I came across a book called 1001 Pearls of Teacher’s Wisdom: quotations on Life and Learning, edited by Erin Gruwell, that is filled with many different interpretations about life and learning. There is one quote that really resonates with me by Søren Kierkegaard. He states that: “instruction begins when you, the teacher, learn from the learner; put yourself in his place so that you may understand…what he learns and the way he understands it” (Gruwell, 2016, p.82). In my opinion, I believe that this quote focuses on the student, rather than the educator. It is important to recognize that all our students are unique; meaning that each of them will think and process information differently. This quote means that it is important to get to know our students and understand what their needs are in order to learn. Once we understand how our students think and learn, we can then alter the way we teach to suit each students’ individual needs.
In order to implement this in my class, I would focus on universal design for learning, as well as differentiated instruction. I want my students to have their needs met in the classroom; to achieve this I will let students work in areas in the classroom that support their learning needs. For instance, students could sit by the window, on the floor, use different materials, use a standing desk, etc. I would also give my students options with assignments. Students could use PowerPoint, write an essay, make a song, create a performance, etc. I want my students to feel like the can express themselves in their work in a way that represents who they are as learners.