How do Children Learn?

One of the biggest challenges (and blessings!) of teaching is that I will encounter so many unique and wonderful learners. Every year will present me with new students, new interests, new problems, and new successes. As exciting as this aspect of teaching is, it is also one of the biggest challenges I will face as a teacher. I have come to realize that the way children learn is as diverse and different as the students themselves! Different learning styles, backgrounds, past experiences, likes/dislikes, etc... all play a role in a how a student learns. My role as the teacher is to facilitate learning and development for ALL students. To say this is a daunting task is definitely an understatement! While it's an overwhelming task to think about, there are some ways to try and reach each student.
Incorporating a variety of lessons and planning a mixture of traditional lessons, hands-on learning, and experimental opportunities will give students a chance to find his or her learning niche. Activities that get students up and out of their seats give the students who have a hard time sitting still for more than a few minutes a chance to get up and MOVE! This could be something as simple as moving around the classroom in center activities, or something larger such as trips to the library or media center (when appropriate) or exploring around the school. This second idea of exploration is an important aspect to remember when considering how children learn. It's not enough for a teacher to simply stand at the front of the class and try to pour information into the students' brains (where's the fun in that?!). Students must be given opportunities to build their own understandings. Maybe this means leaving questions open ended or giving activities some wiggle room as far as interpretation goes. It also means letting students make and work through mistakes before rushing to their aid. Collaboration also has it's place in the classroom. Sure, not every activity should require a group effort, but letting students bounce ideas off one another gives them an opportunity to explain and reason. Sharing ideas offers a chance for the children to communicate their thought processes and offer new solution strategies to one another. Sometimes fellow classmates as just as helpful a resource as the teacher is- while I am NOT suggesting depending on stronger students to help struggling students catch up, allowing those students who have a good grasp on the material to reason and explain to a student who might be having more difficulty understanding can be beneficial for both students. That being said, I still think good old fashioned independent work is also important. Some students do not work well in a group, so varying activities between group and independent practice or giving students the option to work alone are also important to consider.
While providing all of these different styles and opportunities for learning are great resources, it is also important to remember the impact that motivation and interest can have on students. Getting to know the students and what their interests are is an important aspect of helping them learn. What might have been a wildly popular and successful activity one year might end up flopping the next because the group of minds working on it are completely different! For example, structuring a past learning activity around 2008's presidential election (such as a mock election between Bush and Obama) would have been relevant to those students. However holding a mock class election between Bush and Obama today would be less relative because students already know the outcome and would probably result in a lack of motivation towards the activity. That being said, there are ways to tweak activities to adjust them to current events or current students' interests.
My own disposition as the teacher will be important to consider. It is more likely that students will be open-minded towards activities and excited to learn if I'm excited to teach it. Learning should be interesting and engaging for students. I want learning in my classroom to be an adventure with every day problems becoming mysteries to solve or truths to uncover. I want to try my best to keep the B-word (...bored.) out of my classroom! :)