DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Philosophy of Education

 

"Nine tenths of education is encouragement."-Anatole France

 

I knew that I wanted to be a teacher since I was a little kid.  I’ve always loved going to school and the environment that surrounds it.  It wasn’t until middle school when I realized that I wanted to teach in a secondary school.  Between my tenth and eleventh grade, I decided that Social Studies was the subject I wanted to teach.  I believe that I have been truly blessed with some amazing teachers over the past thirteen years.  All of whom I have taken their ways and created what I believe will be the best way of teaching.

 

When the day comes and I retire from being an educator for many years, I want to know that I accomplished my most important goal.  That goal is to make a difference in at least one of my student’s lives.  I want to know that my teaching went above and beyond and made a difference is one of their lives.  There are always stories about how everyone has that one teacher they’ll never forget.   My tenth grade History teacher was that one teacher to me. I’ve never had a teacher who loved to teach her subject as much as she did.  When you would walk into the classroom she always had a history fact of the day and when she was teaching us, the reflection in her voice showed that she had a deeper understanding of what she was talking about.  My teacher was always one who was there when you needed her.  She put a 110% into her job and it showed by the way the students loved her for her personality and her teaching ability but still hated her for her challenging work load. That is what I want to do. I want to challenge my students so they leave my room with a complete understanding of the subject yet also have that bond with me that I can make a difference in their lives if they let me.  My most important goal is to make a difference.

 

True teaching philosophies come from experience in my thought.  I believe one of the best educational theories is Essentialism.  I believe the three main principles are extremely important for education.  Teaching the core information is a must, to instill hard work and mental discipline will help the students succeed in life. When it comes to educating students, teaching core information is important because it is this information that students must take with them out into the real world to live their lives. I believe instilling hard work and mental discipline is extremely important because teaching students this will help them get far in life. I believe that the learning of hard work and mental discipline is something that we are always learning. Even though I will be working with older students, it is still important to teach these to the students because it will help them develop and sharpen their skills. Lastly the teacher centered instruction is very important because the teacher has to teach the student in order for them to know what they are learning. Although I strongly agree with the teacher centered instruction is important, I do think it is extremely important for students to learn from each other.

 

 I also use a progressivism in my teaching.  The part of progressivism that I agree with is letting the students explore for themselves. I believe that letting the students learn by experience is just as important as the teacher teaching the information.  Whether the students are learning from each other or on their own, I think it is important for students to learn from other sources besides just the teacher. So often students just expect the teachers to give them all the answers and I truly believe that  students need to explore and learn on their own as well. Also I agree with teaching students how to think instead of what to think.  Every student should know how to come up with their own views and ideas instead of believing simply what they are told to believe.  I think using a bit of social reconstructivism is also important.   As teachers we should help our students understand what’s going on in the world that we live in and what to do in case of an emergency.  

 

Teaching isn’t just about the material you want to get across, it’s about understanding your students and where they are coming from.  Being a secondary teacher means you have to understand the mind of ones who are beginning to mature.  The teenage years are the hardest times to go through so it can be difficult to educate the youth.  I understand that everyone learns differently so I try my best to teach according to every student.  Since I will be teaching one subject multiple times a day, I want to teach each class differently but decide how to teach them by the students who are present in each class. I am also a fan of working with students outside the class room. I think that also helps build a stronger relationship with the students.  I also plan on doing after school clubs with my students.  I want to be very involved with the school and its community.  I believe an involved teacher for the most part makes a better teacher. 

 

My teaching skills have changed over the years due to experiences and will continue to change but I want to be the best teacher I can be.  I have seen over the years what methods work and fail from my past teachers.  I take all that into effect when I am teaching.  Becoming a good educator takes time but it’s the devotion that makes the difference.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.