Philosophy

PEDAGOGY AND TEACHING, MY PHILOSOPHY

All teachers have their ideals and philosophies of what teachers are and what education is or, better still, what education should be. We tend to be idealistic but often unrealistic. Every generations needs and expectations are different. Laura Ingles of the little house on the prairie was in school very early in the morning to learn the three R’s reading, writing and arithmetic then it was home to work on the homestead with the rest of the family before dark, this was for survival. During the war years young children were used in the factories and coal mines to help the war effort and therefore school was not a priority on their minds, this was also for survival. Today, students have incredible pressures placed upon them to succeed. This success takes many different paths either in the gym, the ice rink, on the playing field or unfortunately on the streets but not nearly enough in the class room and this also is for survival.

 [1] “Experience is the teacher of all things”

Julius Caesar

[2] “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose”

Bill Gates

We all need experience to become successful but we also need a balance, a reality check and therefore my role as a teacher will be to channel these experiences and enable my students to become successful in school and in life.

Today’s teachers are acknowledged guides or helpers in the processes of learning. The teacher’s role varies between cultures. Duties of the modern teacher may include instruction in craftsmanship or vocational training “The city and guild system in Britain” spirituality, civics, community roles or life skills. One of the early pioneers of vocational training and the system (standardized curriculum) was Victor Della Vos in Russia. His concept of a standard curriculum and lesson plans in theory gave each student throughout Russia the same opportunity for success, but my favourite philosophy is taken from an ancient Chinese proverb

I Hear – I Forget

I See – I Remember

I Do – I Understand

To this the idealist in me raises to the forefront and as a future English teacher I want to be a part of the next educational renaissance (Rebirth, Transition, Revival) and give the students the opportunity to express themselves and understand through the creative writing of song, verse, film and modern day storytelling.

 We have the state mandated curriculum which outlines the must teach subject areas. Our responsibility is to ensure that all students achieve the grade for a successful future in whatever discipline they chose. William Glasser, a child psychologist, explains that there are five basic needs of humans: survival, love, power, freedom, and fun. By encouraging students to become partners in education, decision makers in education and take charge of their own destiny, they will experience one or more of the five basic needs of humans and will most certainly become a better citizen for the experience. Through the next educational renaissance, the classroom needs to become one without walls or barriers, it must become transparent and  interactive, a place for students to talk, reason, problem solve, question and grow. Students must be accepting and respectful of their peers and their cultural beliefs and to achieve these goals a teacher must employ the most basic of strategies ”PROACTIVNESS” and “COMMUNICATION”,  be the role model, never ask a student to do what you wouldn’t or can’t do yourself and lead by example. Once a student buys into your classroom philosophy, discipline in the classroom becomes a lesser issue, students begin to manage themselves, they don’t appreciate disruptions because that means less time for what they enjoy, being creative and expressive in their work.

Young adults are extremely observant and I believe this ability should not be overlooked in the classroom. These observations should become a large part of the curriculum in the later grades. Implementation of this concept will be taught through a program I have called “TAKING IT TO THE STREETS”. Students will be asked to develop a song, a poem, a short story or a movie script based upon their observations on the way to school. The students work will then be choreographed and at the end of the school year presented to the student body in the auditorium. To achieve this type of success students will invite their parents and industry leaders to attend classes throughout the school year to talk about their experiences, their jobs, their places of origin, their childhood, favourite foods, health, and challenges they faced through their teenage years and I believe that “TAKING IT TO THE STREETS” will be the motivating factor to send my students on to a fun, productive, fulfilling and rewarding life.

“WELCOME TO TWENTY FIRST CENTURY ENGLISH CLASSES”

FOOT NOTES

[1]Brainy quote Google

[2] Brainy quote Google    

Lindsay Brown
Email: lindsay_brown8@hotmail.com
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Last Updated:September 23, 2008
©2008 Lindsay Brown