I am a VISUAL learner.

Today was the second day of block classes and I think it went much smoother then yesterday. I have to say that reflecting on your day and recognizing things you did well and that you could change is very beneficial. ESPECIALLY as a new teacher.

My focus last week and this week has been teaching my students about Learning Styles. I think that understanding how you learn and taking advantage of that is CRUCIAL to being successful in school. My students on the other hand, would rather play games on the computer all day instead of listen to me give them small nuggets of wisdom. ;)
Still, we press forward. I'm going to have them start writing their letters to their regular ed teachers tomorrow and hopefully they can use some of the things they learned about learning styles in their letters. (I know - I know. I'm really a genius in disguise.)
Some of my students are really into the topic though and they are trying really hard to understand what their learning style is and use the tips that I am providing (through the help of Google).

Last week we took a couple of quizzes (one online and one on paper) to see what your learning style is. If you are curious, here is the link to the online quiz we took:

http://homeworktips.about.com/od/homeworkhelp/a/lstyleqz.htm

Now - try to contain your excitement about what your dominant Learning Style is and finish reading this entry first.

When I began to teach students about learning styles, they frequently asked me, "Is this good?" or "Is this one bad?"
It took awhile, but I hope they are finally understanding that every person is unique and learns differently. I explained that just like we have different colored hair, different colored eyes, different personalities, likes, and interests, we all learn differently. It also taught my students that you can learn in more than one way. Remember - we are all different, but it's okay!
I absolutely love teaching about learning styles and I hope my students can feel my enthusiasm and catch on.

I am a visual learner - there is no doubt in my mind! Every quiz I take says I'm a visual learner, but even without the quizzes I can tell. These are a few characteristics of visual learners:

--love books, magazines, and the written word
--generally good at spelling
--tends to be detail oriented
--tends to be tidy and organized
--needs a quiet place to study
--gets frustrated if unable to take notes
--color coding, using highlighters, flashcards, diagrams, charts, etc. is useful
--can picture where things are on a page

Those are just a few, but if you know me very well, you will agree that I am a VISUAL learner.
What are you?