Philosophy
Statement As a teacher my
beliefs in
education lie in between the essentialist and progressivist
philosophical
thoughts. Essentialists strongly agree
that there are certain basic skills and knowledge that students should
master
(in reading, writing, mathematics, science and now in computing), while
in
school. They support “back-to-basics”
curriculum
and profess the idea that students should master these skills before
moving
onto the next level (Martin and Loomis, 2007). Like
the essentialist, I do stress learning
fundamentals. The basics are called the
“basics” because they are the foundation to further learning. Not only are they the foundation, but they
are also the material that students are most likely going to encounter
when
they leave the school scene and move out into the real world. Without the basics further knowledge cannot
be learned (or will be much harder to learn) and students will be inept
to
function in a normal society. Furthermore, I
believe that in
some lessons “lecture and recitation, discussion, drill and practice…”
are all
necessary and beneficial for the students to learn (Martin and Loomis,
2007). The reason why I believe that
lecture and discussion are important is because at a young age, primary
level
students are meeting completely new concepts (versus further developing
basic
concepts in higher grades) and thus need material to be thoroughly
scaffolded. This scaffolding happens
through lecture and
discussion with the ample use of models, realia, manipulatives and the
like. By
watching the teacher and seeing many examples, students can then
process and
transfer what they learned during lecture and apply it to their
independent
practice. Drilling and practice are also
good teaching techniques to make sure that the students comprehend the
material
they are learning, especially the basic skills. Research
shows that through repetition students are more
likely to
remember material (Slavin, 2003). Such repetition can happen through
drilling
and multiple practice opportunities. Essentialist
also value effective
classrooms that are quiet and orderly. Here
is an example of where I am in the middle of
essentialism and
progressivism. I do not believe that
lecture and discussion is the only teaching style, for group work is
also
valuable. Group work is valuable in
cases where students can work together to find solutions to problems
and test
their hypothesis to experiments (usually in math and science). Thus, cooperative learning is also
beneficial, for students can work in mixed-ability groups and share
their ideas
as wells as their thinking processes and investigate conjectures and
work on
projects. Students can also share tasks
in a group and share information. In all
of these instances students work in a close community and learn
together
(Slavin, 2003). This is where I value progressivism where students are
perceived as active participants in the learning process.
In these cases, the classroom isn’t always
going to be quiet. However I do support
the essentialist perspective that the classroom should always be
orderly. This leads me
to my beliefs in
classroom management. For me, classroom
management is the number one thing that a teacher should consider
before the
students even step one foot in the classroom. Students
at the primary level like order and stability. Through
my experience, students can focus
better when there is order. They like to
know what to do when they are finished with class assignments, where to
put
homework, and what to do when they need a sharpened pencil (to say the
very
least). The students thrive off of
routine and feel comfortable when the actions in their lives are stable. Along the same lines, an orderly classroom
includes smooth transitions between activities and incorporates and
practices
active listening. At times students say
very profound things, information that needs to be shared with the
entire
class. In an orderly classroom, students
show respect for one another and share and listen to other’s opinions
and
thoughts. I believe in providing
students the tools to harness there anger and the tools to positively
communicate to their peers about their feelings towards their actions. By giving students choice, students will have
acceptable options and thus have a sense of power over their own lives
and
actions in the classroom making them more responsible children
(Gootman,
2001). Thus, prevention strategies for
misbehavior, procedures and class rules are very important for an
effective
classroom. By providing structure the
teacher can set up means to success. To continue
with my thoughts on
essentialism and progressivism, there is one aspect of the essentialist
thought
that I do take complete issue with and that is the idea that teachers
transmit
knowledge to students, versus the teacher being a facilitator of
knowledge. If students view teachers as
the “know it all” ultimate authority figure then the students will
never
question knowledge and thus will take it for granted and not dig deeper
and
critically think about a subject. The
student may in result consume the knowledge without indepth thought. Along the same lines, I believe that the
classroom becomes a place for total learning; not only do the students
learn from
the teacher, but the teacher also learns from the students. During a
child’s development, not
only does the teacher and the school play a role in a child’s life, but
the
child’s family does as well. I believe that the family should provide
motivational and academic support to children. This
support comes in the form of giving positive
encouragement and
making sure that students are completing assignments at home and are
reading on
a daily basis. Slavin (2003) emphasizes that independent practice is
critical
when students are learning new skills. Therefore,
students can rehearse knowledge and concepts on
their own and
critically think about their work. Nonetheless, repetitive practice and
review
increase retention of material overtime. The
more that the student uses knowledge learned at school
away from
school the more that student will be able to apply and transfer it into
other
avenues. Parent and
family involvement and
general interest in a child’s education is also important.
While I believe that the school is a place where
students can learn to become better people, I also feel that this job
is
primarily up to the parents. The parents
should teach their children the difference between what is right and
wrong. I will mention again that the
teacher
obviously is not exempt from this role, but the teacher should only be
adding
and further developing good character within the students.
They should always be in the process of
learning good judgment and values from their families.
Thus, it is up to the family to ultimately raise
a child and thus up to the teacher to assist
in educating that child and to help build on the lessons that are being
learned
from home[1]. In addition to
the family, the
community also provides a support system for many students. The community should provide extra-curricular
activities for the students to become involved in.
These outlets should provide children the
opportunity to meet new people and to practice other skills whether it
is in
the arts or in sports. In this arena,
students also work on social skills, skills that are needed for people
to
function in everyday life. Students will
thus learn how to work with and communicate with people who are
different,
similar sand even difficult to deal with. The
community should also serve as a resource for families
and children
who need financial and social support. The
community should help to ensure that the rest of a
child’s life is
in tact, the life that is active away from school.
I believe that a stable, healthy and happy
life leads to a clearer mind which can lead to more effective learning. A healthy lifestyle also leads to positive
and vibrant energy that is definitely welcomed in the classroom. I believe that
school is a place
that prepares students for the future. Therefore
I believe that diversity is an important aspect
that gives
richness to American education. It is
common knowledge that America is the most diverse multiethnic,
multicultural
country in the world. With this being
known diversity in the classroom can help prepare students for the
future by
allowing students to interact with people who are different. Having said this, culture is a really good
resource for teaching specific lessons. One
of my favorite ways to teach new vocabulary words and
new concepts
is to relate such themes to children’s personal experiences. When students in your class are very diverse,
a teacher is more likely to get students who have experienced many
different
things. Therefore, the students become a
resource for one another through sharing their experiences. Thus, when it comes to culture all traditions
and customs should be valued and used as tools to benefit the children. As far as
language is concerned I
believe that one of the most important goals for teachers who have non
native
speakers in the classroom is to make sure that the student’s second
language is
being learned and used. Although the
child’s primary language is valuable, students are sent to school to
learn, and
in With all of
this said, my thoughts
and opinions are always being modified. I
am sure that as I become more experienced and
knowledgeable in my profession my perceptions will change for learning
is a
process that develops over time. Works
Cited Brusca, Molly
and Tony Brusca.
2006. “Behavior Management and Classroom Organization.”
Class Lecture.
Gootman, Marilyn
E. (2001). The Caring Teacher’s Guide to
Discipline: Helping young
Students
Learn Self-Control, Responsibility and Respect. Second Edition.
Corwin
Press, Inc. Martin, J.M.
and Loomis, K.S.
(2007). Building teachers: A
constructivist approach to introducing
education. 1st Edition. Thomson/Wadsworth. CA Slavin, Robert
E. (2003). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice.
7th Edition. New [1]
I would
like to mention as a side note that in the case that parents and family
do fall
short of their responsibilities for one reason or another, I also
believe that
it is my duty as a teacher to fill in those gaps so that the student
does not
ultimately suffer, for the student is what is most important.