A Teacher Centered Approach

According to the classical model, it’s the teacher’s job to do the teaching and the student’s job to do the learning. But most modern experts agree that ideal classroom interaction involves a two-way process, where both the students and the teacher try to adapt to each other’s goals and procedures.

For instance, the teacher may first initiate an activity, but should then observe the students’ reactions. He should intervene and join those students who are having trouble. If this intervention doesn’t help the problem, then he would change the activity altogether. This negotiation sustains motivation in the classroom.

The student is “an active participant assuming partial responsibility for his own progress”. This means that the student must, first of all, make efforts to acquire the knowledge imparted by the teacher. But on an advanced level, the student seeks to share responsibility for his education with his teacher by keeping him informed about his progress through feedback.

Source: Peter Medgyes, “A ‘teacher-centered’ approach”, The Non-Native Teacher