Tuesday, July 19, 2016

The Less We Teach The More they Learn!


This logo reflects my philosophy of education of future teachers. Since the beginning of my career in the U.S., I designed my lessons focusing on the learners' engagement and active participation in different class events. It was hard to do as students are used to be told what to do and how to perform the task. My goal was and is to leave teacher candidates with some uncertainty, some room for exploration and creativity. Usually, learners feel uncomfortable and try to find out what exactly the professor wants them to do. They are thinking of ONE RIGHT answer to get a good grade. I was in trouble many times because of my approach to my courses and sessions' design. "The LESS we teach the MORE they learn" works in my classroom. I see fruitful results when I observe teacher candidates in the field or during their student teaching experience but mainly when I get thank you letters from my former students who graduated from the Mount. They thank me for preparing them well for the field and for equipping them with the tools for their successful teaching career.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello Dr. Smirnova! I just relaunched a blog and thought it would be great to reconnect with you! I love the title of this post The LESS we teach the MORE they learn." I have seen this first hand in my teaching experience. It is so powerful when students take control of their own learning. The outcome is amazing!

Dr. Smirnova said...

Thank you, Lauren, for your comments and insights about engaging students in active learning.
Stay in touch!