Hi Alecia,

I, like you, didn’t realize that the direct instruction teaching method contained so many layers. I always just head ‘direct instruction’ and thought that I would never teach that way (I thought it was the teacher at the front transferring information to students in a passive way).

However, your inquiry has proved that there is much more to the direct instruction teaching method. Giving examples and demonstrations is, in my opinion, a great way to learn! I know that as a learner I do well with observing others, so without this aspect of direct instruction, I would be uncomfortable in many learning areas.

One area of direct instruction that you mentioned that I dislike is that direct instruction is involves the teacher communicating information in a “clear and faultless” (Boxer, 2019) way. I think this puts a lot of pressure on teachers, and when teachers are always trying to be perfect, I think it is a missed opportunity to show students that teachers are not the all-knowing knowledge keepers. When teacher’s make mistakes and learn from them, it shows students that it’s okay if they make mistakes too. In the end, we’re all just human, and I personally want to create a classroom environment where my students and I are more equal and learning together, than just them learning from me.

References:

Boxer, A. (Ed.). (2019). The researched guide to explicit and direct instruction: An evidence-informed guide for teachers. John Catt Educational, Limited.

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