Philosophy of Learning

My philosophy of learning is pretty much based on needing the opposite of what I got. Just to get a little background out of the way; I am fifty-two, working on my certification for EC-6 generalist and graduated from a parochial elementary school 42yrs. ago. You might be asking, what is the relevance of this background info? I mention these facts to give a little perspective of why I so strongly believe in the Constructivist theories of what students need, to learn, effectively. I must say I don't have any current knowledge of teaching practices in parochial schools. When I attended I do remember the instruction consisted completely of Behavioral teaching practices. Due to certain mental health issues I responded well to the rigid structure in the classroom and the ability to memorize, was a skill I believe, I was born with. For me, not being allowed my own choices and being told not only what to learn but how to learn it allowed me to get A's pretty much through out elementary school. This being said the comment from my teachers to my parents that I remember best went something like, If Johnny would just apply himself and and try harder he could do so much better!

Well then came the rest of my pre-college schooling, suffice it to say, I went from As in elementary to graduating 101 out of 102 my senior year. The only class I remember doing particularly well in was Drama. We had an off the wall teacher and the subject matter was just intriguing enough to keep my interest. Looking back I realize that no attempt by other teachers was made to involve, actively, that is, the student.