ABSTRACT
Teaching ought to be a simple matter since a good deal is actually known about learning. To be sure, there are many things which are not known about the learning process – its physiology, among other things. But about the basics, quite a bit is known. It is a known fact that students who are confident and well motivated, provided with good basic intelligence and aptitude, and provided with good instruction, can learn a fantastic amount in relatively short periods of time. It is also a known fact that once they learn something well, it tends to be well retained, particularly if it is periodically reviewed and tested. It is also known, however, that pupils vary a great deal in the rate at which they learn – some learn very fast, others much slower, but, despite these differences in rate of learning, nearly all pupils can learn what they are supposed to learn in school, given enough time. The author believes that teaching ought to be a simple matter if it is viewed as a process concerned with the management of learning. He believes that the function of the teacher is to specify what is to be learned, to motivate pupils to learn it, to provide them with instructional materials, to administer these learning materials at a rate suitable for each pupil, to monitor students’ progress, to diagnose difficulties and provide proper remediation for them, to give praise and encouragement for good performance, and to give review and practice that will maintain pupils’ learnings over long periods of time. Is this a simple matter? Yes, if the teacher knows his trade.
