Student-Centered Instruction

I believe that student centered instruction is a great way for the students to learn new material and information. This type of instruction enables the students to reach the goal on their own. With this type of instruction, the student is taking control of learning the material. The teacher's role is to guide the students and the discussion in the right direction. The students are in control, but the teacher needs to make sure they are hitting key points to enable the students to learn the new concept, skill, etc.

Because the students are taking control of the instruction, I feel that they are capable of retaining more information because they are learning in ways that correspond to their individual learning style. It is also   a different way to learn and the students could be more likely to stay engaged on the topic as opposed to the teacher standing in the front of the room and lecturing to them. Although this is a great way for students to learn, the teacher needs to be careful and plan so that the students will stay on task. Naturally, if a student is placed in a group with their peers they will want to talk about things not related  to the material. I believe that this is the most difficult aspect, for a teacher, when using student centered instruction. The teacher needs to be prepared to steer the students back on topic if they become side tracked. The teacher can do this by asking questions that students must figure out on their own. Another way to avoid socializing would be by simply knowing your students. By knowing how each individual student will react when put in student centered instruction, the teacher is able to maximize student activity and learning.