In education, we educators believe in our own teaching philosophy, it encompasses the teacher’s beliefs

about students, learning, teaching, and his/her role as an educator. We may choose the traditional way
of teaching or the innovative way of teaching depending on what we stand on how we will educate and
motivate our learners.

Upon reading to the motives of Ms. Ramirez, I think about the facilitative teaching, it is the direct opposite
of Traditional Teaching. Facilitative teaching is teaching that guides, instigates and motivates students to
learn. It uses learner-centered teaching- learning practices, instead of teacher-centered ones. According
to the Methodist University, 2010 the facilitative teacher effectively implements appropriate instructional
strategies and creates a positive learning environment in the classroom.

Ms. Ramirez believes in innovative teaching and learning ideals that means “ All- Round Flexible and
Adaptable Teacher” according to Mohana, Chambers and Wall 2008 they describe teacher as one who
“can use lots of different skills, can teach both peers and juniors, and is very aware of the whole
environment in relation to teaching and the learners.”

Ms. Ramirez knew that the community as well as the learners suffer such, and if she will continue the
traditional way of teaching, it will just create monotony and boredom to her learners. But in order to
ready the learning environment we educator mush ensure that our learners are ready to learn as the Law
of Readiness is concerned. The learners must be physically, emotionally, physiologically ready as the
Hierarchy of Needs take part of the readiness of our learners, they suffered from fire break-outs and they
could not be ready to learn if their needs didn’t meet.

On the other hand, the Drive Theory by John Holland 1992 states that, individuals are attracted to a given
career because of their particular personalities and numerous variables that constitute their background,
people search for environments that will let them use their skills and abilities, express their attitudes and
values and take on agreeable problems and roles. That is why Holland’s RIASEC is timely to the proposal
of Ms. Ramirez and by doing it, she also introduces the use of MI’s of Gardner.

Ms. Ramirez has driven to pursue innovative teaching because she believes that by this way her learners
will able to cope to the stress that happened to their community, the more interactive it is the more
participative and active the learners will be. In addition to this according to Dr. Howard Gardner 1983,
intelligences not merely rely to logical and language alone but into 8 multiple intelligences, meaning 21 st
century learners tend not only into reading and mathematical aspects, but learners have different
intelligences and each learner is unique from one another. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple
intelligences challenge us to replace the old and narrow view of intelligences. He encourages educators
to mobilize the student’s full range of human intelligences.

Remember what Plato has said, “ Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them
to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar
bent of the genius of each”. Variation of activities and hands-on experiences enhances learner’s curiosity
and eagerness to learn, rather than inculcating them into to each information, the more active and hands-
on they’ll be the more meaning it is to them. That is why motivation will always be part of innovative
teaching. Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, directs, and sustains goal-oriented behavior.
Sometimes, these processes are nurtured by drives and needs within ourselves and outside forces that
direct them, according to Shalaway, 2005. Motivation may come into 2 way, the intrinsic and extrinsic
motivation for learning. Internal factors are much better in terms of motivation because it comes from
within, however external factors help learners to be motivated and be pro-active.

It may take time and effort to be an innovative educator, however the harder it is the fruitful it may
become. According to John Goodland’s pioneering” A Study of Schooling” a project (in Stanford, 2003),
nearly 70% of classroom time is used for chalk and talk activities where teachers merely give lectures and
instructions to students. The rest of the time would mostly be spent doing written assignments, mostly in
the form of responding directives in workbooks or on the worksheets. Clearly, this does not encourage
active learning or the development of multiple intelligences.

That is why, these activities will be useful and helpful if we tend to be innovative one; an active learning
one:

1. Think-Pair-Share
2. Collaborative Learning Groups
3. Games (crossword puzzles and jeopardy)
4. Video Analysis
5. Student Debates
6. Student Dialogues
7. Student- Generated Exam Questions
8. Mini- Research Projects
9. Use of Raw Data
10. Case Studies
11. Keeping Journals/logs
12. Newsletter
13. Concept Map

Because “Students who are hands-on are students who are minds-on” Anonymous.

To add, internal factors plays it role to make it possible, these are the administrators and teaching force
as well as the learners to adopt the innovation, all processes and changes are risky, time effort and
demanding both mental and physical aspect, it will never be easy, however it is fruitful and meaningful.

External factors will be the community or the stakeholders and technology, never ever neglect the fact
that these external factors without community cooperation and support, the beautiful plan will never
have succeeded, but if they will be an active supporter for change, the foundation of the plan is much
better and united. Why did I include technology to the external factor, because being 21st century
educator and learners, we are now in a fast pace and technology is part of it. Technology in education will
help learners to see the different view in terms of visuals and information.