‘a Critical Commentary on How the Experiences of Learning Influence Approaches to Teaching’
‘A critical commentary on how the experiences of learning influence approaches to teaching’
Throughout my education and experiences in schools, I have gained great interest in the subject of learning. Since a young age I have discovered a lot about myself as a learner. During primary school I struggled with science and received support because of this. Alongside my teachers I began to realise that although I was being taught through auditory methods, I am very much a kinaesthetic learner and activist (Honey and Mumford 1986). Teachers were trying to adapt their approaches to teaching in order to meet my individual needs, and without their support I would have struggled to complete areas of work. This method of learning supports Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism theory that states: ‘We learn through apprentices, by gaining support from the more able’ (Pollard, A. 2008, p.182). What my teacher had acknowledged about my learning styles had a big impact on what happened in the classroom, as it allowed her to see my zone of proximal development, and plan to work with this intended. Without learning which learning style best suited me, I would not have been able to achieve my maximum potential, not just in academic settings but in everyday life. Through recognising how I learn best, I can begin to understand how other children may learn more effectively, furthering my own pedagogy.
When I was in primary school if one child miss-behaved the whole class would get punished. I found this behaviour management to be very un-fair, as many children did nothing wrong. Skinner’s Behaviourist theory on operant conditioning, suggests punishment can lead to more concentration and learning. However, looking back behaviour management didn’t help the mis-behaving pupils, but instead they carried on with their bad behaviour. This form of discipline contradicted a teacher’s supportive role and made children nervous when contributing to classroom discussions, as punishment was being used
Throughout my education and experiences in schools, I have gained great interest in the subject of learning. Since a young age I have discovered a lot about myself as a learner. During primary school I struggled with science and received support because of this. Alongside my teachers I began to realise that although I was being taught through auditory methods, I am very much a kinaesthetic learner and activist (Honey and Mumford 1986). Teachers were trying to adapt their approaches to teaching in order to meet my individual needs, and without their support I would have struggled to complete areas of work. This method of learning supports Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism theory that states: ‘We learn through apprentices, by gaining support from the more able’ (Pollard, A. 2008, p.182). What my teacher had acknowledged about my learning styles had a big impact on what happened in the classroom, as it allowed her to see my zone of proximal development, and plan to work with this intended. Without learning which learning style best suited me, I would not have been able to achieve my maximum potential, not just in academic settings but in everyday life. Through recognising how I learn best, I can begin to understand how other children may learn more effectively, furthering my own pedagogy.
When I was in primary school if one child miss-behaved the whole class would get punished. I found this behaviour management to be very un-fair, as many children did nothing wrong. Skinner’s Behaviourist theory on operant conditioning, suggests punishment can lead to more concentration and learning. However, looking back behaviour management didn’t help the mis-behaving pupils, but instead they carried on with their bad behaviour. This form of discipline contradicted a teacher’s supportive role and made children nervous when contributing to classroom discussions, as punishment was being used