Improving my instructional strategies gently reminds me to remember that I was taught mainly by assertive discipline many, many, many years ago. I know that this is not an effective way of teaching. First, assertive discipline does not allow for a relaxed and safe classroom environment; therefore, it does not encourage a higher level of student engagement. If we are to strive for the verbs at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy, then we need to focus on encouraging students to gain the skills and the attitudes to feel confident to compose, compile, design, generate, modify, organize, plan, reconstruct, relate, and specify the knowledge that we are teaching them. I know that effective instructional strategies are built from offering students learner-centered classrooms with positive classroom management. The key of choosing an effective instructional strategy is letting the student choose their own appropriate strategy and guide them to use their chosen task effectively to accomplish their goal. As long as the student's strategy helps the student to become an independent learner, my task of guided practice is successful.
Why must I remind myself of the differences between these instructional strategies? The reason is because we tend to teach the way we were taught. Quite simply, it's safe and I remember the methodology and the execution of this instructional strategy, BUT it's not a foundational way of building relationships. Relationships are built on the foundations of positive classroom management. This includes discipline with dignity. I must remember to protect the dignity of the students. I need to be fair and considerate of individual situations. I need to focus on rules that make sense to students and model the behavior that I expect from my students. I believe that through positive discipline, I can create a caring and learning environment. If students whole-heartedly believe in the intrinsic value of learning, mutual respect and encouragement, then the students will gain valuable skills for life after the classroom. Reference: https://education.alberta.ca/media/482311/is.pdf
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