Educational Philosophy

I believe education is a key point in our society; it helps shape how future generations will impact the world. It is to help the mind learn how to resolve problems and work with one another. Because not every student or generation will choose to impact the world the same way, I will adapt to the needs of the students and generations. As time progresses, the educators must be flexible to meet the new learning requirements of each new generation.

I view a great teacher is someone who is inspiring and challenges the mind of their students. A great teacher makes the student learn how to think on their own and how to apply the concepts learned in the class room to the real world. The role of the teacher in the classroom is not only to teach concepts and materials but to help students find the connection between concept and how it is applied outside of their book. It is to help the students’ minds find how the theory can be used to their advantage.

I would help the students find solutions not provide only one answer. Subjects like history could be explained not only in dates and events but why those events took place and how they have shaped society. A teaching style that I learned from was the way my high school American History teacher explained the course. He had a great way of helping us as students understand how the public lived and viewed an event in history by using music. He would give examples of songs and writers of a certain time period that represented how people felt, the stuggles they faced and what caused them to feel this way. History was more than a story in the textbook, in his class it was about people’s feelings, how they lived at the time and how they impacted the world. It was a creative way to engage the students to the class through the use of old records, 8-tracks and cassettes.

It is extremely important as an educator I incorporate the technology to students help the students understand the material. This will keep education up to date and keep expanding the minds of our students. This new generation of children is extremely savvy with technology. Many of them know more about the new devices than their parents and teachers. In a way, this gives many teachers a disadvantage because there is a lack of understanding to the way they learn. The world of electronics is moving at a very fast pace and as a teacher I would like to find creative ways to take advantage of these new gadgets. For example, a fourth grader might be struggling in spelling or reading and they might not be motivated in reading a book in print but we could use a tablet in place.

When I evaluate the learning theories, I am able to identify with the constructive view. I believe students learn more when they are challenged to think rather than provided answers to memorize. Learning is a process and the more a student learns about finding answers and solving problems on their own, the more success they will have when forced to think abstractly. In the real world, employers are constantly in need for new ideas and solutions that do not have only one answer. If students are taught only to repeat what they have learned or to mimic the past, they will have filled their heads with knowledge found only in books. I have confidence in knowing everyone differs in their learning style and has a different perspective. These views are shaped by their current environment, past experiences and how they perceive the future. These experiences need to be integrated it into their learning, so students can create connections.