Teaching and Learning

What is Teaching and Learning?

       As we talked about teaching and learning in class, we compiled various definitions for each concept. To answer the question, "What is teaching?", our class said it could be instilling knowledge to others, planning lessons that will engage students to learn about a specific topic, conveying knowledge so that students can understand, and encouraging thought provoking thoughts. Each of these definitions is definitely part of the overall concept of teaching. Although, I believe compiling an accurate definition of teaching would require more than a few sentences.
      
       As an Elementary Education student, I believe that all of my classes help to build my teaching skills. Each new class will likely bring something new to my individual definition of teaching. This definition will continue to grow even after I graduate from school because my strategies will evolve through experience. I hope to convey knowledge to my students, but this is not the only factor of teaching. I would include the topic of teaching to a diverse group of children into my definition for "What is teaching?". As I have learned in my Human Relations class, planning for diversity in each classroom is incredibly important because children will likely have differing gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or disability status. Teaching to a diverse group, and keeping each students interests in mind can be incredibly difficult. Our class definition should thus also include appealing to a wide variety of children.
      
      Our class definition for "What is learning", included definitions such as acquiring knowledge, gaining a new perspective, and coming to understand something you did not understand before. Of course these are all parts of learning, but I would also choose to address how students will be learning. Children learn in various different ways, which is why it is essential for teachers to vary their teaching styles on a day-to-day basis. The class definition for learning may have included absorbing knowledge by using all five senses.