Over the years, public schooling has changed and
adapted to different educational philosophies. These philosophies,
Perennialism, Existentialism, Essentialism, Progressivism, and
Social Reconstructivism, have served as the model for public schools
across the United States. While no particular model is more correct
than another, each serves the purpose of educating America’s youth.
Each of these philosophies is unique and I find positives and
negatives within each structure. Despite the differences, I believe
that teachers must adopt the philosophy that will work best in their
classroom in order to allow their students to grow and develop as an
informed citizen. I find myself most aligned with Progressivism,
but also include aspects of Perennialism and Essentialism to my
teaching. In my opinion, the purpose of public schooling is to
provide each student with the opportunity to learn, to think for
themselves, to develop as an individual, and to gain an
understanding and appreciation for the world in which we live. By
doing this, teachers will shape the lives of children and be a
positive influence in their lives. Ultimately, it is the teacher’s
job to motivate the students to be like a barracuda – to always be
thirsty for information and knowledge, thus becoming perpetual
learners.
There has always
been the debate on whether a teacher should be the sage on the stage
or the guide on the side. After reading John Dewey’s work, Experience and Education, as well as reflecting on my own
experiences in public schools, I believe that it is best if the
teacher acts as the guide on the side. The teacher will serve as a
facilitator and guide student instruction, rather than standing in
front of class and lecturing for the entire period. I believe that
students learn better when they view the teacher as an equal to them
and see the class as a community of learners, rather than the
distinction of teacher and pupil. When the student is actively
engaged in the learning process, they become more motivated and
interested in subject, thus creating more opportunities for
learning. I realize there will be times when it is necessary for me
to lecture or provide direct instruction to my students, but for the
most part my classroom will be one where I serve as a group
facilitator and there is mutual respect for all individuals in the
classroom.
Teaching is not
just about exchanging facts and knowledge with students; it is also
about becoming interested in them as a person and showing that you
care about their successes inside and outside of the classroom.
Throughout my time in public schools and college, I had the
opportunity to become very close with my teachers and professors.
They knew what I did inside the classroom, as well as what I did
outside the classroom and were always there supporting me. As a
teacher, I want to be able to foster this type of relationship with
my students. I believe that if you show a genuine interest in your
students’ classroom successes and extra-curricular achievements, you
will foster a more welcoming and encouraging learning environment.
I want to know my students and interact with them on a one-on-one
basis. Meeting the needs of my students is crucial for maintaining
a safe and welcoming learning environment. I want my students to be
comfortable in classroom and feel like they can actively participate
in all class activities. By encouraging the students to participate
in class activities, they not only will be learning from me, but
from each other. I feel the students will respond even more to me
knowing that I care about them as a person and make them feel
important. I will work with my students in all circumstances, so
that as a class we will achieve or fail together. Teaching truly
needs to take into account the academic and personal lives of the
students.
I believe that it is essential to
partner with parents and other professionals in order to create a
safe and fun learning environment. At the beginning of the school
year, I will send a letter home to the parents explaining my
classroom rules and procedures, as well as a form that they can
complete telling me about themselves and their child. I want the
parents to feel as if they can contact me and be a part of the
classroom. I will maintain a class webpage that will be updated
with a weekly newsletter and class updates. A paper version will be
available for those families who do not have access to a computer.
If behavior problems arise in the classroom, I will contact the
parents to alert them of the situation and hope that they will
discuss the issue with their child. I will also contact parents to
alert them of their child’s progress or accomplishments in class.
Parents should be notified of good behavior or improvement, just as
much as they should be notified about disciplinary matters. I want
my students’ parents to feel as if they are a part of the classroom
and are aware of the class activities.
School
professionals will also be involved in my classroom. I will use the
guidance counselors and administrators as resources when I am
concerned about a student’s behavior or progress in class. I will
collaborate with the administrators in regards to school discipline
policy and issues. I will talk with the coaches if I have an
athlete in one of my classes who is not doing well academically and
see if there is anything else that I can do to help the student
succeed. Collaborating and communicating with all school staff
members is essential in order to have an effective and engaging
classroom. I want the other school professionals to feel that they
can come to me and that I can come to them in order to create the
best learning environment possible for all students.
Students should
have certain rights and responsibilities within the classroom. I
want the students to have an active role in class. I will allow
them to offer suggestions for classroom rules. I believe that if
the students are more involved in the classroom, they will be more
likely to succeed and take interest in learning. I will also allow
the students to suggest topics they would be interested in
studying. I feel that if the students have a say in classroom rules
and curriculum they will be more motivated to participate and engage
in class activities, and in turn learn. The students will
ultimately respect each other and accept the classroom rules and
expectations, in order to create a highly productive community of
learners. The students will have the responsibility of soaking up
all the information that is presented to them in class. The
students will learn to respect their classmates and the teacher.
Through mutual respect, the students will be able to better interact
with their peers and the teacher. Though the students will have
input in the classroom rules and topics discussed, I will ensure
that all rules and topics are appropriate and meet state and
national standards. In my classroom, the student’s most important
task will always be to be an active and engaged learner who values
honor and respects his or her peers and teacher. By establishing
these rights and responsibilities, it ensures that my classroom will
value learning, honor, and respect for all individuals in the room.
Even though I will
only be teaching French to my students, I believe that students
should have a well-rounded education and knowledge of all the basic
subjects. It is essential to stress reading, writing, mathematics,
and research skills because these are basic concepts that students
can use no matter what they are doing. I also feel it is important
for students to learn how to express themselves in a clear and
logical manner. If they can do that, they will have no problem
communicating their thoughts and ideas with others in the real
world. I feel that courses should challenge the students to think
outside the box from time to time. While this cannot occur in every
course, I feel that teachers should try to challenge their students
no matter what their ability is because it only will make them a
better student. When teaching French literature, I will not steer
away from the great French classics because I think so much can be
learned from the great works. While some teachers feel the need to
have a new list of great books, I honestly do not see the need to
replace something if it is not broken. There are always lessons to
be learned from the classics and I feel that they are an essential
component to the curriculum. A well-rounded and balanced curriculum
will ultimately give the student the knowledge he or she needs to be
a successful and productive citizen in the real world.
In order for the
curriculum to be successful and meaningful, it must be taught in a
manner that engages the students. I feel that active learning is
essential. The students are constantly engaging with one another
through group or hands-on activities. Instead of sitting at their
desks and listening to the teacher lecture, the students are
learning on their own with the teacher as their guide. I want my
students to constantly be engaged in learning and waste little
time. Through active learning, the curriculum becomes
student-centered and the students feel ownership in the classroom
activities. I believe that active learning is the best and most
effective strategy to use in a foreign language classroom because of
the course content and peer interactions.
Classroom arrangement is key to
creating an environment that is conducive to student learning. My
classroom will be arranged with the desks in a U-shape. This
arrangement will work well in a foreign language classroom, because
it creates open space and gives me easy access to all students. I
can see all students from any vantage point in the room. The
students can also see each other, which helps in role-play
situations and oral communication activities. Another benefit of
this configuration is that the desks are already arranged in
groups. The students will not waste time rearranging the desks for
small group or partner activities. The classroom resources are
easily accessible to all students. There needs to be windows in the
classroom to let the natural sunlight into the room and to make the
room feel open and welcoming. Posters and pictures will be
displayed throughout the room on the walls and bulletin boards.
This arrangement will allow for a very welcoming environment that is
promotes student learning.
I have a true zeal and desire to
teach French. I believe teaching is one of the most fulfilling and
rewarding jobs an individual can do. By teaching I will be able to
give back to the community and share my enthusiasm with others. As
a teacher, I want to have the opportunity to shape the minds’ of
children and help them discover their passions and desires.
Teaching is not just about instructing children, it is also about
following your heart and sharing your joy with them. Ultimately you
must show your students that you are passionate about what you do in
order for them to be excited about learning. At the end of each
day, I want to know that I made a difference in the life of child.
I know I will be able to instill these values and more in the lives
of the students I teach.
Here is a link to my
reflection for ITEC 501.
Even though I learned a great deal in this class and became more
confident in my technology skills, my philosophy of education has
remained the same.
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