Analysis+of+Learners

=__** Analysis of Learners **__=

__** General Characteristics: **__ In a 9th grade economics classroom, the teacher can expect to find a population as diverse as any in the school. In my classroom, there will be a mix of cultures and ethnicities; most likely each class (of about 25) will have at least three English Language Learners ( ELLs  ) along with students from various cultural backgrounds. Many students will be coming to school from a single-parent family and some students will be living with relatives other than their immediate family.

Naturally, some students will be interested in the material, yet most likely it will be up to the teacher to engage students with the content offered by the course. In a classroom full of 14 and 15 year-olds, these variables can make teaching effectively a difficult task for many. The teacher, then, will need to constantly display an interest in the students, the content, and a general excitement for each lesson.

In a lesson about opportunity cost, scarcity, and comparative advantage, it is important for students to understand that these ideas are the foundation modern economic thought; the entire economic structure of America and our political policies are both built upon these as the foundation. Many students will be exposed to these ideas through the news and the political discourse of those around them, yet not all will be familiar with labeling these terms. Students should know the idea of capitalism and have a cursory understanding of supply and demand.
 * __ Specific Entry Competencies: __**

These concepts - all of which are large in scope - are an important base for students to be able to build new knowledge upon. Economics is being taught less and less in high school, with virtually no formal instruction in elementary or middle school; therefore the teacher cannot assume that students are familiar with these concepts. To compound the issue, what little instruction students are given (both formal and informal) is generally done in hypotheticals (i.e. fictitious examples that are made up by the instructor). Because of this, it is important to incorporate the content presented in real-world, applicable situations that students can connect with.

__** Learning Styles: **__ In a 9th grade economics class, it is expected that not all students are exceptionally motivated to learn. Social studies teachers always hear the cliché repeating in the back of their mind: Economics is so boring and I don’t understand it!' In order to make themselves feel better about content that many find uninteresting, social studies teachers (myself included) generally say that economics is always thrilling - it just takes a good teacher to deliver it in an engaging way. Since the high school history class is a general-education requirement, I will likely find myself with widely varying degrees of student motivation and aptitude. With this in mind, my economics class will be built to accommodate as many learning preferences as possible. Few students prefer lecture-format, some enjoy an interactive discussion-based classroom, others enjoy projects that allow them to express their learning in a creative way. Still others learn through the use of technology in the classroom.

Although teaching toward each of these styles (and more) does not come naturally to any teacher, lessons and units should be planned with these various styles in mind. Each unit should have lessons that focus on catering to multiple learning preferences, and each lesson should use more than one strategy for teaching. At the 9th grade level, students are largely not able to sit and have meaningful participation in one activity for an entire hour. Therefore, the lessons should make use of multiple modes of delivering content - perhaps one lesson could contain a short lecture, an activity (or guided practice) that reinforces the lecture, and some form of interactive learning.