Katie Mastine
EDU 125
2/16/07
Philosophy of Education for EDU 125
Being a teacher is something that I have always wanted to do. From my experience as a student, every teacher has in some way influenced me on the type of teacher I want to be. There are many different things to consider when you are a teacher. The first and foremost is the reason you are there. What is the point of schooling? This is a question that is often debated. What role will the teacher play in the students lives is also a question that should be thought about, along with what to teach the students and what the ideal classroom environment should be.
The point of schooling is so that students are able to learn information that they might not otherwise learn. Math, science, and other subjects like this are among the many things that students learn during their thirteen years of schooling. Apart from learning useful skills that will help them after graduation, students are expected to take advantage of expanding their minds. Also during their thirteen years of schooling students will make connections with others students and learn certain life skills such as working with others. This is something that isnÕt necessarily focused on in school but it is important for children to learn. Students will also develop interests in particular subjects that they may not have been interested in otherwise.
Teachers or educators, as they are sometimes referred to, often take on a large role in a studentÕs life. From my experience as a student, I have spent many days after school with one teacher to receive extra help. She is very dedicated to her job and helping children learn. It was like she had become more of a confidant than a teacher. I was very comfortable talking with her. This type of teacher seems to be a good role model for children; someone that a parent would want his or her child to spend time with. Sometimes teachers are more than just teachers. They will influence they have on some children will last a lifetime.
Perhaps one of the biggest difficulties of being a teacher is the curriculum. How do you decide what to teach and what not to teach? This is especially hard when the Maine State Learning Results and No Child Left Behind are involved. There is also the principal, school board and parents to consider. Having to choose what is important enough for the students to learn and what will satisfy all of these groups is not an easy job. Communication is a big part of this decision. Talking with other teachers about what they teach, the principal on his opinion, and also keeping the parents up to date on what their children are learning are all options that teachers have.
The traditional classroom set up of having rows of desks may not the best way for the students to learn. When a teacher is standing in the front of the room with all of the students looking at only him or her, it puts all the emphasis on what the teacher is saying. It also makes him or her seem more important than the students, and it is important for the students to understand that they are equally important. Students need to feel comfortable discussing their ideas, especially at a young age because sometimes if they feel insecure as children, their insecurities will follow them as they become young adults and adults. Having the students sit around a table or even having the desks in a circle is a much better way to get a group discussion. Also having the teacher sit at the table with the students instead of standing at the front of the classroom is a better way for the teacher to gain a friendship with the students. It is a warmer welcome for most students.
Progressivism is a great philosophy to have in a classroom. Instead of simply asking the students questions about what has been taught, it is better to find out what they actually have learned. This can be done by talking as a class about the particular subject. ÒSchools should be places where adults serve as guide and advisers to students who are actively involved in their education.Ó (Newman, 242-243). It is important for students not to feel overwhelmed in the classroom, and if a teacher asks a student a question and he or she doesnÕt know the answer, the student may become embarrassed and eventually stop participating in class. It is important for a teacher to make sure this doesnÕt happen. I have seen a case similar to this where a student hadnÕt been paying attention, when the teacher put him on the spot with a question he was embarrassed when he didnÕt know the answer. After this the student began misbehaving in order to get back at the teacher. Instead of putting the student on the spot and making everyone see that he wasnÕt paying attention the teacher could have asked him if he understood what was being talked about to let him know that he needed to pay attention.
Whether or not a teacher chooses to teach a particular way is not what makes them the type of teacher that they are. The most important thing a teacher can have is dedication to his or her students and to his or her job. If a teacher doesnÕt really care if they are in class or not, then that attitude is going to rub off on the students. I have been involved in cases like this where the teacher just didnÕt want to be there and he/she made it very obvious to the students. It was a miserable situation for all of us. However, I have also been in situations where maybe the teacher didnÕt choose the best ways to handle situations, but they were very dedicated to what they were doing, and they were open to suggestions to make things better. These are the teachers that I enjoyed spending time in their classrooms. It is important for a teacher to be excited about learning and give a positive attitude. Just because what is being taught or the way it is being taught, isnÕt the most important thing doesnÕt mean that it isnÕt important at all. There is certain criteria that needs to be followed by teachers.
There are many different things that make up the job of a teacher. It can be very stressful and that is why most teachers question their choice in careers. But the job is also very rewarding, and that is why the best teachers dedicate their lives to their careers. All of the disciplinary problems, the dealings with the principals, the deciding what to teach and everything else is just something that goes along with being a teacher. Watching a child learn is a much greater reward.