Philosophy
Although a proper treatment of my educational philosophy would be quite lengthy (too lengthy for this space), here are the core elements of my philosophy on teaching, learning, and the educational process:
On learning
I believe that learning at its core is generative: as children, we have an innate curiosity and are able to acquire new skills and understanding by integrating new information into the existing ideas we have. My approach to student learning thus follows the constructivist idea that learning occurs when we get new information that we then assimilate into existing knowledge and ideas, either reinforcing prior knowledge or rejecting old ideas and generating new ones from the new information. It is my opinion that we do this from infancy, especially in language acquisition, and it holds throughout our lives (as it has held throughout the broader scope of human knowledge).
Ultimately, however, I also believe that learning is transformative: it shapes not only our intellectual development but also our moral growth. Once we have a firmer understanding of the world around us, then we are better equipped to transform ourselves and the world around us.
This overall philosophy can be expressed in the following equation:
On the classroom environment
In the classroom, it is my job to provide and cultivate an environment that makes all students feel safe enough to learn. To do this, it is sometimes necessary to help students challenge their own assumptions about others and themselves and to open them up to new modes of viewing the world around. I also feel strongly that the classroom environment must be one where all voices are respected (in the appropriate setting) and which is not authoritarian but democratic, with the understanding that my role as teacher is similar but still distinct from students’ role in the classroom. In line with my view on learning, I feel that instructional methods should not rely on hierarchical, top-down transmission of information but instead from networked, relational, bottom-up generation of understanding from students. Through these methods, students can truly connect with the material and internalize the knowledge.
On discipline
I believe that a fair amount of discipline problems can be diminished by the following instructional practices: proper planning that utilizes the full extent of the time available; building honest and respectful relationships with students; listening to student needs and concerns; reflecting on classroom management problems on a day-to-day basis and figuring those concerns into daily preparation; and making the shared goals and responsibilities of the class explicit and relevant to students.
Where these do not incite proper behavior, it is often necessary to implement disciplinary measures. As a general principle, my views on discipline are centered around one guiding belief: keep students in the classroom at all costs unless they simply will not comply and are inhibiting other students from learning. As such, I believe in exhausting all possible options before even considering office referrals or any other measure that would remove students from the classroom – the place where they are generally best suited to learn. These measures include but are not limited to teacher proximity, “I” messages, one-on-one conversations with students in the hall outside the classroom, relocation within the classroom, and praising appropriate behaviors of other students.
On assessment
Assessment is absolutely necessary to student learning. I believe strongly in giving formative assessments to determine the efficacy of instruction and/or the obstacles that are inhibiting student success, which can then direct future instruction. Formal summative assessments are also very important in preparing students for the kinds of assessments they will inevitably face throughout their educational careers (college exams, ACT/SAT, state standardized tests), which will assess their formal understanding of various aspects of the content.
However, I am also a big proponent of so-called authentic assessments, which give students choices and allow them to explore intelligences (following Howard Gardner’s model) beyond logical-mathematical or verbal-linguistic intelligence. When it comes to an understanding of literature and relating it to real-life issues that are directly relevant to them, moreover, these sorts of assessments can help students engage these themes and ideas on a much more intimate basis. Giving variety to students is an important way of helping students to be successful in multiple modes, which can encourage them to put forth significant effort to demonstrate that they have in fact learned.
On the role of the teacher
The most important thing about my classroom, in my opinion, is how I function in it. Students are inevitably in the classroom to learn but not unequivocally to learn from me. My job is to provide learning opportunities and to help motivate students to take those opportunities by providing the type of classroom environment mentioned above and by demonstrating the relevance of what we are learning. More importantly is the idea that we learn together, both the students and I, and I learn as much from my students as they learn from me. As a class, we explore the material, talk about life, and grow as individuals. I am not in the classroom to model understanding; I am there to model curiosity, inquiry, and the desire to learn whatever is worth knowing.
It is my firm belief that all of these elements, when properly executed, will result in an optimal atmosphere for students to grow intellectually and morally, no matter what race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or personal ability. Consequently, I am committed to making this sort of atmosphere a reality in my classroom, and I believe that both my students and I will benefit as a result.