Robert Ives
Philosophy
of Education
Educators today
are faced with many challenges. Their
classrooms are filled with students of varied learning styles and
abilities. While trying to accommodate these
students, teachers must employ sound classroom management practice that will
give all students the best opportunity to learn.
Teachers must
have varied teaching styles, because students learn in different ways. Teachers adhering to single-minded practices
run the risk of failing to meet some students’ needs. Some students learn best from hands-on, or tactile, lessons,
while others benefit most from auditory or visual activities. My typical units incorporate activities that
aim to reach all students in my class.
Lessons in the unit include the use of verbal explanations, class
discussions that allow me to engage students in prior knowledge, group work
that helps students to learn through hands-on experiences and investigation,
and written practice and response. I
also incorporate technology into my lessons to provide varied avenues for
students to learn through.
Learning is a
life-long process. There are many
different learning styles, so flexibility in teaching is a must. A teacher cannot just utilize one teaching
style, but must use a plethora of techniques that allow for experimentation
with innovative and progressive styles.
There are times when traditional “prevailing school practices” (Walker &
Soltis, 1997, p.18) are appropriate.
There are some things students just need to memorize, or have drilled
into them, as many traditionalists believe.
There are certain basic subjects that cannot be left out of a
curriculum. Students must be held
accountable for them (Walker & Soltis, 1997). As a teacher, however, I know
that in order to make a lasting difference in the lives of students, I must be
more than a dispenser or source of knowledge.
I’m of the philosophy, along with the progressive educators, that a
teacher is a facilitator that directs kids to self-discovery, not just a
dispenser of facts. Questioning
techniques must be incorporated that probe students and lead them to
success. Group work that encourages
discourse among the students and empowers them to learn and discover on their own
is most effective (Walker & Soltis, 1997).
John Dewey
argued that education was “the idea of learning from experience.” (Walker &
Soltis, p.17) I also feel that students
learn best when experiencing real-world scenarios first hand, and discovering
the knowledge through exploration and investigation. Dewey believed in developing the individual, but not at the
expense of the social community. I
would support this entirely. Students
need to develop social skills that enable them to thrive in the community
(Walker & Soltis, 1997).
In my classroom
I need to meet the needs of students of varied learning abilities by
incorporating differentiated instruction.
For example, I’ve had students who read at the third grade level as well
as students that read at the post high school level in my classroom. These students have very different
needs. Teachers need to make sure the
high level readers are engaged and challenged, but the low level reading
students are able to learn and succeed as well. It is important that lessons are designed in a way that empowers
ALL students, not just one population.
There are many methods that can be used to differentiate instruction,
such as compacting material, forming ability-based groups, setting up learning
centers, and modifying assignments.
Teachers need to
manage their classroom in a way that is conducive to learning. Classroom management is based on discipline
and respect, and some basic rules and guidelines must be established to assure
some semblance of order and respect in the community of learners. Dewey believed that students should be
encouraged to work together. He felt
that students shouldn’t only learn from educators but from each other as well
(Walker & Soltis, 1997). Without respect and discipline, this cooperative
learning is impossible. Students need
to learn social skills from their teacher and fellow classmates as well as
academic ones. As a teacher, I model
respect and exhibit appropriate behavior.
Classroom rules and consequences should be set up in a way that shows a
clear link between actions and consequences.
Students must see a connection between their choices and the consequence
that ensues. Discipline should never be
personal. When I see an inappropriate
behavior, I tell the student what I’m seeing, why it’s inappropriate, and give
them the tools and power to make more respectful choices. I rarely use names on
the board or the removal of recess as consequences. I don’t believe students will make the connection between their
actions and that type punishment. I use
behavior reflection forms, student meetings, and letters of apology as just a
few of my consequences. By using these
methods, students are able to connect their behaviors with the effect they have
on the social community. I also feel
that all discipline should be done in a one-on-one setting with perhaps a
private meeting. It is not productive
to enter into a power struggle with a student, but to rather teach them the
social skills they need to thrive in our community. I would never punish through the use of embarrassment, for you
would not expect your students to act in that way.
I have many
goals as a professional educator. One
of these goals is to further educate myself on ways to become a more effective
teacher. A teacher should never stop
being a learner as well. No teacher is
perfect, and there are always things that one can do to be a better teacher.
Teachers have
power. Real learning can only take
place when we empower students to become active seekers and enable them to link
power to personal responsibility and inquiry.
By empowering students to learn, the teacher does not become less
important, but rather, more vital.
Teachers undertake the enormous challenge of seeing students as special
individuals, helping them to take with them skills that they can use and apply
in the endless classroom that is life in society.
Walker, D. & Soltis, J. (2004). Curriculum and Aims (3rd ed.). N.Y.: Teachers College Press.