Children's Principles of Learning...1 year later!

After having had a year of learning and experience within the MED Teaching and Learning program I was reaffirmed in many of my Children's Principles of Learning that I set for myself last year. I, of course, have been able to add to those principles as well.

Principle 1: A Safe Environment

Students must feel that they are physically and emotionally safe in an environment in order to blossom in it. They first must physically safe before you can ever expect them to worry about their learning. Constructivist research also supports that students playing a role in the physical layout of the classroom is very beneficial as well. While physical safety is important, as is knowing that they can freely share ideas without being judged or having the fear of failure restrain them from trying. My summer research on best practices of writing has provided many examples of how providing this safety can increase self-esteem and abilities as a writer.  

Principle 2: Sounds Relationships

No matter the student’s background, they must feel a connection to their teacher in order to have a passion to learn. If they don’t trust the instructor, they will find it very difficult to trust that what is being presented has a purpose. Students need not to just know that we care for them and their learning, but to feel that we do. It is these sound relationships that stick with them through their schooling “careers.” As I researched best practices in writing, as well as the Lasillian Concepts, I was reaffirmed that relationships are key between teacher and students, as well as amongst the students themselves.

Principle 3: Sequencing of content

In order for a student to feel successful within a lesson, unit, or school year, content must be scaffolded in a way that they can succeed. The philosophy of explicit instruction is formatted as such: “I do, we do, you do.” Knowing your students and being able to gauge when they need more “I do” or “we do” before being able to get to the “you do” is crucial. Setting students up for success by sequencing content and processes will help them see that they can succeed. Having learned more about designing units in a “backwards format,” that is, starting with the big picture in mind…the “what do I want all students to know” and then using what they already know to guide your lessons has proven to be very beneficial when sequencing content and helping students to grasp the big ideas.

Principle 4: Reflection

No matter their age, students should be given multiple opportunities to reflect on their actions and learning. They grow more when they are able to “score” themselves in a situation. Reflection causes the students to take a moment to truly think about their learning and how they were successful, or not, and how to continue or improve the next time. The writing process is a key example of a time in which students have multiple opportunities to reflect on different aspects of their writing as they’re constantly revising after having been presented with examples and mini-lessons on what good writing looks like.

Principle 5: Ideas, feelings, actions

Students need to be able to connect some schema, feeling or action to their learning in order for it to stick. Lessons that are remembered are often tied to some sort of auditory or kinesthetic cue that help trigger a certain muscle memory or emotion. Backwards Design also helps to students to make connections to bigger, umbrella concepts, as well as seeing connections amongst “separate” curricular activities throughout the idea.  

Principle 6: Immediacy

But WHY?? Students must know why what they’re learning is important and how they’ll be able to use it in their own lives. By starting a lesson with a goal, stating why or how we’ll use it, and allowing students to make connections to their own lives, they are more motivated to learn and use the content again. Again, this is supported when using a Backwards Design model.

Principle 7: Teamwork

Two minds are better than one. This is a very simple, but true statement. Most students are very social learners and like to be able to discuss what they’re learning about or what they already know. By allowing students to work in small groups we are opening up the possibility of creative thinking, coming to conclusions more efficiently, and developing problem solving skills. I was privileged to attend a very beneficial class on cooperative groups this summer that provided me with a multitude of examples that encourage cooperative learning. One example given is called “Numbered Heads Together” in which students work in small groups to collect information, solve problems, check work, etc. The teacher then calls on a random student within each group to provide an answer. Having had that team support prior to being asked to speak for themselves helps all students to be successful.

Principle 8: Engagement

Students must be engaged in the content in order for it to stick. It is important to “tap into” the various learning styles of your students in order to best address their learning needs. When a student is engaged in the lesson and content they are more likely to tie an emotion and connection to it making it more likely for them to remember and utilize what they’ve learned.

Principle 9: Have fun!

With the many stresses that nationwide testing and standards can put on classrooms and the teachers and students within them, it’s important that the learning environment still be fun! After much reflection of my own schooling, it’s the experiences I had and relationships I made that I remember most…not the algorithms I “learned” in algebra.   This has been reaffirmed through my experiences with community building activities in class. I see the strong benefits of having fun to build community amongst a group of learners.