In Chapter 7, James accentuates the humanistic side of teaching. Regardless of what behavior the teacher is trying to impart, it is the human to human contact that makes education what it is. He describes native reactions some of which are Fear, Love, Ambition, and Pride. My blog will discuss the native reaction Ownership and how it relates to teaching.
I believe that ownership plays a key role in the success of a student. James asserts this also stating, “In education, the instinct of ownership is fundamental, and can be appealed to in many ways” (p. 29). Two thoughts came to mind when I read this sentence. First, to establish student ownership, a student must be given opportunities to contribute to the classroom, to make decisions, and to be responsible for their own education. As a result, students have a sense of place within the instructional setting, and therefore perform better in order to take care of what they own. Second, there are many ways teachers can appeal to the student with regards to the native reaction of ownership. In an elementary school, students are given ‘jobs’ to do such as the calendar, the line leader, etc. Incorporating student choice in a lesson is another way a teacher can develop student ownership. For example, in my classroom, I design problem sets where the students can choose which problems they want to complete.
I do not think that our schools employ student choice frequently enough in the area of instruction. However, given too much choice, the students would travel aimlessly around the subject matter. Where do you find the balance between student choice and direction? How can a teacher design instruction so that it supports that balance?
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| William's favorite movie is "Willy Wonka" |
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