Philosophy of Education Part 2

     Another element of our philosophies of education pertains to the environment in which our students are learning.    I remember when I was in school, desks were generally in neat rows with the teacher's desk front and center.  The chalk board was generally right behind her desk so that she could use it with little effort.

     In general, this was a teacher-centered classroom.  In other words, the environment was set up for the convenience of the teacher.  Lecture was the primary teaching strategy used.  In this classroom, the teacher was viewed as the expert, and she shared her knowledge with the students who got information by listening and/or reading a textbook.  Some refer to this as the Sage on the Stage-- wisdom resided in the teacher who was at the front of the classroom. 
     I do not mean to imply that this was bad.  It was, according to the time, a great way to get an education.  Gratefully, this is a learning style that suits me OK.  So, I learned.  However, now I know that there were students in my class who were not ignorant or slow, but who struggled because they did not learn well in this setting.

     Teachers today, arrange classrooms in many different ways.  If we look closely, we may discover that the teacher is no longer front and center.  In fact, in some of these classrooms, it is difficult to find the teacher's desk.  One reason is that the teacher is not behind the desk much during the course of a teaching day.  The teacher will be up and about, visiting with students, helping them to discover new pieces of information.  In this setting, the teacher is more of a facilitator than an instructor.  She directs students toward resources, asks questions that lead them to greater understanding, and asks them to demonstrate their learning by applying what they are learning in practical, relevant ways.  This is a student-centered classroom.

     When you think of your classroom, what elements demonstrate that you have created a student-centered classroom?  What is most difficult about creating a student-centered learning environment?