My Educational Philosophy

General Philosophy of Teaching

·      I teach children, not subjects. The student has to come first, the curriculum second.

·      Every child can learn.  It is important to note that every human on the planet is constantly learning.  Unfortunately, the problem is not that children cannot learn, but that children don’t want to learn what they are being taught.  As a result, education has to be relevant to the child’s life and it does not hurt for it to be fun (or at least interesting). 

·      Students can learn without teachers.  Teachers cannot teach without students.  This idea goes with my previous statement.  However, teachers who do not have the children in mind and work for them will ultimately fail.  Computers can do much of the same work teachers can do (maybe not as well, but computer are catching up), so teachers have to be more that just machines spouting out useless information.  They must consider their students needs and work from that.

·      Students want to perform and do well.  Other factors may skew this idea, but at the core, students do not want to fail. If they are constantly told they are failures via testing, teacher expectations, other social-cultural factors, or their parents, they lose the desire to succeed. Teachers should work to instill or re-establish this feeling of success.

·      Students want to be heard. Teachers should listen. Teachers should also give students the means to have a voice in the large world. Critical literacy fits here as it allows students to look at their world with a critical lens and respond to that world.

·      The romantic notion of a teacher’s life is necessary, but it must be grounded.  Most teachers enter the college of education with the idea that they want to “make a difference,” yet they do not know what that means.  We need to believe that what we do as educators in whatever capacity we do the job is making an impact in children’s lives and even society as a whole.  However, we must also remember that we are offering a service.  Our job is to educate children so they have survival skills, job skills and academic skills as well as the skills necessary to dream. 

·      Language and interaction are an integral part of learning.  My theoretical source is Vygotsky, not Piaget.  Many of Vygotsky’s theories, as well as other cognitivist theories, are incorporated in constructivism.  The student becomes and active participant in the learning of new knowledge, not a passive learner.  Added to this is that knowledge is acquired through social interaction.  These are major aspects of constructivism as well as two of Vygotsky’s major precepts.  The use of scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development adds to the idea that constructivism and Vygotsky’s views are connected.  As Vygotsky’s work relates directly to language and thought and how the two work together for development, the language or literacy teacher is an essential player in a schools make-up. Use of Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and the use of many modes of instruction are also key to this.

·      Parents and community must be involved in the inner working of the school and the lives of children.  Without these, a child feels unattached.  Without a solid anchor at home and the community, resiliency is weakened and the child flounders.  Some kids find other ways to focus themselves, like extracurricular activities, so those are important as well.  However, these activities become more meaningful when family and friends encourage and support such initiatives.

·      The other part of this is that parents need to help schools focus.  All too often, a school considers itself apart from the community and does things parents do not approve of or things that are actually harmful for their children (either physically, emotionally, psychologically or spiritually).  Schools can have a tremendous amount of power, and parents can be the check and balance.

·      Schools are communities within communities.  As a result, kids need a place where they can be appreciated and loved.  Also, they need a place where they feel safe and where their experiences mean something.  Teachers need to feel that they have control over their classrooms and over their curriculum. 

·      Schools should work toward higher standards.  No more dumbing down the education.  Kids can learn and want to learn.  Why are we making curriculums weaker than they have to be? 

·      Teachers fear accountability, yet they welcome it.  Teachers are proud of their kids and of the work they do.  They may fear what some outside power, like the state, may say, but they want to be evaluated.  Most teachers want to do better and improve their abilities.  That is why teachers continue to go to college and why they value evaluation from administration and outsiders.

What do I believe?

·      I should be learning and reflecting as I teach

·      Students should receive “real life” skills to survive in the “real world”

·      Kids need to get their “hands dirty”

·      Learning should be interesting, if not fun

·      There is no such thing as a “silver bullet” in curriculum or classroom management

·      Students need a voice in regard to their education and their lives (empowerment)

·      Teachers should be trying to help students “create” their own lives

·      The romanticism of education is necessary, but it should be grounded

·      The school is built for the student, not for me, administration or politicians

·      I should feel pride in my profession

What do I believe in teaching writing?

            I want my students to have a voice above all else.  What I mean by voice is that whenever a student makes a statement, either orally or on paper, people will listen to that statement.  Empowerment through voice is my ultimate goal for my students.  The question then becomes, “how do I accomplish this as a teacher of writing?” 

·      By teaching my students about different types of writing (essays, journals, poetry, etc.) and explaining how that type of writing gives them a voice. 

·      By explaining about audience and different discourse communities so that they know how to write to different groups. 

·      By showing them about the writing process so that they are able to write more efficiently and with greater care.

·      By providing examples, either from literature or from other their peers.

·      By scaffolding the writing process and the act of writing (this includes providing rubrics).

·      By writing often.

           

            However, as writing is a kind of conversation, dialogue is essential to get any and all ideas across.  Collaborative groups, peer critique and portfolio assessment offer a way to create dialogue.

What do I believe in when teaching about literature?

            Above all, the material and lessons I present have to be meaningful for the students.  How is Shakespeare going to get a student a job?  What does Pride and Prejudice have to do with the majority of students?  The best way to address this point is to make the learning student-centered. 

Students should have more control over their education and what direction it takes (after all, it is their education), and, together with the teacher, students begin to see the universality of the core subjects.  If bridges are not built between the academic and the real or meaningful, students will resist.  I am reminded of a quote by Peter Elbow: “Students can learn without teachers, but teachers cannot teach without students.”