Pedagogy

Pedagogy has become the word of the year, a word I have only discovered while studying special education. It has become part of my regular vocabulary and is thrown around in everyday class discussions. That makes sense though, right?

Pedagogy literally means the art and science of educating children and often is used as a synonym for teaching. More accurately, pedagogy embodies teacher-focused education.

I love thinking of teaching as an art, because it truly is! We have such a big responsibility on presenting information in a way that students will remember it. I believe it is an extra challenge for us lucky teachers in special education. We take it to another level. We have to pay attention to all of the details and make sure each step is accomplished. Then we get to celebrate every step. I love how we get to appreciate every step and see how it plays into the whole.

I found a handy little book online, Pedagogy. It points out that pedagogy means more than just teaching, it is "the taking of young children, by means of both skillful teaching and wise training, leading them up to worthy manhood and womanhood."

I am looking forward to finding my own pedagogy and teaching my students in a way that best meets their needs.