Intelligent Behavior Presentation

Travis K. McElroy 

MED 560 / Secondary Teaching Methods 

3 March 2014 

Amy Denney

Characteristics of Intelligent Behavior

• Examples

include self-effacing humor, the use of wit and puns, and situational humor

• In the classroom, I would use humor to “liberate creativity and provides high-level thinking skills” (Kellough, 2011, p. 78)

- Rather than paying scant attention and being flippant when listening, this characteristic involves making yourself free of distractions , looking the student in the eyes, and truly listening•I would listen with understanding and empathy to gain the students’ respect and trust

•This means to genuinely listen and show enthusiasm when a student expresses an idea or presents an item

•The use of this characteristic in the classroom serves to inspire students and hopefully motivate them to produce high-quality work and thoughts

•When thinking flexibly, students think “outside of the box” and learn to approach an issue from many different angles (Kellough, 2011).

•I would challenge students to engage in critical, flexible thinking about problems and always look for more than one solution

•With this characteristic, inquisitive students freely ask questions and pose problems in the classroom without fear of being shutdown by the teacher

•I would wish to encourage this in the classroom by setting aside classroom time for higher-order questions and critical thinking

Finding Humor

Listening With

Understanding and

Empathy

Responding With

Wonderment & Awe

Thinking Flexibly

Questioning and Posting Problems

ReferencesKellough, R. D., & Kellough, N. G. (2011). Secondary school teaching: A guide to

methods and resources

(4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon.