Philosophy of Education
While my philosophy of teaching encompasses many reasons, my rationale for becoming a teacher begins from a basis in the belief that all students can learn and that we have a responsibility as teachers to ensure that all students learn within our classrooms.
I believe that students learn on an individual basis through constructivism or the constructive process. Like Piaget, I believe that students need to be able to mentally construct ideas that surface during classroom instruction, discussion, and practice. They should have the opportunity to construct their ideas individually, not once, but on multiple occasions in both the instructional and assessment stage of learning. Some examples of such constructions would be promotion of learning from real world situations and connecting those real world situations to learning within the classroom, allowance for social interaction during learning and a shared responsibility as a part of that learning, multiple ways in presenting ideas or concepts to students, providing multiple attempts for students to learn, and creating an environment where students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning.
As a teacher, I believe we have a professional responsibility to teach the Standard Course of Study to each and every student in our classrooms regardless of academic, personal, or social background or history. Teachers have a responsibility to provide rigorous and relevant instruction within their classrooms where all students will have the opportunity to be academically challenged and have an opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in the standards that they are held accountable for each academic year. Only when this type of instruction is implemented will we begin to build a sense of efficacy among our students where their belief is always, “I can,” not, “I can’t.”
In education, the role of the student is as a “learner,” not an “earner.” Multiple attempts to learn, timely descriptive feedback, and formative assessment will encourage the student to become an empowered, capable individual in charge of his or her education. When the student understands what is expected of him, he will learn, and school communities should understand that students can only do as well as the assignments given to them.
Family and community play a big part in the role of education. Parents are the most important advocate in a child’s life. While some parents take patience and encouragement to realize their roles within their child’s life, they should be treated with respect and fairness. It is not the educator’s or administrator’s role to judge. Many times, we have the ability to support and nurture an entire family. If our eyes are hardened to possibilities, then we often lose the parent. If we lose the parent, we lose the child.
In addition to the constructivist approach, rigorous and relevant instruction, and high standards, I believe the following teaching strategies to be essential in teaching our Standard Course of Study: small group or pair discussion on an idea or concept, making connections across curriculum or relating instruction to real life, integrating differentiation in instruction, and providing multiple ways in which students may learn the information. I believe each teacher should be an expert in his or her content, seeking the best resources in which to provide quality classroom instructions to each student every day in his or her classroom.
In conclusion, my philosophy of education encompasses the idea that all students can learn. I believe we, as professional teachers, have an obligation and responsibility to teach the Standard Course of Study, to each and every student in our classroom, to ensure all students learn. I feel the constructivist approach in classroom instruction as well as multiple chances to learn information and master each concept will instill a sense of efficacy in students and encourage them to take ownership of their education. Educators, parents, students, and community are four important components of each child’s education and only when we nurture each will we achieve the success of student learning and academic success.
