1.2 Know students and how they learn
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Outside of University I work part time for a company called Ready Steady Go Kids (as shown in the slide show on the left). The company teaches kids aged from 0-5 years of age (Pre-school) a range of sports. I am an instructor of 12 kids per session each with their own unique personalities and ways of learning. As instructors we aid students who need assistance and further challenge kids who have mastered the skill. This ties perfectly with the works of Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal development. By working with children of various age groups I must know and understand how each child learns which links to the standard 1.2.
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Through my Bacholar of Education degree I have completed a topic associated with how students learn. The topic 'Learners and their development' required us to write weekly chapter overviews from the text 'Educational psychology for learning and teaching'. The chapter was titled 'How students learn'. The text detailed all influential philosophers and theories around students learning. Many of these theories have changed the way in which I teach (as seen in my teaching philosophy). These include Information processing Theory, Gardener's Multiple intelligence's, Vygotsky's Zone Of Proximal Development and Piaget's theory of Cognitive Development stages. By reading about and writing weekly reading reflections I was better able to understand the differing ways students learn which directly links to this standard.
At the beginning of my final placement I aimed to build a relationship with all of my students. I wanted to know each student individually and them me. To do this we participated in a number of get to know you activities. The whole school participated in a positive growth mindset program called 'Play is the way'. By being part of the whole school program it enabled me to get to know my students as young adults and learn their interests, motivators, hobbies, friends and importantly how they learn. A link to the 'Play is the way' implementation guide can be found by clicking on this link.
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