Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Chapter 2 - Teaching Approaches and Methods


            Every teacher has their own way of giving instruction to their students. A teacher uses different methods of teaching in different ways. Teaching approach is a set of principles, beliefs or ideas about the nature of learning which is translated into the classroom. Teaching method is an overall plan for systematic presentation of lesson based upon a selected approach. Teaching technique is a well defined procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task. Approach, method ad technique, helps the teacher to make the presentation of the lesson a well – organized and effective. This will also help the students to understand the lesson easier. And of course, planning on strategies and methodologies to be used is a great help in achieving the intended learning outcomes.
            The DepEd’s K to 12 Curriculum used different teaching approaches in developing the enhanced basic education curriculum. The K to 12 Curriculum was developed along the following standards and principles: learner – centred, inclusive, developmentally appropriate, relevant and responsive, research – based, culture – sensitive, contextualized and global, constructivist, inquiry – based, collaborative, integrative, mother tongue – based, spiral progression, flexible, indigenized and localized. Using these different teaching approaches, the lesson wouldn’t be that much difficult for students.
            There are different methods of teaching: the direct and indirect instruction, and the deductive and inductive method. In direct instruction, it is teacher dominated. The teacher is the only one talking in front. There is no interaction with the learners. On the other hand, in indirect instruction the teacher gives instruction to students and let the student do the rest. The teacher guides the student on what should be done. In deductive method of teaching, the teacher begins the lesson with a generalization, a rule, a definition and end with examples and illustration and with what is concrete and with details and ends with  the students giving generalization, abstraction or conclusion.
            In teaching profession, planning or deciding on strategies, techniques, and methods to be utilized is not easy. As a student, I always encounter different methods in presenting a lesson. I have realized that the more methods used, the easier the lesson to be understood. Being a future teacher, the choice of my teaching method and technique has the learner as my primary consideration. I know that learners are unique in their own way. I must consider their nature, abilities, how they learn, their multiple intelligences, needs, concerns, interests, feelings, home and educational background. School is their second home and I must consider myself as their second parents. Teaching is for all students regardless of origin, socio-economic background, gender, ability, and nationality. In an inclusive classroom, everyone feels he or she belongs. As a facilitator of learning, in giving tasks on activities to learners, I should level it within their developmental stages. Another one is that I should make my teaching meaningful. It would be meaningful if I relate the lessons to the students’ daily experiences. It would be easier for them to understand our lesson. Every student differs from one another. A teacher knows diversity of cultures of students. A teacher views all learners as unique individuals. As a teacher, I should possess these qualities of being understandable and empathetic. Students learn more when I help them connect lessons to their prior knowledge. Collaborative approach is one of the most helpful ways of teaching – learning processes. This enables the students and the teachers work together to learn together. By doing this approach I could make a strong bond with my students. Another effective and meaningful way of teaching is by integrating the lesson with real life. Using an integrative way of teaching my students can connect the lesson to their real life situation.

            Which is the best method? For me, there is no such thing as the best method. No matter what method you used, the effectiveness still depends on you – on how you handle it. The best methods are those which work, effective and able to achieve desired outcome.

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