When I entered the art room, the students were painting but there was very little student-teacher interaction. The teacher examined the students work but was not providing them with feedback. I was, in a way, disappointed at the teacher’s role; however, after rethinking the experience I believe that the teacher might have been silently observing the students to ensure that they were on task. I also noticed that she was quickly accessible and ready to help whenever a student needed more supplies or an answer to a question.

Question

In the woodshop class, the teacher explicitly showed that she wanted to keep abreast with her students’ progress. She walked around to each group of student or individual student to ensure that they were on task and to offer guided questions which helped the students formulate their own solutions to certain problems or errors. She offered suggestions where necessary and gave the students additional supplies, if needed.

After reading the above statement, what teaching/learning approach is the teacher taking in the art room compared to the teacher in the woodshop class?

Answer 1

What are the teaching/learning approaches you've studied?

Which of them apply to these examples?

We'll be glad to critique your answers.

Answer 2

I am not too sure about the art teachers approach but I believe that the woodshop teacher's approach is geared toward student-centered learning.

Answer 3

The art teacher's approach was more laissez-faire by letting the students develop their own creative expressions without her interference.

I agree that the woodshop teacher was practicing student-centered learning.