My favorite part of Chapter 5 of our class science text came
toward the end of the chapter when the authors discussed students and their
natural curiosity. The authors described
how children use all of their senses to learn about new things throughout their day. The authors suggest that teachers need
to be the ones who spark a student’s interest, if it is not already there, and
let them explore. We should give students
plenty of hands-on activities because it helps keep their interest and allows
them to learn science naturally.
Teachers should create a classroom filled with challenges and excitement
that encourage students to learn all
subjects. We should find ways to help students
make connections and really get involved.
In elementary school I had a teacher who would consistently spark interest in his Science lessons by showing us a video clip or object and then asking us questions about it. We would use our background knowledge to try and answer the question he presented. The question would then lead to a classroom discussion where we would build on our background knowledge. By the end of the lesson we would have a solid understanding of the science concept and all it took was an object of interest and a classroom discussion lead by the teacher.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite teacher would be Mrs. Gaus who was my third grade instructor, she always found ways to spark our interest and get all the students involved in the lessons. Everyday we would walk in and there would be something new hanging up or objects would be placed on our desks dealing with the lesson of the day. I can remember a lesson she did on the natives of the Amazon rainforest and how she even had a little hut set up in the back of the room showing us how these natives lived. Almost everyday we would do something hands-on and it was truly a great experience.
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite subject is Math, it's just really hard for me to just read a problem and understand it immediately, I often have to draw pictures or make myself diagrams. I recently taught a Math lesson in the class I am observing and I showed the students how I worked through the problems, trying to relate it to other things they experience in everyday life. I recieved a lot of good responses to this and many students said thinks like "Oh I get it" or "Oo I like that way", I think this is why it is so important to go over several different methods so students can best understand what they are learning.
Unfortunately, I never really had a science teacher that stood out to me. I have done a few experiments that have really sparked my interest such as the egg dropping or creating a race car out of food. These experiments were really fun to do and I didn't mind getting together outside of class to complete them. I believe that this is how science should be. Students should be given the chance to learn and explore without a teacher preaching to them the right way to do something. They should want to figure it out for themselves. By teaching it this way, students are more inclined to remember why something worked a certain way.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I can't think back to any teacher who really sparked my interest. All my teachers taught well, however did nothing to engage the students with their lessons. I was always a good student and had my parents on my back about it so I would solve problems on my own if need be, however I don't know how well other students could do without having teachers get them interested and involved in lessons.
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite subject would have to be science. Even just from last week in class I realized that science doesn't have to be son painful and it can be fun. I feel doing experiments and other hands on lessons, students can enjoy science. I, unfortunately, never got to experience that.
I find it essential that a student needs to be interested in what they are learning. As a college student I still find that if I am not interested in something, my attention span is lowered on that particular lesson. Children love to learn if they are engaged in the topic; I happen to notice this in my observations as well. Hands-on activities also help spark the students interest like Jessica said.
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite subject was always math, however, when in class if I was taught using actual blocks, counters, etc. or drawing pictures it always helped me to understand better as well as holdy my attention or interest.
I had a seventh grade teacher who caught my attention as a student. He was able to relate to us yet remain focused as a teacher. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict was a major current event. Whoever had articles about it would bring them in and we would discuss them. I had the most articles from September to June and had extra credit for every article brought in.
ReplyDeleteThat incentive made me interested in the topic and he is one of my favorite teachers.
I never really liked my science classes. I dont remember much from them