No course or set of courses, no matter how well constructed or integrated with actual teaching can fully prepare anyone for all the challenges of teaching, and this course is no exception. But it is possible to discover how what you already know can be the basis for a lifelong process of learning and critical reflection. The best teachers are characterized more by their continuing commitment to learning about children, teaching, and the world around them, than by any method or body of knowledge. Here are some of the questions we will begin to explore: Becoming a Teacher
Questions such as these have no easy answers. And there are other important questions, as well. You may have different ones already. A year from now you will be responsible for the learning and development of a class of young people. What do you feel is most important for you to know to be a good teacher?
- What are the most important aspects of the process of inquiry?
- How is inquiry in different domains similar or different?
- How can children learn to integrate quantitative and qualitative understandings of the world?
- How do ideas such as multiculturalism, whole language, inquiry teaching, discovery learning, concept development, hands-on learning, cooperative learning groups, communication, apprenticeship, and others inform our theories of teaching and learning?
- How can those ideas be realized in actual classrooms?
- How can classroom activities start with the child and still respond to other educational demands and constraints?
- How can the classroom become a place where diverse perspectives are valued and understood?
- How can the classroom become a place in which children develop important human values as well as knowledge?
- How can a teacher create the most successful environment for learning?