Styles Of Teaching

1527 Words7 Pages
We all learn in different ways, and similarly, as a student I see my teachers tend to have different ways of teaching those which come more naturally to them. Also as a student, I need to be aware of what my particular learning style is, but teachers should then try to adapt the way that they teach to fit the needs of other students as well. There are many different categorizations of teaching styles, but rather than discuss the ways styles are categorized, I will simply summarize the ones most commonly referred to. Probably the most traditional one is the direct instruction style. Direct instruction is very teacher-centered, and provides for little if any student-teacher interaction or group interaction. The teacher is the focus of attention and provides all the information necessary for the student to excel in the class. Another name for this style is formal authority. The teacher is seen as the source of all knowledge and controls the flow of information. Relationships in the classroom are unimportant. This style is usually efficient and well-organized, and is advantageous for teaching facts, formulas, and any subject matter where a large amount of information must be covered in a short period of time. The drawbacks, of course, include the possibility of boredom, a lack of practice, no group interaction, and an environment which does not encourage students to think for themselves. This classroom style also encourages competition which may or may not be beneficial. Another teacher-centered style is that of the demonstrator or personal model style. The teacher acts as a role model by demonstrating the skills or processes being taught, and then helps the students try to duplicate what the teacher demonstrated. This style focuses on the teacher as the source of information, but also encourages some student interaction and responsibility in learning. A teacher who
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