Intelligence

Intelligence is a hard thing to measure; it is not something that can be easily gauged. While there are various IQ and aptitude test that make vain attempts, it appears that something is missing. It appears as if the scores from these tests are not revealing much. Part of this difficulty may stem from the uncertainty and confusion that intelligence brings. After all, what is intelligence?

           

Many would argue that intelligence is very clear-cut. Here, it is believed that intelligence is one thing. Furthermore, it is believed that there should be a test of analytical knowledge to measure intelligence. These people may believe that intelligence stemås from making sense of things; intelligence is being “book smart”. From this, IQ scores are given and people are shoved into categories: average, above average, moderately, etc. Those who rank exceptional are predicted to be successful beyond measure. As for the others, the same cannot be said.

There are others that believe contrary to this notion. Among these are people who believe in multiple intelligences. Here, there are many intelligences that are taken into consideration. With this, it is understood that intelligence is not something that can be easily defined, nor is it something that can be measured. This idea argues that people learn and grow in different ways; not everyone has the same strengths.

Interestingly enough, this is a hard concept for many to accept. It would be easier to think that all persons learned the same way. It was be easier to think that intelligence was a simple thing. 

In understanding that there are multiple intelligences, I have changed as a student. To begin, I have had to work to accept the fact that there were multiple intelligences. I feel that all my life I have been taught that intelligence is directly correlated to book smarts. With this, to prove intelligence, I have felt the need to study out of books and take part in conversation. However, I have come to understand that intelligence is more than this.

Throughout these past couple of weeks, I have strived to find my own intelligence. By doing this, I have come to realize how I learn best. I have found that I favor interpersonal learning. I have tried to take this knowledge and use it to my advantage. This means that, after learning something, I take the time to truly discuss it with someone. Most times, I have caught myself talking to my husband about all aspects of my classes. This has led me to gain a deeper level of understanding. 

I understand that it is important to take the things that I have learned and apply them to my future. That being said, the following are three ways that I will change what I do as a teacher:

11. Within my classroom, I want to be able to teach my students about the multiple intelligences. By doing this, I hope that my students will understand that everyone can be intelligent in their own way.

2. Having the knowledge of the multiple intelligences, I want to help students explore their own intelligences. By this, I mean to say that I will give my students the opportunity to learn and grow in various ways. I will strive to teach lessons accommodating all intelligences.
3. When assigning work, I want to be conscious of all of the students within my classroom. I want to be able to give students various options on how to complete work. I hope that this will enable all students to understand the material in different ways.