Understanding by Design in Teaching and Learning

                Second meeting in Principles of Effective Teaching and Assessment (PETA) class was so creative and interesting. By watching the given video about activities in the first grade that should be related with the learning objectives, it shows me that teaching the primary students is not really easy. How to control the students so that keep paying attention to the lesson and the teacher instruction is needed a big patience. How to make the primary students understand about the teacher’s instruction should be the concern of the teachers.

As the goal of teaching and learning is to reach the learning objectives and make the students get the knowledge well. On the recorded video, the performance of a teacher will bring the effect in students’ understanding. Performance here is not only about the model of the dress code or just how to get the best gesture. Both of them will be perfect if the teachers are mastering how to give an instruction well. That’s why here I want to say that teachers need to make “understanding by design”. By making a model of activities or design of understanding, teachers are hoped to give a fresh teaching style.

In the second meeting of PETA, we have been showed that, teaching is not started when teachers are delivering the material. In fact, teacher should plan and do the teaching well started from the opening until the closing. That’s called “the typical curriculum design” that consists of opening, activities, assessment, and closing. On the video, teacher was doing some indoor and outdoor activities. Teacher gave a question or problem in the opening and went to the field to observe a fruit plant. Till the end of the class, teacher gave a story telling to give the moral value to the students. Those activities were good, well-organized and interesting. Also the enthusiasm of the students was seemed during the class.

The addition is the teacher needs to pay attention her intonation and the firmness in sounding the instruction well. As one of characteristics of effective teacher is good intonation. Besides those things, teachers should concern of twin sins. The twin sins are activity-focused and coverage approach. The twin sins tell us that interesting and fun teaching is good, but it’s better if the understanding of the material is well delivered too.

I think that’s great of teachers who have prepared the lesson material and any needs in teaching. So, teaching will be interesting, fun, and meaningful. The most important thing that I’ve got of the second meeting in PETA is how to make our planning in teaching become real in the class (not only a written planning). 

Annas Bentari

2010110047

Reflective Teacher Candidate