Educational Philosophy

Section 1: My Beliefs about Education.

The reason for formal forms of education and institutionalized schooling is primarily to create a standard way in which children and youth can be exposed to education and learning about the real world. There are many different ideas about how education can be delivered or taught. The traditional idea of education being something that formally occurs in a classroom where an educational practitioner ‘teaches’ to a larger number of learners, is what most people associate as typical educational practice. In formal places of education, we see learners categorized by similar age, skill, and intelligence as means of organizing how to best deliver set curriculum to learners. Right from the onset we can recognize that these simulated communities do not necessarily always represent true authentic pictures of real life. Here runs the danger of traditional education creating fictitious experiences where education may not be optimally conveyed, or perhaps, even hindered by how it has been set up. This can show the importance of how it is the community of learners that can ultimately shape their educational experience. Education, although in most cases structured by fundamental frameworks such as academic curriculum, should be organic. It is ever changing and adapting to the realities of what the world is like and needs. If one of the primary goals of education is to prepare our children and youth for real life, then the ways in which we look at education also has to be in constant states of change.

Section 2: My Beliefs about Teaching.

Instruction and pedagogy are the physical delivery methods of education. Without formal or informal instruction like these, education as a whole would not be the deliberate process in schools that we know it to be. Teaching and teachers are corner stones that formal educational institutions are founded on. Without the teacher, students and schools would not have firm directions, or resources, in which to entrust their academic futures. Teaching is a vocation that is powered by the concepts of learning and community. These ideas can be exemplified by the physical classroom and by the students in it. This can happen as collaboration between the students with their fellow teacher. Those who choose to teach, and are considered to be good at it, realize the value in preserving their identity and integrity in their practice. An effective teacher must possess a clear understanding of both the personal and social implications of these terms. Only then can a teacher effectively act as an educational practitioner to the best of their ability. As a teacher I hope that I will be able to transfer this same desire for learning to my students by using an approach which puts less of a focus on the objectivity of answers, but more emphasis on the “why”’ and dialogue that gets us to those answers. A teacher with an approachable, or flexible, demeanor that focuses on the “why” rather than the “what” possesses the key to having students feel as equals in the classroom. This encourages full class discussions, questioning, and genuine student input, or feedback, related to the subject matter being taught. This integral approach to classroom management is what would contribute to creating and maintaining the classroom as a safe, fair, non-judging community of learners. This also, in many ways, allows me, as a teacher, to practice authentic teaching strategies that I believe will keep my integrity intact by being true to myself and to my students.

Section 3: My Beliefs about Learning.

For us teachers, we want learning to be a concrete process, but often discover that it really is not. The actual process in which we learn on a physiological level is quite straight forward and consistent. However, the action of learning that occurs in most schools is generally non-concrete and uncontrolled. This is where the “hidden” curriculum is talked about, because it is what students primarily take away from school, but was not what the teachers intentionally set out to teach. Through the art of learning, teachers shape the young minds of impressionable children, to adolescents striving for independence, whom may at times appear to be oppositional, and then finally into what we hope are mature adults. The time these individuals spend with us as our students, is the time when they discover exactly how they learn, as well as how they come to see the world and understand their places in it. The ability to learn and grow are inherently intuitive processes to us as individuals. The ways in which we choose our paths and direct what we want to learn, are long difficult journeys filled with challenges. Knowing that most of initial instruction on how to learn is done by teachers and educators, there is only one conclusion. Teachers and educators have to be experts on how children and adults both learn.

Section 4: My Beliefs about Planning for Instruction.

Both short term and long term lesson planning are critical components to a teacher’s success in the classroom. Having an organized idea of how a teacher plans to deliver a lesson to the class, more efficiently utilizes their time with the students, as well as how they intent on bringing the subject material alive. The short term lesson plan should be the bare minimum educational tool a teacher produces for their students. Long term lesson planning, or unit planning, should be flexible, yet concrete, in what is planned to be taught in the year. A projected expectation of what should be accomplished in the year needs to be the starting point that the teacher begins from even before meeting their students. After meeting the class and assessing where the students are at, the teacher should then monitor and adjust the long term plan accordingly. Teachers should also, when planning their short term lesson plans, reference back to the bigger long term plan and assess if there needs to be any modifications to either. Ideally, I think both short and long term plans should loosely follow a similar format as to create a sense of consistency for the students as well as simplicity, so as to not become too convoluted, but remain straight forward. Initially, I think the three pieces to any short term plan that should be included are: introduction/engagement, formal instruction/learning section, and assessment/feedback. This pattern could be expanded or compressed depending on the lesson’s projected length, or where the students are with it. As well, with long term planning, they too should follow a similar pattern with introductions to the units, followed by time at the end for assessment “of” and “for” learning.

Section 5: My Beliefs about Assessment.

Assessment principles are some of the most debated topics in teaching to date. Traditionally the only thoughts about assessment revolved around test taking and essay writing. Although these methods are important skills to acquire in school, they should not be the sole forms of formal assessment. There are numerous forms of assessment that can better accommodate to individual students and their unique strengths and abilities. Formal assessment practices should also not just focus on the assessment “of” the learning, but also include informal assessment opportunities “for” learning. Teachers should always be mindful of the effectiveness of their assessment practices. One of the best ways to indicate this is through student assessment that gives feedback on how the student feels about the instruction of material, as well as the formal assessment of it. Having a clear picture of where a teacher’s students are at in a unit will better inform that teacher what type of formal assessment would be most appropriate. In the subject of language arts we see multiple types of assessment practice used, such as: book reports, visual displays, drama skits, and team based challenges. It is unfortunate to then limit how students are assessed to a simple test, when the subject changes to math or science. Teachers should always try and maintain a wide variety of assessment types for all of their subjects, and perhaps even in certain cases allow for cross curricular assessment opportunities.

Section 6: My Beliefs about Classroom Management.

There are many different components that teachers must consider and be aware of that go into classroom management. Planning classroom layouts and the setup of learning spaces can have great impact on students’ success, as well as classroom dynamics. Teachers should have purpose in how they setup and run their classroom. Utilizing classroom routines and rules to help create positive, productive learning environments is also important. It can be helpful for students to have a sense of responsibility and accountability in the classroom. In conjunction with the rules of the class, students should feel as though they are part of a community. One strategy for this could be to have a “job” chart that rotates through different classroom jobs for each student. This will allow for daily student engagement, as well as utilizing students’ cooperation in both classroom routines and activities. Another strategy could be to hold classroom meetings regularly so that students have a voice in how the classroom operates. Another important component to mention for classroom management is discipline. If the classroom environment fosters positivity and a mutual respect for one another, a teacher would hope to avoid excessive situations that require disciplinary actions. However, no classroom is perfect and students will need to have an expected level of what behavior is acceptable. Teachers should have strategies in place for dealing effectively with disciplinary matters that work with the students to determine appropriate courses of action. Effective classroom management also occurs when teachers are sensitive to the diverse learners in their classroom. Although it may not always be possible to include every different learning type in the classroom, it will still be important to show a variety of teaching methods that will cater to multiple learners. This can sometimes be done simply by including a wide variety of resources in the classroom, such as books, videos, computers, & other media. The classroom and teacher should be able to make any learner feel comfortable in the classroom through the type of activities, resources, and/or instruction style.