Do all students have a capacity to learn?
Of cause!! Even people with natural born mental retardation, they still can learn. Even other kind animals can learn. Such as pets learn from their own life experiences.
What shapes this capacity?
A lot of elements can shape this capacity. Family love and involvement, teacher's love, dedication and profession; school and communities; econemy; environments.
How much influence do you have upon this capacity?
A lot. Students are with the teacher one third of their lives. Don't you think we teachers can have huge influence on this capacity?
I could be very honest to say, I have been working very hard for the students: I keep my grade records arcurate; I contact families with students make improvement in academic or behavior; I found the strength of my students and praise them in specificaly area; I share my big smile with them daily; I promise my students I will try my best to make my class interesting and fun; I also told my students that I want them leave my classroom with a happy mood. As a educator, I always say and will still say: 'if students are not learning, it will be the teacher's fault'. I know this saying will make a lot of teachers attack me. But I honestly cannot change my mind. Of cause, that require a lot of work. For our salary schedule? forget about it. But what I am saying is, teachers can change a student's future. This year, I have 5 students change their schedule from other elective to my class after school starts for 1 month. They were being described as 'top challenging students'. I could tell that of cause just by talking to them the first minutes. But I did all as I described above. Catch good and praise, call parents for good (at the first, the mom was like'yeah! what do you want?' after my good news, she was so happy and cooprative, tell me if I have any problem with the kid in the future just let her know, she will straight the kid up for me. you see, I have an alliance now)So far, they are doing great in my class, three are catching up with the rest students. Two are still trying.
How do these assumptions about learning shape our instruction?
Knowing our students is the key. After knowing them, we could find ways to approach them, perconal, academicly for their learning styles.
I will want to know more about domain 4: Professional Responsibilities.
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Wow! Isn't it a great feeling when you know you helped someone that others have given up on? I still have students that have left the center calling or coming back to tell me what's going on in their lives. I love it. I truly believe its because we take the time to show them they are worth the effort and that we believe in them. They have purpose!
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You are definitely correct that teachers have an awesome responsibility--especially when you consider that sometimes a child's capacity to learn depends on what we do. I like your example from your class and you should be pleased that students think so highly of you that they would switch mid-year. That said- it also presents you with a big burden to reach them. I think about this a lot- and yes we surely don't get paid enough to justify this amazing impact we have on students!
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