UbD Chapter 2

The accounts of the four students who faced difficulties in the classroom were really eye-opening for me. It was inspiring to read about the ways in which their teachers were able to successfully adapt their curriculum structure or instruction methods to suit the needs of their student. It really is sad when a student’s ability to learn is compromised by the rigid structures imposed by the traditional classroom setting, and I think the job of a teacher is to find ways to draw out that ability when something is blocking it. Elise’s story in particular made an impact on me because I know what it feels like to have family problems affect your schoolwork. Knowing how that experience feels is something I will definitely take into the classroom with me. I learned a lot from the section on responsive teaching, too. Everything the authors said about teachers developing relationships with their students goes along with how I plan to operate when I’m a teacher. I think one of the most valuable things a teacher can do for a student’s education is to allow them to walk into the classroom every day knowing that their teacher cares about them and is willing to do what needs to be done in order to help them succeed. Something else that really stuck out to me was the quote, “learning happens within students, not to them” (22). Teaching and learning are active processes with both parties being involved at the same level, as opposed to the teacher simply handing over knowledge to their students. This quote also reminds us that students are always active participants in their education, and as such they deserve to be taken into account when it comes to planning instruction, which goes back to responsive teaching.