Big Ideas About Teaching & Learning

By Derrick Brown (Email) (follow on Twitter @dbrowndbrown)

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1. Reach - THEN teach. Three dimensions of knowledge are necessary in order to effectively teach students, and not just subjects: knowledge of self, knowledge of others, and content knowledge - in that order.

2. Build healthy relationships. Solid, healthy teacher-student relationships (and relationships between colleagues) should progress through four stages - acceptance, affirmation, accountability, and authority - in that order.

3. To teach is to learn twice. The best teachers are lifelong learners, which makes them students even in their own classes. They are the foremost student in their class.

4. Use skills of pedagogy and andragogy. We teach young people with childlike levels of maturity who have adult levels of exposure, expectations, and attitude. Be mindful of that, and discern when to teach, train, correct, guide, confront, etc.

5. Speak the language of your subject. Mastering language is the key to mastering any and all content, so developing literacy is a key component of any sound teaching approach. In Rethinking The Future, Alvin Toffler states that "… The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

6. Ignorance can be educated if it can be tolerated. Arrogance can neither be tolerated nor propagated. Both traits are clearly separated by self-awareness - an ignorant man knows that he does not know; an arrogant man does not.

7. Awareness may be more important to learning than knowledge. Why, oh why can't Johnny read? Probably because the brother's name is Khalid …

Please share your thoughts on these "Big Ideas" and best practices by leaving comments below. Email us or follow us on Twitter @dbrowndbrown to submit your own "Big Ideas" and best practices!
 

Copyright © 2012 Derrick  Brown. All Rights Reserved.

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