Discussion Five - Teaching Styles and Learning Outcomes

I think that switching teachers from year to year definitely has an effect on students' learning, whether it is a good or bad change depends on the student and the teacher. Students do get used a specific teaching style, but I think the biggest factor in whether they do better or worse is in their own personal learning style. The teaching and learning styles need to be harmonious for the best acquisition of knowledge, and sometimes a teacher's style just does not match with a student's style. It does not mean that the teacher is a bad teacher necessarily, but that the student requires a different kind of classroom setup to have the best potential benefit.

I have found this to be true in my own studies, especially with language. I did not do well in second year Russian because the teacher's style did not suit my learning style. Now, in third year, I am doing much better with a new teacher. This does not mean that my second year teacher was a bad teacher, or that I was a bad student. My new teacher and I are simply a better match. Even though the material is more complicated, my grades and motivation level have both drastically increased. Last year I could not find the energy to do my homework, because the class itself stressed me out so badly I did not even want to think about it when I got home. Now, not only is my homework getting done on time, it's also much better quality.

While it can be difficult to meet all students' learning needs, I think there needs to be some sort of effort made. My teacher knew I was struggling, and there was no effort made to explain things in a different way. It is easy to put the emphasis on a student's need to study and learn the material, but a teacher should facilitate this learning past just putting the information out there for them to figure out. This is a quality of an above average professor, and something that should be sought.