Teaching Methods for Inspiring the Students of the Future | Joe Ruhl | TEDxLafayette

Summary

In this inspiring talk, a veteran teacher with 37 years of experience emphasizes the importance of student-centered learning over traditional teacher-centered methods. The speaker advocates for a classroom environment that fosters the 'five Cs': Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Choice. By allowing students to engage in these Cs, the teacher becomes a guide rather than a lecturer, creating a more effective and enjoyable learning experience. The talk also underscores the significance of a teacher's passion for the subject and genuine care for students, suggesting that these elements are the most inspiring and memorable aspects of education.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker enjoys working with teenagers due to their fun, energetic, and creative nature, which helps keep them young at heart.
• 🧠 The speaker emphasizes the importance of research-based teaching techniques and building relationships with students for effective teaching.
• 🏫 Traditional teacher-centered classrooms are contrasted with the speaker's approach, which incorporates student choice and the 'five Cs'.
• 🔄 The 'five Cs' include Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Choice, identified as essential skills for 21st-century learning.
• 🤔 The speaker suggests that student choice in learning activities can lead to more authentic and enjoyable learning experiences.
• 👥 The classroom is envisioned as a place for collaboration and communication, drawing parallels to early human survival strategies.
• 🎨 Creativity is highlighted as a uniquely human trait that is both pleasurable and satisfying, and integral to the learning process.
• 👨‍🏫 The speaker's teaching approach involves shifting from a teacher-centered to a student-centered model, allowing for more personalized guidance.
• 💻 Technology, such as computer tutorials, is used to replace traditional lectures, providing students with interactive and self-paced learning.
• 🎭 The 'Arts and Entertainment' activity allows students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts in creative, non-traditional ways.
• ❤️ The speaker concludes by stressing the importance of caring and love for students as the most powerful teaching tool, even more than lesson plans or standards.

Q & A

What does the speaker believe are the two essential elements for inspiring students?

The speaker believes that research-based teaching techniques and relationship are the two essential elements for inspiring students.

How does the speaker describe the traditional teacher-centered classroom?

The speaker describes the traditional teacher-centered classroom as one where the teacher is at the front, students are in neat rows, not allowed to talk to each other, and the teacher is the sole source of authority, delivering information to students who then regurgitate it on tests.

What did the speaker observe about students' behavior in the cafeteria that inspired a change in his teaching approach?

The speaker observed that students love having choices in the cafeteria, which led him to consider incorporating student choice into his classroom as a way to inspire them.

What are the 'five Cs' that the speaker believes are essential for a student-centered classroom?

The 'five Cs' are Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Choice. The speaker added 'Choice' to the list identified by the National Education Association as essential 21st-century skills.

How does the speaker's approach to teaching align with the way early hominids might have learned?

The speaker suggests that early hominids' survival activities, such as hunting, required the same skills emphasized in his classroom: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity, indicating that our brains are naturally wired for learning in this way.

What role does the teacher take on in a student-centered classroom according to the speaker?

In a student-centered classroom, the teacher shifts from being the 'sage on the stage' to becoming a 'guide on the side,' facilitating learning rather than delivering lectures.

What is the significance of the 'Arts and Entertainment' activity in the speaker's classroom?

The 'Arts and Entertainment' activity allows students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept in a nontraditional way, limited only by their imagination, which can include performances, presentations, or any creative means of showcasing their knowledge.

How does the speaker's teaching method affect his interaction with students?

The speaker's teaching method allows him to interact with small groups of students, responding to their questions, listening to their thinking, and using his passion for the subject and love for the students as powerful teaching tools.

What two types of love does the speaker emphasize as crucial for effective teaching?

The speaker emphasizes the teacher's love for the subject and genuine love for the students as the two types of love that are crucial for effective teaching.

What does the speaker suggest is the most memorable aspect of a teacher for students?

The speaker suggests that what students will remember most about a teacher is not the lesson plans or standards, but the caring and personal interactions, such as showing interest in their lives, attending their events, and being genuine and approachable.