Megan's Response: Student Centered Post #13

I made some comments on my last teaching post about student centered learning, but now I get to go further with my discussion. In my years as being a student I loved and had great respect for those teachers that actually taught and cared about the students. As a teacher I hope to be like this. Some strategies for student centered learning that I want to implement in my future classroom are to be flexible. I think it is great to have an outline of a lesson plan, but I have to be able to move in a different direction or take more time on something if I need to. I also think asking about previous experience really helps cater your lessons to the students. Whether I ask them questions or fill out a survey or other activities to assess their experience I will be able to learn from them and plan around that. I also want to get to know my students. I had experience with that while I was teaching and choreographing at Bradley’s school. The kids listen so much better when you call them by name and look them in the eye. If you talk to them directly they will respond. There are some students that won’t respond to you no matter what you say, but you can keep trying. In my future classroom the students will be the center, they will be the function of every lesson. I want them to have a better drama experience than I did in high school. I want to expose them to many different art forms and different techniques so they are well rounded and feel more ready for college. I want my students to succeed and I am going to do the best that I can to make sure that happens!