Mr. Mose’s Art History Class
November 17, 2014
Focus: Teaching Style
Mr. Morse has a lecture based classroom, but uses discussion to further learning and create student participation. He talks with his hands, but not in a way that distracts from the class and instead helps him emphasize key ideas. He also walks around the class which makes it easy for him to see if everyone is using the class productively or not. It also makes the students focus on the art they are learning about and less on the teacher, explaining/ describing the art.
He makes sure to use examples of 'modern day' ideas in order to make the topics more relevant to the students. He is able to keep his class engaged by haven an open dialect or conversation throughout the class. Mr. Morse acknowledges his own bias and "humanity" because he doesn't always know the answer to a student's question. This doesn't make a bad teacher though, because it makes him more approachable because he is willing to help find answers to their questions when he doesn't know them, and doesn't feel the need to always be right.
When a teacher doesn't know the answer to a question proposed, two personalities can be revealed. One is the teacher okay with not knowing because learning happens continuously and they acknowledge this and make sure to either help the student find the information or they get back to the student at a later date with the solution to their question. The other option is the so called "all knowing" teacher who feels the need to be always right and instead of acknowledging that they are unsure of the correct response attempt to blunder their way through a probable answer. This only leads to further questions and the student learning incorrect information that will eventually be found out as wrong. If a teacher really wants to help a student take the next step in learning, it is better to acknowledge their unsureness about the proposed question and attempt to help the student find the answers they seek.
Mr. Morse is also aware of the line between joking and embarrassing students in front of their peers. He is able to tease his students without embarrassing them which creates a comfortableness in his classroom that can be lacking when a teacher forgets about this invisible barrier.
Mr. Morse also understands the importance of background information and never wants his students to feel lost or confused. He tries to clarify information to the best of his ability but then relies on his students to ask further questions if they are still unsure about something he is teaching. His passion for teaching is clear and the students are able to visibly see this in how he teaches each class. His excitement is practically tangible and his students are able to feed off of this and get sucked into his interest about art history.
He makes sure to use examples of 'modern day' ideas in order to make the topics more relevant to the students. He is able to keep his class engaged by haven an open dialect or conversation throughout the class. Mr. Morse acknowledges his own bias and "humanity" because he doesn't always know the answer to a student's question. This doesn't make a bad teacher though, because it makes him more approachable because he is willing to help find answers to their questions when he doesn't know them, and doesn't feel the need to always be right.
When a teacher doesn't know the answer to a question proposed, two personalities can be revealed. One is the teacher okay with not knowing because learning happens continuously and they acknowledge this and make sure to either help the student find the information or they get back to the student at a later date with the solution to their question. The other option is the so called "all knowing" teacher who feels the need to be always right and instead of acknowledging that they are unsure of the correct response attempt to blunder their way through a probable answer. This only leads to further questions and the student learning incorrect information that will eventually be found out as wrong. If a teacher really wants to help a student take the next step in learning, it is better to acknowledge their unsureness about the proposed question and attempt to help the student find the answers they seek.
Mr. Morse is also aware of the line between joking and embarrassing students in front of their peers. He is able to tease his students without embarrassing them which creates a comfortableness in his classroom that can be lacking when a teacher forgets about this invisible barrier.
Mr. Morse also understands the importance of background information and never wants his students to feel lost or confused. He tries to clarify information to the best of his ability but then relies on his students to ask further questions if they are still unsure about something he is teaching. His passion for teaching is clear and the students are able to visibly see this in how he teaches each class. His excitement is practically tangible and his students are able to feed off of this and get sucked into his interest about art history.
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