My MEL experiences

• Student/Teacher relationship: The classes I most enjoyed in high school were the ones where I had a good relationship with the teacher. I expected my teachers to be fair, and give equal opportunity to all their students. Teachers who were enthusiastic about their subject always seemed to get more out of me. These were the teachers who gave examples of how the information to be covered in class relates to us, and how it could be used in real life situations. I had a great relationship with my physics science teacher in high school; she was always so "up beat" about material, designed lab experiments that were extremely fun, and she made it clear she was always willing to provide students help outside of class. I believe a teacher must be approachable, and display interest in their material if they want students to put forth the effort to learn it.
• Hands-On: Just as most of the interviewed students, I feel like I learn more with hands on activities. If the class is the same exact come in sit down and take notes the whole day period I lose concentration easily. Projects and group activities that required reading and researching gave me more motivation to actually learn the material versus just doing assigned reading. Experiential learning has by far become the most desirable, and most effective learning style for me. Then taking a moment to reflected on the activity, discussing what worked and what didn't. Each student is able to give his/her input, and successful problem solving ideas discovered can be taken and used in other situations. I really hope to make experiential learning a part of my teaching style.
  
• Helping Students Succeed: Probably the most difficult part of a teacher's job is to get students motivated, and wanting to learn the subject material. English and History were two subjects in school I liked the least. I really didn't like to read, and I wasn't a big fan of writing long papers. It wasn't that I didn't like the teacher, or that we had a bad relationship, but they were too nice. Writing was never a strength of mine, so I would hate it when teachers would give great remarks on a paper I wrote the morning before school. I mean I wasn't about to argue with the grade, but I knew it wasn't my best work, and compared to other students it was just average. I wish these teachers would have pushed me a little harder, expected a little more, if so I might be a better writer than I am now.
  
• Interest: It was a combination of material, and also the experience the teacher provided in her class why I am studying to become a science teacher. My sciences classes became a time I looked forward to in school, and it then became a subject I performed well in. She was the funny teacher who was always wound-up and excited about new material. Her interest and enthusiasm towards the material transferred on to me. I became fascinated with science, the explanation of how and why things work the way they do. All content areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geology excited my interest and motivated me to learn more. I give credit to Mrs. Brennen, she made my high school experience more enjoyable because of her interest in science, and wanting her students to be successful.
  
• Autonomy: It seemed to me that the teachers who were "power hungry," and gave no room for decision making were my least favorite. A class that offered no free thinking really took away the idea of "stepping out from the box," and didn't allow for open-ending thinking. In some instances it is good to have a set way of doing things with no lee-way, but at times it sparked my interest more when I was given choices. No student is the exact same; therefore, providing students with choices allows them to choose a way to learn that interests and motivates them the most.