Teacher-directed vs student-directed teaching methods

Teacher-directed vs student-directed teaching methods

As a student myself, and also pursuing career in education, I believe that no one truly understands or prefers any particular teaching method until they actually begin to see individuality from the student. Most of the time, as a student begins their journey towards individuality, they don’t know which way to go, so teacher directed methods are needed. But, as the student progresses and begins learning how to do things for themselves, they begin needing and preferring student directed methods.

Though teaching begins at home, it is when a child enters into a modified or “teacher-directed” program such as a daycare or Headstart that they begin to become true individuals as students. In preschool, groups of children are slowly molded into individual students that develop likes and dislikes, and began preferring different teaching methods. For instance, some students prefer visual learning, while others prefer repetition or some other method. But, how can one discover this until he or she is first required to follow the traditional teacher-directed methods? As the student progresses, however, and begins to slowly unveil their paths, realizing what they want to do in life, it is evident that although they may need guidance, student-directed methods are then preferred. Traditional teaching methods are just that, “traditional”, which at times traps a student, while student-directed methods allows students to think outside of the box. For example, while attending traditional school and following the “traditional” teaching methods, I discovered that I was a visual learner. If something was shown to me, I could understand it better than if it were explained to me in words. But as I grew older, and became even more individualized and self-directed, I slowly began to understand that there was more to life that what I was being shown or taught and more than one way of getting there, but was up to me to out and find it.

Although students must be allowed to mature, I believe that after a certain point in life, I prefer student-directed methods. Following student-directed methods forces students to think outside of the box and discover things that may not have been discovered had they not been allowed to lead themselves and follow their own methods or the methods of their peers. The older one gets, the more they begin to realize that things are not handed to you, you must go out to find them for yourself. And, at the end of the day, although teacher-directed methods are good, most of the time they are standard. Student-directed methods, on the other hand, are personalized and they help students to discover their own ideas and talents, and create their own goals.