Education Philosophy

The importance of schooling in one's life is just as important as the food one eats daily to sustain themselves and grow. According to Jere Brophy in his book, “Motivating Students to Learn, 2004,” learning and motivation are competences acquired "through general experience but stimulated most directly through modeling, communication of expectations, and direct instruction or socialization by significant others (especially from parents and teachers)."  Therefore I am confident that with patience and perseverance, as a Teacher, I am and want to be more aware and engaged in stimulating the minds of our children as they strive to foster the idea that leaning is and should always be  fun and interesting.

Students should expect for me as a Teacher to be highly interactive and enthusiastic, one who puts his/her students at ease while they’re learning. Additionally, they should expect one who would be able to easily show concern for students; one whom they’ll be able to give respect to and receive respect from, one who is continually educating herself through ongoing training and learning.

I am one, who firmly believes that academic learning starts at home, and this is not just an expectation for the children of educated parents, this applies to all parents. As a result of this belief, parents can expect for there to be consistence and dedication towards students that are in my classroom. They can expect for there to be an open collaborative relationship between Teacher, parent and child. With such a structure in place this initiates steps that would foster the growth of the student’s abilities through the implementation of effective strategies that would motivate both parent and child to produce the best quality work.

For me as a teacher, my self-expectations are embedded in the belief that, “exceptional people skills are what’s necessary so as to bring out the best in my students.” As a Teacher I have noticed that the best teachers I’ve known, all seem to possess and practiced exceptional people skills daily. “Learning can happen in isolation but teaching usually happens in person.” T., Whitaker (2004).

I strongly believe that one of the most important responsibilities of a teacher is being able to identify and accommodate all different types of learners in the classroom. As a teacher, I must definitely ensure that the paste of my classroom is not too fast for some, and too slow for others. Children should not be labeled as a “know it all or one with ADD or as dumb”. Hence, when looking at both spectrums, as an Educator, “I must remember to focus instructions to the instructional level of each child not just of the entire overall classroom.” S., Winebrenner & S., B. Rimm Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom 

As a Teacher, a parent and as a learner the values of self-worth and respect are of utmost importance to me.  A person’s self- worth and respect is the most crucial aspect of one’s life. If I do not understand how to appreciate myself and my worth, how do I expect others to? Additionally, if I do not know how to respect, honor, and show consideration for others then I may just become complacent and stop striving for greater things. I am the only one responsible for my fate; hence as Teacher, parent or a learner, I must be able to easily show concern for other. I must be able to give respect in order to receive respect.

Reciprocal Teaching is the method of teaching I rely on most often. This method is used to develop comprehension of expository texts or lectures, in which teacher and students take turns leading a dialogue concerning sections of a text or lecture. Four activities are incorporated into this technique: prediction, questioning, summarizing and clarifying misleading or complex sections of a text or lectures. Students involved in the Reciprocal Teaching process are often simply checking their own understanding of the material they have encountered. The Teacher or Peer support is essential for cognitive development as students move from spectator to performer after repeated modeling by adults.

Scientist believes we learn best when we’re happy and relaxed, as this is when the brain processes information the most efficiently.” D., Whitebread (2000). Just like Ice cream has lots of flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and lots more yet we always know they’re all ice-cream; so too it is with the Brain of all students’, we know all brain are capable of thinking logically and artistically yet they' re all unique in their own way. (Jensen, E.  (2008).) A happy, motived student makes for the best student.

Personally, as an elementary and High school student, I've always had problems with memorization. I think this was simply because I was never taught techniques or strategies to effectively utilize my memory in the class room. I was simply expected by most teachers to automatically remember what was being taught to me. Because of this, I would want my students to learn and fully understand how their brain and its memory functions work. By understanding how the brain operates, my students would best be able capitalize on their own learning potential.

Since the beginning of time the differences in gender learning has been shaped by social learning, boys learn differently from girls. “Boys have less serotonin (a feel good chemical in the brain) than girls, which may lead to boys being more impulsive and less calm than girls.” A.,N., James. (2007). Gender differences in the classroom is something that as an Educator I would want my students’ to embrace, because it’s an opportunity for them to display an understanding of the difference in learning between boys and girls.

Gender difference in the classroom is something that as an Educator I would definitely embrace in order to facilitate student learning. I am aware that boys have a higher physical activity level and develop self-control later than girls; hence I would ensure that at least 70% of boys in class instructions are provided in a list or bullet format, as boys seem to be more successful with step by step instruction. Girls seem to show stronger verbal skills and demonstrate empathy more readily than boys; hence as a teacher I would facilitate opportunities for girls to make connections between themselves and the content, to use their life experience to relate to and strengthened their arguments.

Scientist believes we learn best when we’re happy and relaxed as this is when the brain processes information the most efficiently.” (M.,Mac Donald. (2008). For increased learning, I have come to rely heavily on a well-integrated social and emotional learning environment that engages students. In order to attain and improve student achievement I would use various methods to meet student’s ability, as I am a firm believer that every classroom has students with individual learning styles. My visual learners are usually very successful when they’re able to see and implement the illustrations of what is being while the Auditory Learners prefers to repeatedly hear what is being taught. By catering to the individual learner and their learning style, my lessons would appear very engaging and easier to encoding in the long term memory of my students.

I am one who firmly believes in being an ethical colleague.  I am all about maintaining a professional working atmosphere in the school but at the same time I try not to isolate myself or have conflicts with my peers as I understand ha effective teacher to teacher engagement is vitally essential to my success as an educator.

Achieving high levels of student understanding requires immensely skillful teaching and at my place of employment, “Eagle Public Charter School,” there’s ongoing organized teacher training to support teachers' continuous learning. Additionally I continue to learn best by studying, doing, and reflecting; collaborating with other teachers; and by looking closely at students and their work; and by sharing what they see.

 References

 Sen, E. (2008). Brain-Based Learning: The new Paradigm of Teaching, 19.

 Cardillo, J. (2009). Can I have your attention, 60.

 Mac Donald, M. (2008) Your Brain, 41.

Whitaker, T. (2004). What Great Teachers Do Differently, 30.

Winebrenner, S., & S, B. Rimm. (2001). Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom, 38.

Lefrancois, G. (2011). Psychology for Teaching. Bridgepoint Education, Inc, 2 8.

Winebrenner, S., & Rimm S, B. (2010) Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom, 50.

James, A. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science, 16.