Philosophy of Education.... on one page

For the past few weeks I have been struggling with an assignment for my art class.  I was required to write my philosophy of education, but keep it confined to one page.
(See my previous post) 

It took a while, but I was able to write a one page version on my philosophy of education.

I still struggle with this assignment.  Confining this to one page, "One that you might want to take into an interview" as my professor said, seems counter productive. 


Maybe one day it will make sense.




Enjoy! 

Assignment Five

#5 PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION    Write a brief description of what your purpose is in becoming a teacher.  This should be no longer than one page. 

            My purpose in education is to make the world a better place while answering an internal call to service. I believe that most of the social issues that drag down society can be reduced or eliminated by providing all children with a quality education.  I strongly believe that all children can learn and be successful in school.
            I am called to education to be an agent of change. Problem solving, project based learning, differentiation, and inquiry are common elements of my classroom.  Teacher-centric instruction, the “sage on the stage” model, does not exist in my learning environment.  I am a facilitator, an “educational travel guide” who helps student learn to think, reason, question, and experiment.  Learning by doing, solving problems, and collaborating with others are the backbone of my educational philosophy.
            Because children learn in different ways, they must be taught in different ways.  Instruction must be presented using a variety of approaches so that the multiple intelligences of the students are engaged. My method of instruction includes hands-on activities, music, visual arts, reading, writing, and collaboration.  I do my best to provide what each child needs; whether it is a quiet place, access to technology, the ability to move freely, or an alternate method of displaying mastery of an objective.
            I believe that the unwritten curriculum of building social skills is just as important as state standards.  Building community, conflict resolution, and learning to work together will always take a high priority in my classroom. My purpose as an educator is to teach and nurture the whole child, not just increase his or her test scores.

4/20/11 update:  I received the equivalent of an A+ grade on my one page submission.  :-)

Philosophy of Education...Readers's Digest Edition

Sometimes I just can't accept the rules as they are written.

One of my current courses required me to submit my Philosophy of Education statement in less than one page.  I felt compelled to write a letter to my instructor about the requirement.

Assignment #5 PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION:  Write a brief description of what your purpose is in becoming a teacher.  This should be no longer than one page.

I have written and revised my philosophy of education several times during my years as a Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College student. 

The latest version can be viewed on my public blog.
http://shelhart.blogspot.com/2009/01/first-step.html

My personal philosophy, like my resume, does not fit on one page.

Try as I may, I have difficulty deciding what topics are the least important and should be cut.  My gut tells me that all of the paragraphs are important. My educational philosophy is a reflection of my thoughts, feelings, and passions.  It is personal.  For it to be mine, it has to be more than one page.

I can pare it down to meet the one page, double-spaced MS Word document requirement if you wish, but it will be an empty pile of buzzwords and catch-phrases... not my philosophy.


How would you like me to proceed?

Yes, I know I shouldn't be "kicking the beehive" this close to graduation, but I just couldn't bite my virtual tongue on this one.   I felt compelled to stand up for what I see as important.

As the old saying goes, you can't un-ring a bell.  The above email has already been sent.

Am I sorry?  No.   I'd do it again.

Student Teaching Day 1

1/25/09

Day One

After days of anticipation, my first student teaching 'field experience' was about to begin.  I arrived early and checked in at the office.  I met with my cooperative teacher and we made our way down the hall to the third grade classroom.

I have worked as a substitute teacher in this room before, so I had an idea of what to expect... Or so I thought.  I was excited to see the new addition of a Promethean IWB, document cameras, and a wireless speaker system.  I would discover later that this is one of only two IWBs in the building.  I was excited to see this high-tech tool in action.

I learned that as in previous years, this classroom had a broad mix of students.  Every 3rd grade student that started the school year with an IEP was placed in this class.  This might be intimidating to some, but not to me.  I did my best to squelch an ear-to-ear smile. Being immersed in an environment of full differentiation will be a great learning opportunity.  Mrs. J printed a copy of the lesson plans for me.  She then put the morning student directions and assignments on the IWB just as the students began to arrive.

The morning routine went the same as many other classrooms I have visited.  Put away coats and bags, breakfast for some, notes from others, lunch money issues, missing pencils, and all of the other normal 3rd grade issues.  We sang the Star Spangled Banner, said the Pledge of Allegiance, and got settled in for the day.

The first subject of the day was math.  Mrs. J used the document camera and the IWB to create a flash-card type of exercise using 10 blocks and multiplication.  She spent a great deal of time discussing with the students how they figured out the multiplication problems.  Having the students verbalize their thought process and having it written on the board appeared to be a great method for introducing new strategies.  The teacher never introduced a strategy or offered an opinion on the 'best' way to solve the problem.   

The science lesson of the day was ‘mini-lab' where students were shown how air could be trapped under water in an inverted drinking glass.  The experiment had a few variations where the students made predictions and the teacher tested the results.       I enjoyed the science lesson and can see how it could be a starting point for a discussion on air pressure, displacement, and other topics.  I did not see any other science activities mentioned in the lesson plans for the remainder of the week.  If this is true, I will have to find out the reason why.

Time in the computer lab was spent working with a program called "A+".  This appeared to be a math activity where each student worked at their own pace and ability level.  All of the students were engaged for the entire 45 minute period.  I wish that they were this engaged in all of their other subjects. 

The spelling lesson of the day consisted of taking a pretest, having the test graded, and receiving a list of words to work on during the week.  Students will be tested again on Friday.  This activity was interesting because of the way the students were grouped.  There were four different groups, and each one took a different test.  I still find it difficult to comprehend how the students that are behind benefit from differentiated instruction.  Yes, they are working at just above their ability level, but when do they catch up to their peers?   I hope to find the answer to this during the next two weeks.

The afternoon was filled with the teacher reading to the students, the students taking turns reading aloud, reading in small groups, and an individual exercise that had the students read a few paragraphs and then draw conclusions.  One of the reading sessions included information about Kwanzaa.  The class asked some thoughtful questions and had a rich discussion about Kwanzaa and Africa.

I had a good first day.  My goal for tomorrow is to become fluent using the Promethean board.  My college professor will be observing me Wednesday morning.  I do not have much time to prepare before I am evaluated. 

Tonight is the fist night of working 8 hours at school and then 8 hours at my 'real job'.  I'll be working the same schedule all week.  I should go get some rest.

Testing the Power of the PLN

Today I will explore the potential power of my network. I am in need of some assistance.
I have the opportunity to receive credit for one of my teaching field experiences. I have to provide artifacts and references that prove that I have 'what it takes' to be an elementary teacher. I have plenty of artifacts from the classroom. I have several letters of reference from teachers and administrators. I need to prove that I am a life-long learner.

I need references that support my claim that I am actively engaged in online professional development. Any other comments about my learning, collaboration, and communication skills are also welcome. If we have met online and you feel that I am displaying the habits of a life-long-learner, please take a moment to express your thoughts.

Email and blog replies are welcome. Snail mail on school letterhead would be a big plus.
Drop me a note and I'll send you my mailing address if you are so inclined to send a hard copy.

Thank you in advance to my PLN. By helping me 'test out' of one of my requirements, you are accelerating my journey toward my teaching credentials.

The first step...

I've been told that journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step.

I guess that's where I am now. At the suggestion (nagging) of a few friends, I have decided to experiment with a blog.

The theme of my blog is based on my journey toward my education degree. I guess the best place to start is with my philosophy of education. The following is my original philosophy I was required to write for one of my first year courses. I agonized over the content for weeks before submitting it. The grade I received was quite a surprise to me. I will reveal my grade at a later date.

{edit 01/04/09 My professor awarded me with an A+ on my philosophy statement. She said my paper was the first one she ever bestowed with such an honor. }

How would you grade my philosophy of education if you were my professor?

ED109

05/17/07

Philosophy of Education

My philosophy of education is a mixture of several influences and is difficult to label as one of the classic styles. My years in the workforce, my formal education, and my time in the elementary classroom have helped me form a unique perspective on education. I think my philosophy is best described as a mixture of old-school, high-tech, and holistic; with a bit of ethics and civics. My personal philosophy is that schools should not only teach strong academic skills, but should also provide instruction to help mold and develop the whole person, especially at the K-6 level.

The first objective of the school is to teach basic academics. Arithmetic, reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and rhetoric are as important today as they ever were. Students need to be able to perform the fundamentals of these subjects. Although being able to utilize a calculator, spread-sheet, or a spell checker are great skills, students need to be fluent in the basics. I have seen people fail in the workforce because they were ineffective without their electronic crutch. I have seen entry-level managers at a fortune 500 company that were incapable of writing a hand-written memo above a third grade level. I have seen engineers that could not make simple estimations. I have seen salesmen that could not calculate 25 percent off with a paper and pencil. In some ways academics are like sports; there is no substitute for being proficient in the fundamentals. We must ensure that our young students have the foundation they need for their futures.

Children learn in different ways. Some do better as passive listeners, some do best as active participants. Some are aural learners, some are visual learners, and some are hands-on learners. We must present the information in many different ways to have the best chance at reaching as many students as possible.

It is our duty as educators to light the fire of passion in our students. We must do our best to make every child excited about coming to school. We should try every day to guide our students to become life-long learners. Every child should be able to say they had a fun day at school every day. It is our job to provide the motivation to instill this attitude in our students. An old friend once gave me some advice that he said applied to almost anything. His advice was, “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong”. I think this applies to teachers and students as well.

We should ensure that every child is has a continual challenge with frequent success. Success should be rewarded with things such as special classroom privileges, a new book, or points toward a field trip; not with trinkets or candy. We must teach our students that learning is something that is more valuable than a candy bar or a super-hero eraser. We must also teach them how to deal with occasional failures and how to learn from their mistakes.

Students should never find the school environment boring. Lesson plans need variety to keep young children excited. My ideal classroom would utilize a mixture of individual work, partner work, and group work. Students should have a blend of daily in-class work, daily homework, short-term projects, and long-term projects. There should be programs to supplement the standard curriculum. I believe that elementary schools should have a science club, math club, ham radio club, gardening club, art club etc. similar to middle and high schools. Technology should be utilized as not only as a teaching aide but also as a creative outlet. Today’s elementary students are capable making podcasts, vidcasts, blogs, and many other creative works if given the tools to work with.

Many of the children that will pass through our schools come from unconventional families. Our students often spend more time with us than they do with their primary caregivers. Many of these children do not have strong role models in their lives. It is the duty of the school faculty and staff to be outstanding role models for all of the students. We need to be of good moral character to show the children right from wrong. It is not enough to just say it; we have to live it. Good ethics and morals are not something that can be faked. Children have the ability to see through the facades we try to erect and see us for what we really are. We must be good people in order to teach them how to be good people.

Elementary students should be introduced to the basic fundamentals of a democratic society. The classroom environment should function as an age-appropriate model of the democratic process. We should also try to instill a sense of pride and patriotism in our students. My ideal classroom would start the day with the pledge of allegiance, national anthem, and a patriotic themed ‘this day in history’ fact. Children need to know that it is acceptable to have an opinion and to be passionate about it. Our students need to be taught that there are right and wrong ways to effect changes in their society.

The goal of elementary education is not to teach ‘the three R’s’, pass the standardized tests, and push them out the door to the next grade. We need to teach our students strong academic skills, strong social skills, and a solid moral foundation. We must take every opportunity to instill the love of learning into our students. They need to be kept excited and motivated. We need to help them want to succeed in school and in life. We must give them every opportunity to succeed by helping them become the best moral, ethical, inspired, and educated person they can become.

As I have progressed down the path of my journey I have learned new things and made edits to my philosophy statement. If this blog grows and develops as I think it will, my philosophy statement will become a living document. Maybe I'll make it a wiki or a Google document so I can go back and see all of the revisions I've made.

Well, I think this enough for my fist blog post. I originally planned to just dip my toes in to test the water.

I think I might have got more than a toe wet....... Photo by Kim Marius Flakstad

Please leave me a comment or suggestion...