Learning to Learn
Part of the reason I desire to be a teacher is because I am extremely fascinated with learning and the psychology behind it. The human brain is one of the most unique and powerful machines in the universe and to this day is still in large part a mystery. For this reason I am intrigued with the nature of the brain and am motivated to study it throughout my career as a teacher.
If one word could be at the focal point of my teaching philosophy it would be cognitive development. Although the brain and the process of learning is much of a mystery, certain psychological concepts and discoveries have helped to explain the amazing process of learning. The concept of cognitive development is one of the most fundamental explanations of how the brain acquires information and processes it to formulate knowledge. Over time this leads to intellectual maturation and growth, hence the term cognitive development.
In the classroom, I strive to assist my students in their own cognitive development. To me, the goal of learning is not necessarily to memorize the information in the curriculum but is to learn how to learn the information and find methods of understanding the material. As a chemistry teacher, I believe the topics and concepts in this discipline are fantastic opportunities for students to figure out how to learn. By challenging their learning methods, this will help them to become more conscious of how their cognitive process works and how they can use it to be successful in all facets of their lives.
If one word could be at the focal point of my teaching philosophy it would be cognitive development. Although the brain and the process of learning is much of a mystery, certain psychological concepts and discoveries have helped to explain the amazing process of learning. The concept of cognitive development is one of the most fundamental explanations of how the brain acquires information and processes it to formulate knowledge. Over time this leads to intellectual maturation and growth, hence the term cognitive development.
In the classroom, I strive to assist my students in their own cognitive development. To me, the goal of learning is not necessarily to memorize the information in the curriculum but is to learn how to learn the information and find methods of understanding the material. As a chemistry teacher, I believe the topics and concepts in this discipline are fantastic opportunities for students to figure out how to learn. By challenging their learning methods, this will help them to become more conscious of how their cognitive process works and how they can use it to be successful in all facets of their lives.
"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts." - C.S. Lewis