EDUC 703: Early Europeans
I, too, responded to Chapter 2, Question 4 because I found it ironic that a concept presented nearly 500 years ago was still relevant and true today. Not only from the perspective of how to support the unlearned, but also in the disposition that a teacher must take when presented with a group of challenging students, just as Augustine displayed. I believe this to be one of the tenets that he did not directly include in his suggestions to instructors, but overtly displayed in his actions. In recognizing that "these
differences challenged his teaching," rather than resolve to his students being unreachable, he decided that he would systematically approach developing their skills to proficiency through engaging activities (H. Tester, Theories of Historical and Social Foundations of Education, January 21,2024).
While I agree that "students must want to learn," I also discerned from Augustine's actions that teachers must want to
teach
students who present with challenges (Smith, 2020, p.16). In the text, indirectly, Augustine encourages educators to be mindful of the activities you present that will encourage students to "want to learn" (Smith, 2020, p.16).
Rather than presenting content that may cause students to be bored, Augustine implies that engaging and relevant activities will motivate students to understand the purpose of
learning as they seek to discover the truth (Smith, 2020, pp. 15-16).
Much of my feedback and points of consideration given to teachers during my daily observations are centered around student engagement. When I interact with students in
the cafeteria and they share with me that they'd like to be transferred to a certain teacher's room, their rationale for the request is because this teacher is the "fun" teacher. The "fun" I observed during my walkthroughs in this teacher's classroom includes turn and talks, the use of the strategy quiz, quiz, trade, rapid recall of yesterday's lesson, give an idea, get an idea and solve to escape the room. The teacher
has selected to present the content in a way in which the students are intrinsically motivated to learn the content ,which is crucial to their interest and willingness to learn (Smith, 2020, p.16).
Smith, S. J. (2020).
Windows into the history and philosophy of education.
Kendall Hunt.
