Blog Post 1, Teacher Control vs. Student Centered

When I was in elementary school, I remember LOVING when I'd walk into class and the seating arrangement was different. How often should teachers change the seating arrangement of a classroom? Should it be often, to keep students interested, or not so often, so that students get used to where they sit and become more focused on the classroom than the new environment around them?

I agree with the statement about teacher control vs. student control. I definitely think teaching with a lot of control is easy, because you're fully in charge of what gets done or doesn't get done. Also, if you put yourself in absolute control, you have probably thought of everything that will go on in the classroom - what responses people will have, etc. - and therefore, you feel more comfortable with teaching, because you know what will happen. However, if a classroom is too controlled by a teacher, students get bored, get frustrated, and tend to not think as critically or deeply as they could if they had more control. Often times, teachers get so scared of the classroom becoming chaotic if they loosen up, so they don't. However, in classes where the teacher gives some control to the students, learning tends to happen more rapidly - students are more engaged, and they feel like they're part of something. Plus, they feel like they can say what they actually feel or think about the material, not just answer in the way they know the teacher wants. It is a little bit hard to have a balance, because I do think if the teacher gives full control to students, it can be chaotic - especially depending on the age. However, if the teacher is there as a resource, and helps build relationships and conversations about the subjects being learned, it can be a great, creative environment where both the teacher and the student can learn a lot and feel comfortable. I'm sure it's terrifying for a teacher, but it's really important to make sure students feel like they have a say in what goes on. I kind of view this situation as similar to group projects we do in high school or college. I'm sure we've all done group projects before, and my tendency is to always try and do everything because that way I know it gets done, and I know it's done to my standards. On the other hand, if I took the time to let everyone in my group work equally, and not control the group, I would learn a lot more, and frankly, the project would probably be better. The same goes with student centered classrooms versus teacher controlled classrooms.