Running head: AUTHENTIC LEARNING 1
Education + Relationships = Authentic Learning
Robin Young
L22758943
EDUC 604-B04
Dr. Glenn Holzman
Portions of this paper were drawn from a previous work submitted in EDUC 500.
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Abstract
Education does not just mean teaching something from a book and expecting students to learn,
instead it should encompass the whole child. As teachers, we must work to build the lesson
around the students. Incorporating differentiation, diversity, and the specific needs of each
individual student. By doing this, we set our students up for success to become productive
members of society. We must also show students we truly care for them by creating a safe
environment for them to learn in, while also setting high expectations. As a Christian educator,
our standards come from scripture where we learn from Christ as the perfect teacher. Education
plus relationships will create an environment for authentic learning.
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Education + Relationships = Authentic Learning
Education does not just mean teaching something from a book and expecting students to
memorize or learn that information for an assessment. Instead, it should encompass the whole
child. Taking the time to understand who the students are in one’s classroom and how they learn
is key to authentic learning. Often their character is developed in school and not at home.
Everyday teachers should wake up and pray they will be a role model and a positive influence on
their students that day. In order for this to happen, teachers need to be in the word of God daily
and bathe their students in prayer. Why? In the sixth book of Jeremiah, Jerusalem is under siege
and they are implored to flee for safety. Verse 16 has impacted me many times throughout my
life, “stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and
walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16 New International Version). As a
Christian teacher, there will be many crossroads in education. Look to the positive role models
and people who have influenced you in life. Glean from them, choose the right path and be
courageous to walk down that path.
I was privileged to be at Liberty University as a student when the founder, Dr. Jerry
Falwell, was ever present on campus. He talked often about one’s big hairy audacious goal.
My big hairy audacious goal is to leave a lasting impact on my students by combining real-world
authentic learning experiences, appropriate teaching methods, setting high classroom
expectations, building positive relationships, and modeling morals and values pleasing to God.
Philosophy of Schools & Learning
What is education and why is it important? According to Van Brummelen (2009),
“educating students involves deliberately stimulating and developing their perceptions, insights,
and abilities” (p. 7). Understanding the why of education is key to being an effective teacher.
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Students need to learn from the past, the present, and why this information will impact their
future. “Reflection, arising in the present, illuminated by the past, can aid us to envision a better
future for our students, our country, and, maybe, the world” (Ornstein, 2017, p. 46). Teachers
should reflect all the way back to the Paleolithic period to see how this pattern first began. Small
groups formed and they figured out what they needed to do to survive, the present. Then the
older generation taught these strategies to their children so their group and culture would
continue to survive, the future. They recognized back in 10,000 BCE the principles in education
for today (Ornstein, 2017).
Why is learning important? Slavin & Schunk (2018) stated, “learning is an enduring
change in behavior, or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion, which results from practice
and other forms of experience” (p. 3). Why teachers teach certain skills at specific times in a
child’s life is important to understand. Piaget, Kohlberg, and Bandura have all influenced my
teaching. Piaget had a theory that children through age 5 didn’t think about what made
something right or wrong. They only knew big mistakes brought big punishments. Children 5 –
10 years of age learn right from wrong. They know punishment will be automatic. Beyond age
10, children start realizing that doing wrong, does not always see punishment. They begin to see
friends doing wrong and getting away with it. Kohlberg expanded this theory of right from
wrong by stating that children in the middle years placed much importance on rules, trust, and
loyalty and wanted to be known within their family and peer groups as a “good boy or good girl”
(Ryan, 2011). He said they better understood that there is a difference between what they believe
to be right and what the law says is right as they left their middle years and approached
adulthood. This can be seen in Martin Luther King Jr’s example of being “guided by doing good
even if it goes against the law” (Ryan, 2011). Albert Bandura said that children learn through
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what is modeled to them and by their social contacts. He believed children will “see behavior,
internalize that behavior, and experiment with it” (Ryan, 2011). Understanding why education is
so important is seen in Proverbs. Jesus tells us, the adults, that we need to train children so they
will grow up and know how to live and walk down a worthwhile path. Teachers and parents
should both realize the impact of their teaching in the home and classroom and how it will
impact their and their child’s future.
Instructional Practice
For learners to come to know what this path will look like for them, education needs to
come in a variety of methods. Our students are unique and come to us from many different
backgrounds. Teachers need to spend time getting to know their students. Reading 504’s and
Individual Education Plans (IEP’s) will help the teacher know how a particular student learns
best. I see the value in both the traditional and constructivist approach in developing curriculum
when used at the same time. According to Van Brummelen (2009), “traditionalists therefore
focus on the transmission of knowledge and skills” (p. 68). It is important for students to
understand that they need to learn certain knowledge and skills. However, Van Brummelen
(2009) also stated, “constructivism uses pedagogical strategies that actively involve students. It
gives them a considerable voice in their own learning” (p. 69). Teachers should make every
lesson authentic and valuable. Implementing these lessons by giving student choice is important
and will be appreciated by students. Teachers need to understand that students do not all learn
the same. In giving them choice, I am allowing them to learn in the manner that makes the most
sense to them. Direct instruction is effective in the classroom when teachers want to give a clear
set of instructions to the class as a whole. Cooperative learning and project based learning, from
Piaget and Vygotsky’s constructivist theory of learning, is used when the teacher is the guide or
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facilitator of a unit or assignment (Slavin & Schunk, 2018). This is also similar to Marietta
Johnson and William Heard Kilpatrick’s progressivism approach. They encouraged students to
be motivated to learn through their own interests. This project based learning method gives
students the choice and a voice. It is unlike the structured curriculum of the essentialist and
perennialist theories (Ornstein, 2017). When planning any unit or method to be taught, my hope
is that my students leave my room with strong values and morals, an authentic learning
experience, and the knowledge that I deeply care for them.
Teacher-Learner Relationships
Teachers may have spent hours preparing a lesson or no time at all, but the success of the
lesson is often determined by the relationship they have with their students. Students should
walk into a classroom knowing the teacher expectations. John Dewey and Maria Montessori’s
philosophy of active learning is what I strive for with my students. I want them to be curious and
go above and beyond when learning something new. Students should question and want to
understand on a deeper level (Ornstein, 2017). I believe students will begin doing this when
teachers start expecting it and give them the environment to feel safe to probe. Feeling safe
comes from a teachers understanding of what the student comes into our classroom with. Have
they eaten, do they feel unloved, did they sleep the night before, do they feel safe? These are
basic needs we all have. According to Van Brummelen (2009), “the types of relationships you
nurture and establish have an immense impact on the success of your teaching” (pp. 181-182).
As a Christian, my role in the classroom is to show the love of Jesus, model positive values,
reinforce high expectations, and love my students as Jesus loves me. Taking the time to invest in
student’s lives is key to forming a mutual, respectful relationship. By gaining their trust, they
will listen more in class and realize there is a reason for the curriculum being taught. One way to
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gain that trust and make learning more effective is remembering primary and recency effects.
“The most common explanation for the primary effect is that we pay more attention and devote
more mental effort to items presented first” (Van Brummelen, 2009, p. 155). How teachers greet
their students and the first words that come out of their mouth are crucial. On the other end of
class, the recency effect says the last part of class is also important. A recent study showed the
impact of a standardized classroom as detrimental to the achievement of students. “The better
approach is a classroom that fosters creativity, flexibility, and a positive relationship between
teacher and student” (Cooke, 2018, p. 62).
Diversity
“Just as students have different personalities, they also have different ways of learning”
(Slavin and Schunk, 2018, p. 227). Diversity comes to the classroom in many forms. Teachers
should be aware of their school’s diversity to know how to engage learning within these groups.
Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic, and parent education all play a key role in this diversity. Laws
also dictate certain diversity, “the law demands that students with disabilities be mainstreamed in
regular classes as much as possible and feasible, and the growing trend is toward full inclusion of
disabled students no matter how extensive their special needs” (Ornstein, 2017, p. 13).
Inclusion, allows students with disabilities to learn alongside students in a regular education
classroom. This comes with challenges, but it allows all students to learn from each other. For
this reason, we as educators need to learn to differentiate for our students. There are so many
ways to do this in the classroom. We can use one on one peer tutoring or the buddy system. A
variety of technology assistance is available such as voice recognition and magnification.
Cooperative learning can be very successful to bridge the gap between these groups. By
selecting a varied group of abilities to be grouped together, students will learn from each other.
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For Christian teachers, God is the perfect role model. He has shown throughout the Bible
how to treat others and be a servant leader. He never says only teach or love certain people. He
calls us to “give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the
destitute. Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people” (Psalm 82:3-
4 New Living Translation). Teachers should warmly welcome all students into their classroom
and teach all students at their personal level. Having a successful classroom full of diversity is
not easy work and often takes much time. Teachers are not always trained properly for this.
Research shows many classroom teachers are willing to put in the work to help these students,
however, they do not understand these strategies and are frustrated with the lack of training. It
takes loving ALL of your students enough to care about their education and put in the time and
effort to differentiate to give them every opportunity for success.
Classroom Management
In an article regarding creative teaching, Grant-Skiba and Orwa (2018) surmise that real
engagement in the classroom is the key to successful learning. For this real engagement to take
place, teachers need to have high expectations, teach relevant topics, create a positive classroom
environment, and provide differentiation, creativity, and technology. Teachers should have high
expectations and strive to have a positive environment in their classroom. From the first day of
school these expectations and standards need to be fully explained. Students will be given the
opportunity to thrive in a classroom environment where respect is consistently shown. Miller
and Pedro (2006) stated:
The focus of respect is just one of the many pillars of character embedded in the
educational programming for our children. What we are advocating is not a specific
program to be implemented but rather an environment that needs to be created where
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respect permeates the interaction of teachers and students. This environment would in
turn aid successful teaching and learning. In creating a respectful classroom, teachers
need not rely on the implementation of a sophisticated program. Teachers just need to
practice respect and to require respect from their students in all that takes place in the
daily running of a respectful classroom, where the ‘‘hidden curriculum’’ would engender
respect for all within the classroom (p. 299).
When we infuse high expectations and character development into our curriculum, we will see
less behavioral issues. Every year the Christian teacher should embed biblical values into their
curriculum by way of the fruit of the spirit. When we engage our students in authentic learning
they are less likely to act out.
Conclusion
When I stand at the crossroads of education I have three options - stop, go, or yield. At
times, I need to stop and look back at those whom have influenced me to be a great teacher. To
refresh my motivation and be reminded why education is important. At other times, I need to go
on and continue down the path God has called me on, trusting that He has surrounded me with
His love and the education needed to teach. Sometimes, I need to yield. I need to think about
what is best for my students. I may need to put aside my agenda in order to meet the needs of all
of my students. This will allow me to put into practice all I have learned to fulfill my big hairy
audacious goal. Van Brummelen (2009) stated,
What we need to do as teachers is to set a tone that encourages acceptance and security.
Then we understand our students and deal with them as persons with their own feelings,
beliefs, interests, and goals. We recognize that we teach for the sake of our students. We
try to understand their motives, especially when things go wrong. We try to see how
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things appear through their eyes. We listen and respond. We receive before we send
messages. We communicate with our students at their level. We establish trust by
allowing them to express their thoughts and feelings. We regularly give them personal
attention and recognition. We allow them to fail when they meet new challenges; we
allow them to learn from failure and try again. We don’t expect students to do things for
which they don’t have the perquisite skills. We encourage all positive efforts (p. 53).
Teachers should set the tone of the classroom, actively engage and motivate all students,
appreciate and modify for diversity, as well as continue to develop their character through love
and discipline. When education and positive teacher-student relationships come together, this is
when authentic learning takes place. My big hairy audacious goal, to leave a lasting impact on
my students by combining real-world authentic learning experiences, appropriate teaching
methods, setting high classroom expectations, building positive relationships, and modeling
morals and values pleasing to God, is an attainable goal when immersed in prayer.
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References
Cooke, S. (2018). The creative classroom environment. The Journal of Classroom Interaction,
53(2), 62 76. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/2187375957?accountid=12085.
Grant-Skiba, D., & Orwa, J. O. (2018). Raising Lazarus: Creative teaching and learning
strategies to engage middle high school students. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years,
26(1), i+. Retrieved from https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/appa/doc/A52438020
0/AONE?u=vic_liberty&sid=AONE&xid=aa5b414d.
Miller, R., & Pedro, J. (2006). Creating respectful classroom environments. Early Childhood
Education Journal, 33(5), 293-299.
Ornstein, A. C., et al. (2017). Foundations of Education. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Inc.
Ryan, K. O. (Producer). (2011). A Child’s Mind: How Kids Learn Right & Wrong [Video file].
Available from https://www.kanopy.com/product/childs-mind-how-kids-learn-right-
wrong.
Slavin, R. E., & Schunk, D. H. (2018). Learning theories: EDUC 500 (1st ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson.
Van Brummelen, H. (2009). Walking with God in the Classroom: Christian approaches to
learning and teaching (3rd ed.). Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design.
