Learning Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Learning Theories - Essay Example Learning Theories Learning involves various aspects, including motivation, environment, attitudes of learners, and other factors (Ryan, Cooper & Tauer, 2010). In order to promote learning, teachers should look into the different aspects that affect learning. As a teacher, I see to it that learners are well motivated, the environment is conducive for learning, students are relaxed and comfortable, and they receive enough time to rehearse and apply the concepts or skills learned. Putting all these considerations together, I would say that I combine three approaches to learning. These approaches include behaviorism, constructivism, and cognitivism. However, I lay more emphasis on behaviorism because it guides me in my classroom management. There cannot be any learning if a classroom is not managed. Classroom management is one aspect that a behaviorist teacher focuses on. Students have different personalities but when they come to school, they act in uniformity according to the policies and regulations set by the school and its teachers. Establishing classroom rules is thus the first step to a well-managed classroom. Teachers should make it a point to establish rules at the beginning of the year and have them posted. In particular, classroom rules may be memorized by students and recited as part of routines. Rules may be posted on the bulletin board to remind students of their responsibility. In terms of assignments, it is best to make contracts for parents or guardians to sign. There should be an assignment notebook where students will write all their assignments. The teacher signs the assignment page, whether it was completed or not, and students will ask their parents to countersign the page so as to monitor students’ effort in doing their assignments. Practicing routines is another beneficial aspect of the behaviorist classroom. Routines help to make students become organized individuals. Students who learn routines in school will learn to keep a routine at home and eventually, in their professional field. With routines, performance and processes will be perfected. As part of everyday routine, students should greet the teacher and their classmates, check attendance by counting off (each should be assigned a class number), recite classroom rules, and report current news. The re porting of current events should be done in turns, based on the class number. These routine activities are supposed to prepare students for the day ahead, and to condition them to behave the way they should in school. Setting the mood of students is a must in the behaviorist classroom. In every lesson, the teacher should always give students some idea on what to expect for the day. This gets the students in the mood for activities, games, etc. For example, if the teacher says, â€Å"Today, we will play a game.† The students will know how to behave or react, and they will respond accordingly to the situation. If some serious activities need to be accomplished, then the teacher could say, â€Å"