Much has been stressed on the importance of contents and methodologies in teaching different subjects areas, the primordial goal of which is quality education. However do we really give tantamount significance to the learners in relevance to what we desire? How much do we know our students.
As teachers, we should be fully aware that we can teach effectively and efficiently if we possess the necessary knowledge of the subject matter, the methodology and the technique we use and above all, if we know the learners whom we are working with. The extent of our knowledge about them will help us tremendously in determining their potentialities, needs and interests and how they can be enhanced and directed up to the optimum. Our knowledge about them will serve as the foundation of our teaching since we have to start where they are.
To have a better understanding of our students, we must be aware of their natural characteristics. These natural characteristics are inborn, untaught, and inherent endowments of students. They are called innate tendencies popularly known as instincts. Some educators use the term innate tendencies as applied to homo sapiens for they believe these can be modified and directed to more favourable actuations. They believe too that since man is more intelligent than animals, the former can be able to control his environment to a certain extent for his adjustments. It is for the reason that I have to use the term “innate tendencies” throughout this article, and one of the examples of innate tendencies is imitation.
Imitation
The child follows examples shown by people around him. He imitates what he hears and sees from his elders and teachers. So, one must not be surprised if he hears the same language, sees the same behaviour pattern of a pupil. A complete transparency or replica of the individual the child imitates.
Implications to Teaching
A wise teacher appeals to this tendency when he says, “Watch me carefully and do the same thing yourselves.” This is certainly learning through imitation.
Therefore, pupils learning will be easily facilitated if teacher is:
- Manifestating a type of personality considered as a true model per se for the pupils to emulate . He must be cautious in his speech and actuations.His manner of talking, dressing, and doing things must conform with the standard norms of behaviour accepted by the society.
- Teaching the subject matter correctly, for whatever mistakes he commits, when learned by the pupils, become difficulty to rectify.
- Emphasizing process of doing things to justify the end.
By: Ricer M. Borja | Teacher II | Mariveles National High School-Cabcaben | Mariveles, Bataan
