It’s odd to look for flaws within something that seems to be a perfectly efficient and fine way of functioning – which is what I have experienced upon my educational journey, but more specifically looking into The Tyler Rationale. Whether being in elementary school – day plan was always written on the board, a spelling list needed to be memorized for the test the following Friday, etc. – or high school – picking your own schedule and following it throughout the semester, finals at the end of the term to assess the knowledge gained over the time together, etc. – I have come to realize that many of those teaching methods stemmed from this theory. I had experienced many classes – such as science and math – where there was typically one answer and one way considered right to getting there, but many others had the ability to engage in critical thinking. Classes like English would be a perfect opportunity to engage in group discussion or a different style of learning for the students, but that opportunity was often missed in my primary school experience. The school I had went to didn’t teach dance and as an adult I don’t feel comfortable going dancing; similarly, the classes I was in while I was young did not include class discussion and engaging critically with my peers and I often lack confidence being placed in that type of situation. By following a lesson and assessment type of teaching style, the students are being shown what is thought of to be a superior way of learning – or idea of common sense (which as we discussed last week, has its own limitations within itself). This idea often silences the other learning styles present in a classroom, resulting in struggling or failing students. By being exclusive in the teaching the struggling students may end up dropping out early or be discouraged in being a life long learner/have negative feelings attached to education. Allowing assessments to be the ultimate ruler of how successful a student is in classes that have room to engage in critical thinking, students may become more concerned with opinions of the teacher or professor before truly forming their own – as they are more concerned with their final grade than their own learning. Throughout my learning of the Tyler Rationale, I began to wonder what stops educators that have been raised on this teaching style from engaging in their own class in a similar manner. Though this teaching style bring many limitations, there is some good. The strong organization and straight forwardness of the role and goals of the educator can bring a sense of comfort when time seems to have ran out and stress has been a main mood for weeks. I, for one, am brought a calm feeling when everything is efficiently organized and easy to understand. As a student I had enjoyed the straightforward goals, ability to work alone (or not go to class at all) and get ahead of the class if I knew the direction we were going. There will never be a perfect teaching style that benefits all learners, but critically thinking about the styles present throughout history to present will give us an insight in what could make for a more inclusive and rounded education.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About the Author: Jordyn NeufeldJordyn is an Education student at the University of Regina. She enjoys camping in the summer and trying to stay warm in the winter. Coffee is her favourite drink and a necessity most mornings. She loves cuddling her cats and being surrounded by her family. Please take a look into my educational journey within ECS 210. Archives
April 2020
|