As a senior elementary education major, I am developing my own teaching philosophy. My style is quite unorthodox in comparison to “traditional” teaching methods. I do not believe in folded hands , still bodies, and quiet mouths. I believe learning should be loud and fun. Students should be allowed to be children in the classroom. I want my students to know they can be themselves and enjoy their time at school.
It’s important that students activate their bodies to understand new concepts. For example, the rug in the classroom I intern in is a map of the world. This week the class learned about the continents and oceans. After the topic had been introduced, I had my students find and stand on the continent or ocean I called out on the rug. This helped them when they began labeling them on their own. They are able to recall where they found the continent or ocean on the rug to apply it to their work.
Humans are social beings, and young students need a lot of social development. Shutting that down by not allowing students to talk during class may stunt that social growth. We can lead students to have strong academic conversions. Learning can be social. Restricting social time for students may do more harm than good. Traditional practices are not allowing students to reach their best potential because we are preventing them from being who they are: children.
It’s not a bad thing that students act like children; it is exactly who they are. Normal behaviors of children are seen as rude, aggravating, and disruptive. As teachers, we can show them how to alter their behaviors in a productive way by allowing them to still be children first.