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Investigating Meaningful Teaching

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INVESTIGATING MEANINGFUL TEACHING

Amy Hickok

Grand Canyon University

SPE 529

June 17, 2010

Rosebud Dixon-Green

Introduction

Student relationships, positive role modeling and effective classroom management are essential for meaningful and worthwhile teaching and learning experiences. Teachers must learn along with their students; get to know them, teach to their interests and abilities also. Relationships among thinking, teaching and learning are similar to a triangle. Likewise, the triangular relationship may flow in any direction and have differentiated sides. Empowering people, changing lives, shaping our future is why I want to be a special educator. It is my lifelong passion for learning that drives me to demonstrate that every student is capable of learning, worthy of respect, and to know that I believe in them. Rewarding teaching experiences are numerous; however, for me, each time a student comes through a school door is meaningful to me.

Meaningful and worthwhile teaching and learning experiences are strongly affected by student relationships. It is the observation of their actions, listening to their language, noticing body language and taking the time to get to know them that are contributing factors. Sharing with students that I am not human, I will and do make mistakes is also necessary. I will not pretend to be perfect or different from each of them. I will learn from them just as they will learn from me hopefully. Believe in each student as capable of learning, being a special, unique individual and an equal in every way affects meaningful and worthwhile teaching and learning experiences.

“You can’t have one without the other”, makes me think of an effective way to describe the relationship between thinking, teaching and learning. Reflecting upon my metaphor of a triangle representing the relationship, each one

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