My Philosophy of Education
I believe the role of the teacher is to educate the students in a creative and interactive way. The role of the teacher should be the authoritative figure that disciplines the students. While the teacher should be open to any questions or problems the students might have, the teacher should also be the disciplinary figure in the classroom. The teacher should find ways to teach the curriculum through interactive, reading, and auditory activities, rather than all lectures and note taking. This will assure that it reaches all the types of learners. The teachers should focus on problem solving techniques, critical thinking, logic, and common sense skills. The teachers should also plan their lessons around the students. For instance, when the students are having problems understanding concepts, the teacher should be flexible and be willing to change their lesson to better assist the students. In addition, the teacher should have a consistent set of rules of absence, tardiness, and failure to listen to the teacher.
It is also the teacher’s role to achieve a classroom that is inviting, educational, and constructive. The first way I can achieve an environment like that is to welcome mistakes because they can be used as teachable moments. Another method of creating a positive learning environment is to incorporate enthusiasm and an interest in mathematics while I teach. I expect the students to show a similar enthusiasm for the subject. The third characteristic of my classroom that I hope to achieve is to allow the students to feel successful with a fine balance between challenges and work that the students are still capable of completing. Another goal of my classroom is to have trusting relationships within the class. In order to create a trusting classroom, the other characteristic of my classroom is that the students and I must be respectful to one another. The final goal of my classroom is that teamwork will play an important role in the class, so students will learn to communicate, respect one another, and support each other.
While it is the role of the teacher to create an interactive lesson and motivate the students to do work hard, it is the role of the student to be the learner. The students should be active participants in the classroom so that they can contribute to the discussions. The students should also be consistent with doing homework and the assigned reading that the teacher gives. The students’ role is to be an attentive learner and an active participant.
I believe that students are naturally good at heart. I believe that students will do anything they can in the classroom if they care about and trust the person asking them to help or learn. In the classroom, I typically encounter two main groups of students. One group, the majority, consists of the students that behave properly, are self-directed, make an effort, take responsibility, and act in accordance to the classroom rules. The other group, which usually only consists of a few students, are students who are disinterested in the lessons, are continually on guard against threats, and may be self-centered unless a relationship is cultivated with them. As relationships flourish and teachers establish good communication skills and trust with their students, behavior will improve.
My philosophy of education and discipline that I derive from various theorists on a preventional, interventional, motivational, and supportive level will be forever changing and “redefined” with time.