Naturalistic or Technological Approach

 Naturalistic or Technological Approach?

 

I identify more with a naturalistic approach when it comes to teaching and building my lesson plans. I value having flexibility built into my plans because, as any teacher knows, things rarely go exactly as expected. As a middle school teacher, I often have to adjust my day-to-day plans based on the unique needs and energy of each class. The naturalistic approach aligns with how teachers actually plan: balancing objectives and standards with the ability to pivot when necessary. While my lesson-plans are focused on objectives and standards, I believe the content I teach would be dull and forgettable without space for engaging activities, supplementary objectives, and hands-on experiences that help students truly connect with the material.

As a middle school social studies teacher, I don’t really see myself adopting a dual approach in curriculum design and instructional delivery. I find that the naturalistic approach fits best with the way I teach and plan. The flexibility of the naturalistic approach is essential because I often find myself adjusting my lesson plan or daily lesson depending on how each class responds to the material. While I understand the value of structure in some situations, the content I teach benefits more from creative activities, and hands-on experiences that keep students engaged. Trying to merge a rigid, technological approach with this style would likely limit the creativity I rely on to make my lessons meaningful.

One of the most memorable and engaging supplementary lessons I do with my 7th graders (I teach both 6th and 7th grade) takes place during our unit on Europe, specifically World War II. A few years ago, I had the powerful opportunity to visit Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau, and I dedicate an entire class period to sharing that experience with my students. I show them photos from my trip, go beyond what is written in the textbook, and describe what it was like to walk through a concentration camp. It’s always one of the most impactful lessons of the year—so much so that students I don’t even teach will tell me they’ve heard about it and wish they could be in my class for that day. Having the flexibility in my lesson planning allows me to create these unforgettable, meaningful moments that truly resonate with students. This kind of lesson is only possible through a naturalistic approach, which allows space for real-life connections and spontaneous opportunities for deeper learning. A technological approach, with its rigid structure and predetermined pacing, would make it difficult to incorporate something so experiential and personally meaningful.

Quick side note about the Holocaust lesson: I recently returned from a trip to Washington, D.C. with about 40 students, and every single one who had taken my class said they were most excited to visit the Holocaust Museum. While we were there, I overheard many of them recognizing images and information from our classroom lessons. Some even pointed things out to other students, proudly saying, “We learned this in Ms. Hutson’s class!” It was definitely one of those proud teacher moments.