Researchers find that the environment, scaffolding, and student choice are three significates for student-centered learning(Peters,2010), meanwhile, the teacher plays an important role within the student-centered classroom .
In the environment, the teacher has to design appropriate tasks to guide students to seek answers for raising the sense of responsibility in learning. About scaffolding, it is no doubt that the teacher holds this part, because the teacher helps the student to pass the transition time, helping the student to transfer smoothy from needing teachers’ aid to learning independently . Meanwhile, the student has own choice to choose which topic and method to learn under teachers’ control.
For the student, the student-centered classroom is a new type of learning, so does the teacher, it is a huge challenge for the teacher, what skills and attitudes teachers need in this types of environment?
Confidence
Facing the various challenges, the teacher has to be confident about his decision and behaviours of students, so how do we cultivate the confidence of the teacher? We could concern about nonverbal cues (Cuddy,2002), she found inspirations from the animal world. She named the stretching body as high-power poses, in the opposite way, curling up body is low-power poses. The results is the high-power poses could increase confidence and decrease anxiety because of the hormone. We could encourage the teacher to do more high-power poses before making a decision, it could help them to be confidence about decision what they made.
Observation
Observation is also an important feature for the teacher, because the student is an active role in the student-centered classroom, it does not mean teacher transfer rights to students, so the teacher has to supervise the process of learning. Even though group work has advantages, it still has disadvantages without control of the teacher, such as the student would transfer their dependence on teachers to their peers, moreover(Rohrkemper,1989). The teacher should observe group work carefully to make sure the process of cooperative learning is under control.
How do we improve the observation of teacher? I suggest “peer review”, new teacher, not familiar with student-centered classroom, could observe the class of colleagues who are more capable with student-centered classroom, then they could share experiences after class, it could help new teacher expand observation in breadth and depth via comparison and communication.
Reflection
Compared with teacher-centered learning theory, student-centered learning theory belongs to new learning theory that is still being explored, so we will face many failures and challenges when we apply student-centered class from theory to practice, it is the reason why reflection shows significant influence on the teacher when facing or avoiding mistakes.
Reflection can be divided into self-reflection and reflection from others. About self-reflection, the teacher can sum up their work experiences every day to find out the advantages and disadvantages so as to record. As reflection from others, we could concern about “peer review”, the teacher could interview people such as colleagues, parents to listen class for getting advice, also teacher could make an open mailbox to the outside world.
Sources:
Cuddy, A. (2015). Presence: Bringing your boldest self to your biggest challenges. Hachette UK.
Rohrkemper, M. M. (1989). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement: A Vygotskian view. In Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (pp. 143-167). Springer, New York, NY.
Peters, E. E. (2010). Shifting to a student-centered science classroom: An exploration of teacher and student changes in perceptions and practices. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 21(3), 329-349.
Yanxi SHEN 
Yanxi
I think you have mentioned a great point – student-centered classroom. In the 21st century, educators are always dicussing how to provide an effective student-centered classroom. But simply giving back students autonomy or empowering them seems not to be enough and efficient. Teachers need provide timely feedback and scaffolding so that students can know how to improve themselve in the next step. Therefore, for teachers, it is important to master specific skills and abilities to deal with this new form classroom. Specifically, you mentioned “increasing confidence through teacher body language” which I really agree with you. Besides techer body langauge, I think the way of teacher speaking also influences student learning. Most time, a positive way of speaking can increase student learning motivation, initiatives and creativity. Good sharing!
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Thank for your comments.I hope it is helpful for you
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I also mention the student-centered approach in my blog, but I focus more on how the students can get benefits in this approach, while this article more focuses on teacher’ aspect. It talks about there are three things that can make the teacher apply the student-centered more successfully which are confidence, observation, and reflection. The confidence in this blog is a new view to me. It gives me a deep impression.
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Thank for your comments,I hope it helpful for u.
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