Table of Contents
Introduction
A person’s philosophy of education significantly determines how the particular person will impact the lives of students and, in extension, the greater society.
Having an excellent teaching philosophy helps teachers understand their strengths and how they will apply these strengths in teaching. People have different beliefs, values, and opinions about how teaching. These elements are useful in the teaching profession since they will find their way in the classroom and into the lives of other people through teaching or knowledge dissemination. Teachers need to identify their teaching philosophy from the onset so that school administrators can quickly identify areas or classes where these teachers fit according to their belief s about the purpose of education and the role of teachers in teaching.
Reason to Teach
My greatest motivation for becoming a teacher is to contribute a positive change to the lives of my students and empower them to become resourceful people in their personal and professional life. Students require people who are passionate to show the direction and empower them with the skills and values necessary to face a challenging world when they become adults.
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Teachers are one of these people who play a crucial role in shaping the skills, values, and attitudes of learners. As a person, I derive great satisfaction from empowering young people. Teaching offers me a unique opportunity to successfully transform children from a young age and show them the right path as they transition from school to career world and other responsibilities associated with adulthood. I believe that the world will be progress if the right skills and mindset are inculcated in children from their early stages of growth and development.
My decision to choose teaching as a profession emanated from my inner feelings about the decisive role played by instructors in impacting the lives of people in societies or communities through instilling good behavior and morals in children. I decided to become a teacher based on the realization that my life will become more meaningful if I witness positive change and transformation in communities.
Purpose of Education
General Education
The primary purpose of education is to instill ethical values that promote understanding and tolerance amongst humans. Discipline, ethical values, morals, and functional behaviors can only be achieved through education. Societies become stable by avoiding conflicts and learning to live with their differences and other elements of diversity through knowledge and awareness of various socio-cultural practices. Students go to school to learn about their environment. The term ‘environment’ is so broad, and it encompasses so many aspects of student’s lives. Students, for example, are taught so many things about their social, political, and economic environment. Other important issues that students get to know in school deals with their bodies.
When students are taught some essential elements about living and non-living things, they appreciate the need to take care of all these elements. Going to school enables students to learn several skills that will prepare them for their careers hence a positive contribution to their lives and societies later (Schmoker, 2011). I will introduce relevant 21st-century skills at the required stage by exposing students to various gadgets, software, and other elements of technology. My focus will be specifically on how students can use these tools to solve problems either in the classroom or in their homes. My role as an educator is to facilitate the exchange or transfer of knowledge from the relevant materials to students.
Students need to know or be able to do the things I am teaching so that they can achieve a significant number of elements in Bloom’s Taxonomy and the six facets of understanding. The explanation is one of the essential aspects which allow students to demonstrate their comprehension of a particular educational issue. This will make them justify their decisions in terms of answers, explanations, or responses to specific questions. Interpretation is another essential element that is achieved through teaching. This will make students attain high levels of understanding and be able to defend their chosen answers and avoid just picking what they consider to be the right answers. Application is another facet of the belief that allows students to harmonize their acquired knowledge with the happenings in their surroundings.
Through the aspect of use, students can gain self-judgment and self-assessment. All these factors are essential in examining one’s environment and applying knowledge acquired in class through teaching or interaction with various educational materials. Perspective is another crucial element in understanding, and it can be used to examine the relevance of knowledge acquired. Education helps students develop their ideas and views about various issues in their surroundings. Empathy can also be achieved if students understand the concepts taught or explored in the educational environment.
There are many perspectives on how people see different topics or ideas. A person who can understand from the perspective of others has a better way of relating to diverse people or their varying opinions or views on issues (Wiggins, 2005). The last facet of understanding that can be facilitated by teaching is self-knowledge. Students should be in a position to appreciate their boundaries or those of their colleagues when it comes to an understanding. Self-knowledge is also about being aware of one’s prejudices and developing ways of controlling these prejudices lest they prevent one from objectively looking at things in their environment. The ability of a person to act on a particular issue or knowledge depends on the level of their self-knowledge and confidence in that specific knowledge.
The concepts of endurance, relevance, and leverage are crucial in education. The connection is about drawing from familiar situations or experiences in enhancing understanding. Patience helps not only teachers but also students withstand difficult challenges as they embark on knowledge sharing and seeking of intellectual fulfillment. Leverage is about taking advantage of opportunities to promote understanding and stimulate intellectual growth.
Characteristics of an Effective Teacher
An effective teacher is the one who understands how to build a positive and mutual relationship with learners. Some qualities associated with effective teachers include a caring personality, patience, kindness, and emotional intelligence. The ability to engage learners and demonstrate dedication forms parts of the requirements for effective teaching — effective teachers understanding various elements associated with their students.
What to Teach
My main focus on teaching is big ideas. This will create an avenue to examine various theoretical perspectives. I seek to achieve a change of behavior, values, and attitudes amongst learners. My priority is of high quality and comprehension. Creativity and innovation are two essential 21st-century skills that I will emphasize as a teacher.
These skills are crucial since the world depends on them for solutions to several problems in various spheres such as politics, economics, technology, trade, and business in general. Many entrepreneurs are shaping the current and future direction of the entire universe through creativity and innovation. One of the examples of entrepreneurs that much applies the skills of creativity and innovation is Elon Musk. From space exploration through Space X, electric cars, solar panels, Underground trains, and internet banking, Musk is making a significant contribution to changing dynamics n how people live, travels, and transacts their business. Electric and self-driving cars are one of the fascinating developments as far as creativity and innovation are concerned in the auto industry.
There are many electric cars on the road today, courtesy Tesla Motors. Self-driving cars could soon become a norm in our streets as the company embarks on large scales tests and gradual rollout of these vehicles on public roads. Curriculum plays a vital role in achieving learning goals. I will seek to design a curriculum that reflects the happenings in the environment and use resources within and outside my context.IT resources are especially helpful in the modern world.
How to Teach
I believe that children should learn by undergoing all six facets of understanding. Students should be able to apply their knowledge and solve several problems in their environment. I will use Marzano’s seven steps model in teaching. The provision of recognition and apparent reinforcing effort will be my focus as far as Marzano’s 9 High-Yield Strategies are concerned.
Instruction
I will hook and hold students through interactive teaching where questions are asked and answered collaboratively by the whole class. My modeling and demonstration will be carried out through the use of diagrams and other necessary pictorials or graphics. To teach in small chunks, I will break lessons into short sessions. Guided practice and metacognition will be ensured through the use of group discussions and small interactive sessions.
To test the hypothesis, I will require students to have written explanations after carrying out either fieldwork or any form of inquiry. I will combine several instructional strategies to achieve better results. Fieldworks and experiments will inform experiential strategies, whereas group sessions will be part of interactive, indirect, and independent policies. Direct methods involve class sessions where discussions are held to teach various topics and disseminate knowledge (Rubinstein, 2012).
Assessment
I will combine both formative and summative assessment techniques. These methods will show a student’s progress and level of understanding. They will assist in developing the required strategies to improve learning or content.
Formative
I will use formative assessment to determine learning needs and measure academic progress. Observations and homework will form [art of formative assessments to be used. Feedback will be provided through conducting one in one session with the concerned students and showing them what they need to do.
Summative
At the end of every topic, I will give students tests to evaluate their understanding of the problem or content taught in that unit. This will reveal the areas that need improvement and help in identifying the required instructional strategy to apply.
Technology
I will use technology in my classroom through the identification of the right technological equipment and software that befits the level of my students. These software and gadgets should also serve the educational needs of students. The use of technology helps learners prepare for their careers from early stages hence smooth transition into career fields. An ISTE standard that I am demonstrating for this lesson is that of a facilitator. In my work and teaching objectives, I seek to create an empowered learner.
Diversity & Differentiating Instruction
Diversity is a common issue in most classrooms today. To reach diverse children in my class, I will try to understand various elements inherent in their variety and address these specific elements ensuring that learning experiences address each differentiated need. Some learners will require special attention owing to their unique type. These needs should, however, be balanced with the needs of the entire class through an examination of multiple perspectives that can be used. The learning context should be shifted to address diversity by harmonizing various diversity elements in the classroom.
Classroom Management
I will create a positive learning environment by fostering a collaborative relationship. Openness and friendship are my two valued principles in establishing g a community of learners. I expect students to exhibit interest in earning and actively search for knowledge by reaching out to teachers and learning materials. I will initiate some positive disciplinary measures that seek to change behavior. To cognitively engage students, I will centrally place them at the center of learning and demonstrate to them that they are responsible for their education.
Relationships
I will interact and build relationships with different educational stakeholders by seeking their support and input in various educational issues. To develop my relationship with the community, parents, teaching colleagues, administration, and students, I will identify multiple ways of bringing this stakeholder on board while learning to respect their unique contributions and perspectives. Creating a positive relationship with multiple stakeholders in education eases the process of learning (Marzano, 2007).
Conclusion
Teachers need to identify their teaching philosophy from the onset so that school administrators can quickly identify areas or classes where these teachers fit according to their belief s about the purpose of education and the role of teachers in teaching. MSU’s conceptual framework of the Reflective Experiential Teacher provides with my philosophy since it encourages the building of relationships, use of collaborative methods in addition to other innovative techniques and skills.21st-century skills are essential in modern classrooms. Skills such as creativity and innovation are what produce creative such as Elon Musk and the late Steve Jobs.
References
- Marzano, R.J. (2007). The art and science of teaching: A comprehensive framework for effective instruction. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision, Curriculum, and Development.
- Rubinstein, G. (2012). The don’ts and don’ts of teaching. Educational Leadership 69(8), 50-52.
- Schmoker, M. (2011). Focus: Elevating the essentials to radically improve student learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision, Curriculum and Development.
- Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision, Curriculum and Development.
