MAGAZINE

My philosophy on teaching is that it is important for instructors to take into consideration the psychological, social, physical and emotional development of students in regards to teaching and learning.   It is important for instructors to get to know their students and assess what motivates students to learn.  It is also important to know students learning style preference.  Students have various learning styles and therefore teaching methods should be differentiated, so that everyone has an equal opportunity to learn.  Learners are diverse in their educational background, culture, as well as learning styles, so differentiated instruction can help to meet the needs of all learners.  Keeping up with the best practices for teaching and learning is a great way to learn new instructional strategies and techniques to meet the needs of today’s learners. 
 

Because students vary in ability, developing cooperative learning groups is a great way to differentiate instruction and actively engage students during a teaching lesson. Differentiated instruction can include written instruction, visuals, graphic organizers and concept maps,  verbal instruction, as well as hands-on activities.  These varying activities are done in effort to take into consideration all learning styles.  Students can often feel disconnected, especially when they do not understand what is being taught.  Therefore, it is important to actively engage students in their learning process as well as set clear and attainable course goals/objectives.  Instructors should also be available to answer questions, while providing timely, constructive feedback.  Students must also take an active role in his/her learning process.  Students have to apply themselves to active listening, watching, engaging, taking good notes, studying, and asking questions for clarity when needed.