We have talked quite a bit about philosophy (don't worry, we will speak some more in a few weeks!), and we have been talking about instruction, whether you have caught it or not. The discussions about culture and interaction are the precursors to instruction! How often to professors, curriculum specialists, consultants, etc. launch into instructional techniques without considering the "bed" they will lie in? Sometimes, these experts will also suggest that the proper instructional techniques impact interaction and culture - still backwards though, if the practitioner is seeking to make these changes without understanding the underlying dynamics in the classroom. Ever have those wonderful moments when things work so well, but then you cannot reproduce them when you want to? This is the serendipity of a segregated sequence!
Once we know what our classroom culture is, we can determine what the appropriate levels of interaction are. We can also decide where we want to take the class, moment by moment, day by day, week by week, or term by term. That is when we can choose instructional techniques wisely with purpose and intent. Remember, wisdom is the ability to recognize the value in things :) Imagine knowing your classroom culture well, and having a good bag of tools at your fingertips knowing exactly when to employ them! Pretty cool.
We will be talking a lot about instruction next year (get it?) too, but within a specific context. This is just a little food for thought!
*I am a consultant, so I am allowed to make the following joke - The definition of a consultant is "someone who borrows your watch, then charges 50 dinar to tell you what time it is."
teachers do lot by understanding student'culture. good teachers teach actively then they become involved in what they teach relating the characters and situations in textbooks to students and events in their own lives. they question, clarify, predict and in other ways think and help Sts to think. others may have different ideas and questions .however , their ways of responding will give ideas on how we can get actively engaged and produce a student who is able to be creative and plan ahead.
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