Role Model In The Classroom

Being a role model is something that a teacher does on a regular basis- in and outside of the classroom. Through the use of modeling, a teacher can appropriately demonstrate strategies that students can use to enhance not only academic learning, but also social and behavioral learning. Boulton-Lewis (2011) in the article, “Moral and Social Development: Teachers’ Knowledge of Children’s Learning and Teaching Strategies in the Early Years” discusses how teaching can range anywhere from teacher centered to student centered and from “transmitting information to facilitating student construction of knowledge.” The article outlines how a constructivist approach is one of the best ways for students to create their own understanding of information through teacher modeling. In this context, a constructivist approach focuses on teaching in a way in which the teacher and student “negotiate” learning strategies by taking into consideration the students’ abilities. Similarly, Maynes (2011) article, “Modeling in the Classroom: What Approaches are Effective to Improve Student’s Writing?” there are 11 instructional strategies described that teachers should take into consideration when teaching writing in the classroom and are based on a constant need for constructive teaching.

Boulton-Lewis’s (2011) article approaches the

Modeling a safe, nurturing environment can mean the difference between a learning enriched environment or a plain environment that may deter student learning. Modeling instructional strategies and behavior are important, but the modeling of a teachers’ confidence and respect for students is equally important. Modeling based on a school’s culture is important and when it is properly emphasized and demonstrated among all classes, there are less behavioral incidents because the expectations of the teacher, the student, and the school are commonly known (Preus