Philosphy of Education

 

My personal teaching philosophy breaks down into three critical sections: my role as an educator, knowing how my students best learn, and identifying goals for my students.

 

My role as an educator is to be the purveyor of knowledge to my students. Students can read and study only but so much, and some will be very successful with that alone. However so many students have to have that personal explanation, someone to be able to clarify what is most important from what is not and be able to make complicated things more clear. Through teacher monitored student driven discussion students will be able to make their contributions to each other’s understanding of the material with the teacher to guide and assure accuracy. Teachers also need to be supportive of their students in more ways than just academics.  Teachers hold significant places in student’s lives whether it is for the good or the bad. We need to strive to be positive influences and be outlets for our students. Our students should feel like they can come to us with their problems in confidence. Teachers should take an active role outside of their classroom; coaching sports, volunteering with clubs, coming to student events, taking an interest in their student’s lives outside of school and their classroom. We are not merely peddlers of our subject matter but educators in the subject of life!

 

And if we are able to connect with our students in that way we may better understand how our students learn. It has been my experience that children learn best through practice and meaningful engagement. Someone once said that if you enjoy what you do you will never work a day in your life; this can be equally applied to education. This does not mean making your class into a big game but take it upon yourself to make your subject come alive through sheer force of personality and compel your students to learning. Some of the best teachers I had in school did not necessarily use the most progressive educational techniques but were fun and entertaining to learn from. But in the end all learning comes through practice, practice, practice. Before you go out and compete in a sport you have to put in the hours of practice to perform at you highest level, before you put on any kind of theatrical production it takes days of rehearsal to work out the mistakes before the curtain goes up. Through reading, discussion, application, and testing students will use and rehearse their knowledge. For students to achieve and perform beyond the classroom as adults they have to be well rehearsed in the skills and knowledge they acquire as children in school.

 

Here again is the real crux of my goals for my students: to achieve and perform beyond the classroom. If I have fulfilled my role as the educator, if my students have obtained what I have taught them then it is my hope that they can go on to achieve at their own personal best. I think that there is too heavy a focus on students all achieving the same goal of making straight A’s and graduating from college with a four year degree. I want students to know that they did their best and set goals that they know they can achieve, and if that is to learn a trade or become a doctor, as long as they can recognize their own personal successes and growth. By always keeping positive comments and acknowledging progress my students will better be able to reach these goals.