My Teaching Approach
To follow the Andragogy model of teaching for effective facilitation of life skills education, here are 3 prime strategies as an essential part of my ‘Living Conversations’ project and they can be applied by any teacher to make the overall learning environment motivating and fun.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.- Confucius
To effectively teach life skills to my students and assist them in acquiring the skills necessary to effectively navigate the challenges of life beyond the classroom, I apply the ‘Andragogy’ model of teaching that focuses on their unique learning requirements.
Andragogy, which was developed by Malcolm Knowles in the 1960s, asserts that learning should be directed towards self-actualization, gaining experience, and problem-solving.
To follow the Andragogy model of teaching for effective facilitation of life skills education, here are 3 prime strategies as an essential part of my ‘Living Conversations’ project and they can be applied by any teacher to make the overall learning environment motivating and fun:
(1) Self-actualization through Reflections and Self-assessments: Students can learn more about their strengths and areas of improvement in several life skill domains by reflecting and self-evaluating.
Weekly self-assessment exercises, reflective journaling, and one-on-one talks with the teacher or mentor are part of the ‘Living Conversations’ project to achieve this.
(2) Gaining Experience through Team Projects: It involves engaging students in interdisciplinary projects that require them to work together to achieve common goals and apply multiple life skills such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, leadership, and time management.
To achieve this, my ‘Living Conversations’ project has a 50% weightage of meaningful group projects in its overall evaluation scheme.
(3) Problem-solving through Community Outreach and Service: It involves getting students engaged in some form of problem-solving through volunteer work that helps them gain crucial soft skills like empathy, compassion, and cultural understanding.
To achieve this, my "Living Conversations" project has a specific module on ‘Community Outreach’, allowing students to apply what they have learned to current events and develop an appreciation for social responsibility.
To paraphrase Abigail Adams,"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence".
******
