Collaborative Learning Environment Essay

During my senior year of high school, one of my classes was AP Calculus BC taught by Mr. Trafecanty, yet, he never actually taught the subject. Instead, he created an intimate and collaborative learning environment for our class to teach each other in. This environment was created by having a classroom of only thirteen students, and by having students learn and understand topics collaboratively. And although Mr. Trafecanty never gave a lecture or a powerpoint presentation, he expressed a different role that teachers have to the greatest extent. Mr. Trafecanty used all of his effort as a teacher to support his students, which created motivated and encouraged students to be successful in a collaborative learning environment. Mr. Trafecanty’s classroom revealed that support from a teacher is a driving force for students to be invested in their own learning, and that a teacher is not simply one who understands a subject, but that a teacher

Trafecanty’s classroom to be successful for two distinct reasons. One reason was the intimate environment created by having a classroom of only thirteen students, which was unique for every student in the class. In a school where a class never had less than thirty students it was different having a close relationship with my teacher and fellow classmates. Additionally, Mr. Trafecanty created a collaborative learning environment by creating a schedule for the school year where one student would present and teach a specific topic during every class meeting. A student was asked to present a topic, explain it, and present examples on it. Then, Mr. Trafecanty would place two problems related to the topic on the board, and have the entire class collaborate on the problems to solve them. This collaboration of teaching and learning by one another in a small classroom led to almost similar quiz and test grades, both of which were always generally good or even