Teaching Methods

Lake Stevens High School's staff works hard to provide students with a wide range of learning techniques. Depending on the grade level, as well as the individual classroom's overall attitude, Mrs. Tilley allows for more partner and group work knowing that students will not waste time. Another main goal at LSHS is to stray from lecture and create a more student based environment. Socratic seminars are an efficient way to get students involved in the material, as well as a form of practice for speaking and being able to back up what one believes.

Hands-on projects have been performed in many of the classes as well. Mrs. Tilley has her English 10 students act out select scenes from plays, and for her AP literature students, assigns an oral essay filled with demonstrations and skits. She also created LSHS's Literary Club, in which students create a literary journal, The Valkyrie, every year.

I plan on using similar judgment as Mrs. Tilley in my future classroom. Depending on each class and their attentiveness and behavior, more freedoms will be awarded through group work and "noisy" activities. Also, I am prepared to give my specific attention to accommodate students in need. For example, Mr. Alderson allows one student who struggles with fine motor skills to take an oral exam rather than a written one. Today Mr. Alderson explained to me that although this student is incredibly smart, he has difficulty showing it, and even believing it himself, because he has been forced to write his knowledge rather than say it.

It is crucial for every good teacher to create a diverse learning environment that reaches out to every student who enters the classroom. Lake Stevens High School's English department has done an excellent job in demonstrating positive teaching techniques and learning environments that I can learn from myself.