Pretty self-explanatory, we know.

But which one to use in the classroom, or how to strike the right balance? Well, slightly less self-explanatory—and very dependent on the individual classroom. We'll tell you right off the bat: it's up to you to figure out what works in your own class.

Having said that, polishing your knowledge of what these two approaches look like can help you figure out how you might adjust them to suit your own teaching style—and your own students.

So sit back for some Shmoop-centered learning. That means you read, and we explain. Ready? Now shush.

Teacher-Centered Instruction

For this one, focus is on the teacher (duh). Generally, the teacher talks and the students don't do much conversing or collaborating. Though there are more up-to-date versions of this model, in its original form the idea was that the teacher held ultimate authority and the students were "empty vessels" (as this Teach.com article so kindly describes them) whose job was to absorb teacher-imparted information through passive listening.

In general: teacher is all-knowing figure of ultimate power; children are silent vassals who must take in whatever they're told and be able to say it back, while still remaining silent, to show that they've obeyed the will of the Great Instructor.

Okay, so that's the extreme.

It's more likely you'll encounter teacher-based instruction in the form of classes with a lecture structure, or some subjects in which the students need to be given a critical mass of information before they can do much with it.

And there are some real benefits: it can help keep the classroom orderly and the teacher in control of the schedule and the way topics are discussed. (A nod to Concordia Online Ed for that list of pros. They list the cons, too, for you naysayers out there).

While we're on that, let's get into those disadvantages. There's little communication, a lot of chances for zoning out, and the possibility that students won't engage as much with the subject, since they don't get to express opinions or ask questions.

At least, those are the cons where teacher-centered instruction in its fullest form is employed. In most cases, you'll probably see something of a mix between the two instruction styles. But before we get into what that looks like, let's go over the characteristics of student-centered learning.

Student-Centered Instruction

Here, focus is on the students (again: duh).

But that doesn't mean that the teacher doesn't lead the room, or that the students pick a subject and start experimenting without any guidance. Instead, this approach usually involves a fair amount of interaction between the teacher and the students, as well as among students through group work and other collaborative activities.

If you're thinking in terms of learning goals, emphasis is usually on involving students to help develop critical thinking, inquiry skills, ability to connect the classroom topic to real-life concerns, coming up with good questions to investigate a subject, and learning from mistakes that get made along the way. Those and other characteristics of student-focused learning (as listed in the learner-centered column of this handy chart) are built-in benefits of this approach.

Let's recap. The biggies: students gain skills in communication and collaboration, as well as how to take charge of their own learning by asking good questions and being responsible for specific tasks. Plus, isn't learning just more likely to stick when you're doing it with your buddies? (Source)

On to the cons. The room gets noisy; the students are more distracted and may let certain details slide; your introverts will not be happy; and you, Teach, may face some fluster as you try to rein in multiple groups at once.

As for the introverts, check out this article on how to adapt your teaching strategy to work for students of a range of social skills and learning preferences.

And as for keeping all those groups from meandering too far off topic, glance into our tips on discipline and classroom management for a few ideas.

But wait. That still doesn't answer the question of which approach to use.

What to Do?

We're going to go out on a limb and say some sort of mix between the two is probably a good rule of thumb. Even better: a mix between these two and other types of learning, too. Read up on project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, and other forms before you settle on one.

As you figure out how to run your classroom, you'll probably find that some degree of trial-and-error is necessary. And you'll also find that on some days it may be tempting to make your students shut their little mouths as you lecture away like a good old-fashioned teacher-dictator. Just like, on the flip side (and if you're having a sleepy day), you may just want to give them a set of problems and let them loose to fire away while you put your head on your desk.

And if you do each of those from time to time, great. Just make sure you're keeping your students engaged, retaining learning objectives in the front of your mind, and making sure the focus is always on the L-word.

No, weirdo. We're talking about learning.