The theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner in my classroom.

I´m studying to become a teacher. In all these years at University, I have learned many things: theories, applications ... In my practical classes at school, I was where I have learned more things because I have been able to see all theories had learned and taught using everything I had learned at University. 

One of the most important theories that I have studied is the theory of multiple intelligences of Gardner. For Gardner, intelligence is the sum of intellectual capacity and talents. For Gardner, intelligence is the sum of intellectual capacity and talents. Howard Gardner states that there is not only one but eight intelligence:: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal.

In my class there are 25 students and some of them have a lot of difficulties with the interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence.  Many children, who come from immigrant families, have problems integrating. For this reason I consider that it is necessary to work activities empathy and, most importantly, work together with others.

For this reason, I proposed making a "box of emotions" in my class. Children had to write letters to other children to tell them how they feel. The activity was very positive because all the problems were solved in the classroom. Children stopped fighting, learned to be more empathetic and be respectful to other people. For me, it is important to work the (intrapersonal and interpersonal) emotional intelligence because I consider that it is essential to learn how to learn effectively and autonomously.

In the classroom the learning should be accessible to everyone and we have to include different proposals for each student, within their learning. The student must be able to integrate and assimilate those lessons in the best way possible to achieve the comprehensive and effective education.

In conclusion, I think that teachers should be aware that there are multiple intelligences and we have the obligation to develop all intelligences in our students.

Which ingredients of the C-Wheel are most relevant to you?

Carol Read developed eight important ingredients to create good conditions for learning. The ingredients are: coherence, challenge, curiosity, connections, care, community, creativity and context. In this essay I want to give my opinion about how the most important ingredients are and which ones I would use in my class when I become a teacher.

In my opinion the creativity is one of the most important ingredients. Many times creativity is an aspect that many teachers thinks that it is not very important, but I think that it is necessary to include activities which develop creativity, fantasy and imagination because at this moment there are a lot of challenges in our society, and children have to be prepared to respond to all the problems of society, and in a global context, our society is in a constant evolution and changing. So Creativity is not an option, it's an absolute necessity.

Other important think in the school is to build a connection with the other subjects. For example, when I was in a school practising to be a teacher I connected maths with science or history, and I felt that in this way children learned more. I also think that it is very important to relate their daily lives and their environment with the subjects working in class. For example in class you can make a market for children to learn to use money, because in their daily lives it is important that they learn to use the money, and in this way they practice with numbers in a “real” case.

Thirdly it is important that students learn from previous knowledge to make learning full and significative (or acquires a significative learning). This means that during the process of teaching and learning student must have prior knowledge which can be linked to the new, so it is necessary that the child already has some ideas on this subject, proposals and concepts.

If the student has some previous ideas the teacher must connect this ideas with the new learning.

The best teacher I’ve ever had.

Education is one of the holiest occupations in my point of view, because due to this job a teacher can change the world. This is possible because the teachers deal with their students, who are all the kids of the world and the adults of the future. It is said that a good teacher is someone who makes their students pass all their exams. I believe that is right in a certain way, but not quite. From my point of view, a good teacher hasn’t got one dimension but two:

1. Motivation: Teachers, besides making students learn, manage to awaken interest in their pupils causing the students’ willingness to learn and to attend to school.

2. Learning by living: Teacher care about their pupils’ problems and, the most important issue, teachers stand next to their students to support them.

I had a teacher who meets the criteria. His name is Esteban and he made me change the way I used to see the world.  He is one of those teachers who will be able to make you want to learn a lot of things and enjoy learning at the same time.

He was my teacher in the high school La Morería, and he taught the Latin subject. He managed to make Latin a really interesting subject so that we could get the best out of it.

After several years and teachers, Esteban is by far the best teacher I’ve ever had. He succeeded in keeping order of the class making it enjoyable pleasant at the same time.

He’s always been there for academic as well as personal help. Honestly, during that year, I considered the possibility of not passing the course, something inconceivable for me, in order to continue with him another year. Esteban has taught me a lot about the Roman history and language. I am not just talking about history, writing, and reading. He has taught me to appreciate the little things, never to judge, and to be happy about the result of my work and effort. I have grown as a personal and professionally more in these years with Esteban than the rest of my life, and I owe it almost completely to Esteban.

Esteban did a good job preparing me for the university entrance exam (PAU), for which I am very grateful. I feel that I had studied to become a teacher due to him. When I become a teacher I want to be a good teacher like him. Throughout the years, he has become my role model. I believe that becoming half the teacher he is would be an incredible achievement.

He showed me that hard work is worthwhile and that I should never give up.

Due to all of the reasons thank you, Esteban.

                                                                                              

I am Laura

My name is Laura Garrido. I am from Mislata, a little town in the north-west of Valencia. I like traveling and visiting new places. I like reading, playing, listening to music and going to the cinema. I want to become a Primary School teacher, and this is my last year at the Universitat de València. For this reason, I am studying hard to learn many important things to be a good teacher in future. In this moment, I am studying a summer course at Universidad Católica de Valencia because I want to learn how to teach in English. I am positive that education is the way to change the world.