My Philosophy of Teaching Social Studies!

This past semester was very important in forming my personal philosophy of teaching social studies. I enjoyed social studies very much as a student, but wasn’t sure if I would be comfortable teaching it quite yet. However, I learned a bunch of new strategies and ways to make social studies class fun and engaging for students!

In my opinion, the inquiry model of instruction in the best way to teach social studies. You of course need to conduct direct instruction lessons as well, but social studies is best taught through the 5 E’s of inquiry: engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate. The inquiry model should be taught the day after a direct instruction lesson for the best results. This will allow the students to take notes and learn the new information on the first day, and then ponder what questions they still have an inquiry about the next day. This helps students develop their problem solving skills as well, as a good inquiry lesson lets students explore their questions independently or with peers. Collaborative lessons also are great for students to work together and learn deeper about a topic.

Technology is also a great way to get students engaged and interested in social studies. In 2019, we have so much awesome technology that allows students to explore content like never before. Social studies teachers need to use all of the technology at their disposal in order to best support these 21st century learners. Students in today’s society learn best through technology, so it’s only right that 21st century social studies teachers use it to the best of their abilities.