Tutoring MSAE fourth graders in language arts
My Teaching Philosophy
My personal pedagogic philosophy is heavily based on my own experiences and educational preferences. My on-going goal as a student of education is to develop a flexible philosophy that can adapt to the ever-changing needs of the youth, which thanks to dramatic changes in lifestyle and technology is probably more difficult to identify and fulfill than any other time in history. One thing I know that I do have going for me is my experience as a student; which has included time spent in a number of public and private institutions, both religious and secular, that gave me a wonderful introduction to what many “schools of thought” are trying to do in the classroom. This has given me what I believe to be a strong foundation to base my personal philosophy on.
What is the goal of education? To me, education should be in place to prepare the youth for any man-made or existential challenge they might come across in life. Education should, as John Dewey had desired, be a microcosm of society itself. That way our children are gradually exposed to the diversity and complexities of contemporary society and have the chance to develop of frame of reference. For this to be successful, our curriculum would have to have a focus on certain non-cognitive skills like optimism, perseverance, and self-respect that many modern psychologists, sociologists and other education researchers agree to be even more crucial to future successes in education and life than their cognitive counterparts (Tough, 2012). I believe that we can be explicit with children about the importance of these qualities at an earlier age than most would expect, laying a foundation of excellence that will make the rest of their academic years a lot more fruitful.
In terms of academic content, I am a proponent of a Common Core. Us leaders and researchers in education have the responsibility to provide a framework for our youth, giving them the information they need to push themselves and hopefully reach the highest echelon of human understanding about every subject in existence. That is what a Common Core can do. As we pass the baton to the next generation it is only right that we show them where we left off. I've taken a page out of Steiner's book and would have a heavy focus on world cultures, even in our extracurricular activities, which I found to lead to growth in empathy and citizenship as well as just making a generally more well-rounded and wise student.
I agree with Steiner in respect to teaching method as well. I believe that ideally, a student should have the same teacher from Kindergarten to high school. This way the instructor has a really thorough understanding of the student's strengthens and areas in need of improvement and can provide a carefully tailored presentation of material that best fits the students needs. Not to mention “growing up” with a teacher in this fashion creates feelings of kinship, trust and even love that can create a powerful mentor/student relationship that is invaluable to instilling those aforementioned non-cognitive skills. I believe that clear cut goals and learning targets are important, and that being really “real” about the purpose of exercises and the end goals will augment the effect of the student's intrinsic desire to learn and eliminate future regrets related to “not paying attention in class” or any of the other classics. To further cater the method of instruction to individual students, I would utilize elements of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and Hippocrates four temperaments. Direct experience and focused reflection would be a large part of my method, the benefits of which I believe are summed up best by John Dewey when he said: "if knowledge comes from the impressions made upon us by natural objects, it is impossible to procure knowledge without the use of objects which impress the mind" ( Dewey, 2009/1916).
It's clear that my pedagogical philosophy is still in its developmental phase, but everyday it's growing stronger and stronger as my confidence in myself as an educator increases. It is becoming apparently clear that the current education system is not allowing students to reach their full potential, and that the goals of the system are not in the best interest of the children. But what we do have going for us is an increasing desire to change. Calls for reform are coming from all levels and all disciplines, and I am excited to be a part of the incoming wave of educators who have a change to do something big.
References
Dewey, J. (2009). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: WLC Books. (Original work published 1916)
Tough, P. (2012). How to Build Character. In How Children Succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. (pp.49-105). New York City: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
My Teaching Philosophy
My personal pedagogic philosophy is heavily based on my own experiences and educational preferences. My on-going goal as a student of education is to develop a flexible philosophy that can adapt to the ever-changing needs of the youth, which thanks to dramatic changes in lifestyle and technology is probably more difficult to identify and fulfill than any other time in history. One thing I know that I do have going for me is my experience as a student; which has included time spent in a number of public and private institutions, both religious and secular, that gave me a wonderful introduction to what many “schools of thought” are trying to do in the classroom. This has given me what I believe to be a strong foundation to base my personal philosophy on.
What is the goal of education? To me, education should be in place to prepare the youth for any man-made or existential challenge they might come across in life. Education should, as John Dewey had desired, be a microcosm of society itself. That way our children are gradually exposed to the diversity and complexities of contemporary society and have the chance to develop of frame of reference. For this to be successful, our curriculum would have to have a focus on certain non-cognitive skills like optimism, perseverance, and self-respect that many modern psychologists, sociologists and other education researchers agree to be even more crucial to future successes in education and life than their cognitive counterparts (Tough, 2012). I believe that we can be explicit with children about the importance of these qualities at an earlier age than most would expect, laying a foundation of excellence that will make the rest of their academic years a lot more fruitful.
In terms of academic content, I am a proponent of a Common Core. Us leaders and researchers in education have the responsibility to provide a framework for our youth, giving them the information they need to push themselves and hopefully reach the highest echelon of human understanding about every subject in existence. That is what a Common Core can do. As we pass the baton to the next generation it is only right that we show them where we left off. I've taken a page out of Steiner's book and would have a heavy focus on world cultures, even in our extracurricular activities, which I found to lead to growth in empathy and citizenship as well as just making a generally more well-rounded and wise student.
I agree with Steiner in respect to teaching method as well. I believe that ideally, a student should have the same teacher from Kindergarten to high school. This way the instructor has a really thorough understanding of the student's strengthens and areas in need of improvement and can provide a carefully tailored presentation of material that best fits the students needs. Not to mention “growing up” with a teacher in this fashion creates feelings of kinship, trust and even love that can create a powerful mentor/student relationship that is invaluable to instilling those aforementioned non-cognitive skills. I believe that clear cut goals and learning targets are important, and that being really “real” about the purpose of exercises and the end goals will augment the effect of the student's intrinsic desire to learn and eliminate future regrets related to “not paying attention in class” or any of the other classics. To further cater the method of instruction to individual students, I would utilize elements of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and Hippocrates four temperaments. Direct experience and focused reflection would be a large part of my method, the benefits of which I believe are summed up best by John Dewey when he said: "if knowledge comes from the impressions made upon us by natural objects, it is impossible to procure knowledge without the use of objects which impress the mind" ( Dewey, 2009/1916).
It's clear that my pedagogical philosophy is still in its developmental phase, but everyday it's growing stronger and stronger as my confidence in myself as an educator increases. It is becoming apparently clear that the current education system is not allowing students to reach their full potential, and that the goals of the system are not in the best interest of the children. But what we do have going for us is an increasing desire to change. Calls for reform are coming from all levels and all disciplines, and I am excited to be a part of the incoming wave of educators who have a change to do something big.
References
Dewey, J. (2009). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York: WLC Books. (Original work published 1916)
Tough, P. (2012). How to Build Character. In How Children Succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. (pp.49-105). New York City: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.