New and Old Challenges
As a future social studies teacher, I know I’m going to face a lot of challenges. One of these challenges is getting the students to really buy into what I’m teaching them. It all starts with the enthusiasm that I bring to class. If I don’t show up excited to teach social studies, then it will reinforce the idea that social sciences aren’t worth the time to learn. I need to show my future students the importance of learning social studies because it not only makes them fruitful citizens, but it also prepares them for their future education studies. To do that, I need to have a good, structured classroom that promotes a “minds-on” atmosphere. No longer can we teachers just make a simple powerpoint and expect our students to learn based off that and reading the textbook. We have to engage their minds and make them thinking as to why they are learning this. I want to develop my students into critical thinkers and to learn how to “think outside the box.” Showing my students that knowledge and reality exist within themselves and not outside/independent of them, much like what behaviorists may think. Taking the constructivist approach, I welcome openness to the class and students think critically about the questions they have. Taking this approach isn’t easy. It’ll take may hours of tinkering with and then reflecting on what worked and what didn’t work but I’m up for the challenge.