education is a social learning that holistically involve every human being in the society at large. In consideration of the South African school context, every teacher should have a teaching philosophy which constitute his/her beliefs and core ideas about being an ideal teacher, who educate for Ubuntu, for interpersonal and cooperative skills, and for human wellbeing or human flourishing in the society. This will help the teacher to make informed decisions in teaching and learning in the African education system or particularly in South Africa. The philosophy that has influenced my thinking as an ideal teacher, about teaching and learning in my subject discipline is progressivisms teaching philosophy.

Ideas on Which I Have Based My Thinking About Education

Progressive philosophy, is a learner centered pedagogical movement that respond to conservative education that serves to preserve the norms. It is what Althusser, L., call reproduction of the production of state apparatus. As opposed to conservative, progressive education, emphasize on learning by doing, problem solving, cooperative learning, critical thinking, lifelong learning, social skills, and understanding goals for learning. This philosophy does not prepare learners for life, which according to Dewey, J. education is life itself. Progressive education philosophy is sine qua non to African philosophy of Ubuntu. In light of the above, my role as an ideal teacher, in an ideal school context is to create conducive learning environment that is characterized by cooperation, love, Ubuntu, opportunities, critical thinking which also embrace the 4IR in the classroom. This ideas have formed the basis of my thinking about education, particularly on teaching and learning in the classroom.

My Classroom Environment 

I perceive education as a tool used to enable learner’s ability to think critically and to integrate ideas as opposed to accumulation of facts. As a result, I create a classroom environment where learners are actively involved in their own learning. I approach teaching as a mediator, guiding learners from their actual development to their potential development. According to Education White Paper 6, a teacher must adapt his/her teaching styles to fit the diverse learning needs of all learners in the classroom. One of the strategies I employ in my classroom is to value learners’ prior knowledge, by asking them questions prior to the lesson. This strategy allow learners to feel valued in the classroom, as a result they participate and take charge of their own learning through connecting ideas using the process called schemata. Examples, of an instance where I value learners prior knowledge is during the lesson when I teach literature, because most of the literary work such as short stories, poems, plays, and novels are written in conjunction with real life examples, therefore before and during the lesson I always ask questions as well as giving real life examples so that learners can relate. According, to Bronfenbrenner, U. different systems such as school, church, playground, family, friends and economy affect learners different stages of life, therefore in light of this I create a classroom environment whereby as an Ideal teacher, I collaborate with all stake holders involved in the process of education in order to help learners reach their full potential in the process of education.

My Ideas on Learning 

I believe that learners are capable of thinking for themselves. It is for this believe that I create a classroom environment were my learners learn by doing, so that they can be autonomous in their own learning. I achieve this by making use of different teaching strategies such as reciprocal teaching strategy to conduct my lesson. I view learners as subject who are critical thinkers integrating past and present ideas in the classroom. In my subject discipline, which is English, I use real life examples which will help learners to relate and engage in the lesson. My role as an ideal teacher is to mediate, by responding to the learning needs of all learners. For example when a learner struggles with something that act as a learning barrier I make a provision to respond to that needs. A teacher should adapt his teaching styles, to fit the needs of all learners, because all learners can learn but not in the same time and definitely not at the same pace. My goal is to teach learners through their five senses of learning, thus hearing, touching, smelling, taste and visual, so that they can be critical thinkers, and problem solvers who will in future contribute meaningfully to the economy of the country.

My Ideas on Teaching 

Teaching is the process of imparting knowledge to learners with the view to emancipate their mind so that they can think for themselves. Learners acquire knowledge using their five senses. Their difference in knowledge acquisition affect my teaching practice. I approach teaching as a mediator, so that I can afford all learners an equal opportunity to participate and take charge of their own learning under my guidance. For example I make use of group discussions, peer discussion as well as one on one consultation so that I can be as inclusive as possible in my lessons. According to Merkel, V-J and Van Der Merwe,. the teacher as an assessor one of the principles of assessment is that it must be fair. As a result, during and after my lesson in use different assessment method such as diagnostic, formative, authentic and summative in order to afford all learners an equal opportunity to succeed in their learning. When drafting my lesson plan, I ensure that I use different instructional strategies such as direct instruction, hands on learning, differentiated learning inquiry-based learning and many others so that I can reach out to diverse learners in the classroom. I adapt my teaching styles, to meet diverse learning needs of all learners in the classroom..

My Ideas on the Children in My Future Class

Learners this days are always in their gargets such as cellphones and others. I want to harness their habit to embrace the 4IR in my classroom. I want a classroom community of learners who learn through their interest, which nowadays is technology. In light of the above, I make use of different technological teaching aids such as laptop, cellphone, white bboard, smartboard and video stream to reach out the diverse learners in the classroom. I want learners who are technological wise in the classroom, whereby each and every learner interact with the rest of the class. I create a classroom environment where all learners will depending on their learning style feel free to learn.

Conclusion 

Learners present with different learning styles in the classroom. As a teacher I must take charge of my personal and professional development, by being a lifelong learner so that I can keep up with the 21st century changes in education. Regardless of the learning needs that learners presents with, as a teacher I strive to change my teaching methods to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom. As a teacher, I wear many hats, such as being an assessor, researcher, classroom manager, and a theorist, therefore in each of the above learner’s interest come forth in the classroom. Learners are human beings therefore, as a teacher, I see each learner as an individual an as a result collaborate with other teachers to ensure that all learners learn in the classroom and in the school in general. I use the strength of diverse learners in the classroom to embrace diversity in teaching so that all learners can benefit in my lessons. This discussion has focused on answering the question “what is an ideal teacher” based on my teaching philosophy.

Reference

• Higgs, P. (2000). African voices in education. Juta and Company Ltd.
• Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed (1897). School Journal, 54(3), 77-80.
• Bronfenbrenner, U. (2001). Human development, bioecological theory.