Constructivism and Behaviorist Theory
Both constructivism and behaviorist theory have significantly shaped my teaching philosophy and present classroom instruction. Constructivism theory states that students construct knowledge instead of only passively taking in information (Tracey & Morrow, 2017). As individuals experience the world and contemplate the experiences, they create their own representations and add new information to their pre-existing knowledge. Therefore, constructivism has changed my classroom instruction because it has taught me to promote communication and social skills by creating a classroom setting that emphasizes exchanging ideas and exchange. This has taught me to use student-centered learning, such as group discussion and choice boards, to help improve learners’ understanding during classroom instruction. Tracey & Morrow (2017) affirms that constructivist classrooms and tutors focus on learner interests and questions, build on what learners already know, and concentrate on interactive learning and student-centered strategies. This has since shaped my teaching philosophy from a teacher-centered to a student-centered teaching strategy, enabling the learners and me to dialogue and help them construct their own knowledge.
On the other hand, behaviorist theory is founded on the belief that human conduct can be explained depending on their responses to external stimuli (Tracey & Morrow, 2017). Behaviorist theory has since shaped my teaching philosophy by informing me to show my learners how they should respond and react to specific stimuli. This should be done repetitively to remind the learners of the kind of behavior the teacher seeks. It has also taught me as I teach and instruct learners in the classroom, that positive reinforcement is fundamental in behavioral learning. Most importantly, behaviorist theory has shaped my teaching philosophy, teaching me the significance of creating favorable environments for learners and developing a behavior modification strategy for learning. Tracey & Morrow (2017) state that positive behavioral reinforcement works better than negative reinforcements for behaviour control. As such, behaviorist theory has shaped my classroom instruction to use positive reinforcement for behavior control and only use negative reinforcement when all the positive strategies have since failed.
References
Tracey, D. H., & Morrow, L. M. (2017). Lenses on reading: An introduction to theories and models. Guilford Publications.
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Question 
After you have read the two chapters, in addition to doing some research on the constructivist and behaviorist theories, think about how each one has shaped your current classroom instruction and teaching philosophy.
Constructivism and Behaviorist Theory
Be specific with examples and use textual evidence where needed. Use examples from the book!! Discuss how constructivist theory has shaped your philosophy and separately how behaviorist theory has shaped your philosophy.