This week's minilesson asked us to think about which of 4 methods of teaching do i use most. The four methods are demonstration, guided practice, explicitly tell and show an example, and inquiry.
I would say that I use the inquiry method the most. I explicitly show students how to do something while constantly asking them questions during my talk. At the end, when they try the work on their own, I go around and ask them questions about their approach -- questions that should help bring them towards a correct response. For me, I like to help students learn how to ask questions in their mind. I believe that if I model for them how to question, eventually it will become a skill they will be able to use independently. Further more, as good students, they should be able to question -- never take anything as fact without questioning!
As for a method that I would like to try out, I would have to choose explicitly and show an example. While there are times I use metaphors to relate to the material being presented, I don't do it as often as I would like. I see many benefits in making comparisons and connections for students. In fact, two of the five standards for foreign language education are comparisons and connections. We have adapted the five standards for our school's program rubric. We want all World Languages students to be able to independently make comparisons and connections (amongst other things) at the end of four years of studying a language.
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Thank you for bringing this to my attention and causing me to analyze my styles to discover what I need to work on. :) I think I use all four of these when teaching, however the one I use the least is questioning. I think that is something I will practice on my children over the summer so I am ready to go when school starts again. I would love to work on writing questions to inspire critical thinking for my lessons but I do not yet have a job for next year so I do not know what grade level to prepare for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mindy, thank you for getting us to analyze our own teaching! Also, I applaud your usage of inquiry. I know that I certainly attempt to use this skill, because I know that if students are seeking the answers themselves, they are much more likely to retain the information and find value in it. Do you find that sometimes your students become frustrated with the inquiry approach? I know that at the primary grades it takes a lot of guiding and encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI don't find that my students become frustrated with the inquiry method. It is such an integral part of the way I teach that the students become to understand it as a way the class is taught. From day one, they experience inquiry, so for them, it's not even that noticeable... it just is, if that makes sense.
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