TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

CRITERIA FOR ASSIGNMENTS

Module: Foundations of Education 

 Criteria for Assignment 2 (Individual)

You are required to write an essay outlining your personal philosophy of education. Your essay should address the following questions:

1. What is the importance of an educational philosophy to an educator?

2. Based on your own research and personal experience, what do you think should be the purpose of education?

3. As a prospective teacher what do you believe should be the nature of the relationship between the teacher and students? What is the teacher’s role in the teaching-learning process and what is the student’s role in the teaching-learning process?

4. Explain how any of the philosophies studied in this course has influenced the ideas expressed in your answer to questions two and three.

My Personal teaching philosophy

What is my teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is a self-reflective statement of my beliefs about teaching and learning. In addition to general comments, my teaching philosophy discuss how i put my beliefs into practice by including concrete examples of what i do or anticipate doing in the classroom.

My Personal Philosophy Outline

Responsibility of the Educator:

Ø  All students have the ability to learn

Ø  Maintain individual paces of children’s learning

Ø  Implement stimulating methodology for a broad spectrum of students

Ø  Implement an engaging learning atmosphere

Ø  Value student individuality

Ø  Implement social learning through collaboration

Ø  The classroom environment must be conducive to learning

Ø  Provide alternative methods/tools for students who are struggling

Ø  Lead by example

Ø  Staff cohesiveness

Ø  Open communication with students and family

Student Responsibility:

Ø  Respect peers, staff, teacher and educational tools

Ø  Be attentive and ready for class

Ø  Active participation

Ø  Participate through cooperative learning

Ø  Open communication with teacher and administrative staff

Ø  Be proactive in creating a positive learning environment

Ø  Learn

My educational philosophy and its importance to me as an educator

As an educator, I realized that my beliefs in life and the role of education in shaping them may need to be identified, examined, justified, defended and perhaps modified to establish their coherence with other competing beliefs. An opportunity to do so arose when i chose to study this module.  It is strange however that we are asked to share our personal views/thoughts and beliefs after our minds have been corrupted by the other existing philosophies which we researched and studied prior to writing this paper. The development of such a disposition would generate more questions than answers as we grapple with attempts to resurrect the point of view and beliefs we once had before being exposure to other philosophers and their philosophy to answer educational and philosophical questions in this module. Basically what we will be doing is presenting our newly discovered point of views/philosophies.                When i examine a philosophy different from my own, it helps me to "wrestle" with my own thinking. Sometimes this means that i may change my mind. Other times, it strengthens my viewpoint; however my educational philosophy is presently eclectic, selecting what seems best from different philosophies. But with eclecticism, I find that there may be the danger of sloppy and inconsistent thinking, especially if i borrow a bit of one philosophy and stir in some of another, however through serious thoughts and careful introspection I have developed strategies, theories and philosophies with supporting arguments from existing educational philosophers and philosophies, this is less problematic. For example, I may determine that I have to vary my approach depending on the particular learning needs and styles of a given student; though at some point in time one philosophical framework may become favored over another. According to the existentialist thing and times change and this natural change will warrant individual change, a perfect example is the progressive movement which led to quite different approaches in education in the 1930s. But there is always danger in one "best or only" philosophy. In a country like Jamaica which has a pluralistic society, a variety of views are needed.                  My beliefs about why, what and how I teach, whom I teach, and about the nature of learning is a set of principles that guides and will guide my professional actions based on the events and issues teachers face daily; the very events and issues I will face eventually. Sources for my educational philosophy are my life experiences, my values, the environment in which i live, interactions with others and awareness of existing philosophical approaches. Learning about the branches of philosophy, philosophical world views, and different educational philosophies and theories have helped me to determine and shape my own educational philosophy, combined with these other aspects i will be able to:

i.    Establish a link between philosophical deliberation and educational theory and practice.
ii.    Expose and analyze assumptions underlying theory and practice of education.
iii.    Develop

Ø  Problem-solving and critical thinking skills

Ø  An ability to think independently

Ø  An ability to analyze current educational issues, practice and ideology

Ø  An understanding of philosophical basis for the practice of education

Ø  An understanding of the purpose of education process for humanity.

Ø  Knowledge of the basis for selection of educational goals and ability to adjudicate conflicts over values in education. After a successful study of this module, you should be able to:

Ø  The ability to identify the purpose of education in general and teaching in particular.

Ø  The ability to influence educational policy in your country.

Ø  The ability to evaluate current educational theories and practice against a background of logical alternatives.

Ø  The ability to acquire principles for critical analysis of educational assumptions.

Ø  The ability to Discover alternative dimensions of meaning that conventional wisdom have missed in guiding theory and practice in education.

The purpose of education

“Education is the sum total of one’s learning experience during a lifetime. It is the total process of human learning by which knowledge is imparted, faculties trained and skills developed”(ppt. lecture, Dr. C.R. Bowen).

Most educational institutions; infant schools to colleges and university worldwide, have course requirements for their students, typically aimed at such goals as critical thinking or logical reasoning, sensitivity to values, and awareness of global issues. Philosophy, psychology, history, literature, the arts and science subjects/courses are strongly positioned to contribute courses and programs that further these goals.                     I believe the discipline of education contributes in an indispensable way to the realization of our goals; the goals that should be fundamental to any institution of  learning: instilling habits of critical thinking in students; enhancing their reading, writing, and public speaking skills; transmitting cultural heritages to them; stimulating them to engage fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and value.

Education is a rather general and open term so I will say true education should;

My initial belief was that education was a way to get ahead of the people who are on the same level as I was; a way to prove that I am better! This was caused by the way my family treated going to school and getting a proper education. They scarcely pay homage to the ordinary members of the family that are lay worker in trade or sales, not to mention the stigma that is attached to member of the family that are not doing well in school or did not do so well in passing there high school examinations. Sadly this is the view held by many Jamaicans today. “Most of the "brethren" think that education should equip them with the proper instruments of exploitation so that they can forever trample over the masses. Still others think that education should furnish them with noble ends rather than means to an end” (Martin Luther king jnr.).

Presently I believe the main aim of education is the all-round development of a student. Its purpose is to develop a student into a full, whole and integrated person. Thus, the objectives to be achieved through education are many and comprehensive. Education helps in achieving and developing skills, abilities, insights and scientific temper. Besides literary and aesthetic appeal of education, there are utilitarian aspects as well and they are equally important. Education aims at developing and bringing out the best of a student’s inner personality, without neglecting the outer and material aspects. Education also means that students are made capable of standing on their own feet, to earn their bread and butter “eat a food” in plain Jamaican terms. An educated person is supposed to face the challenges of life bravely and successfully. No person can be called properly educated if he or she fails in making a meaningful contribution to the society and country.                      The purpose of education is to strike a proper balance between inner and outer emotional and practical aspects of one’s personality and life. It should help in developing both the spiritual and physical potentialities. All- round development means the growth and development of mind, spirit and body. All these are integral and interdependent aspects of a one’s personality. It only means that there should be integrated development and none of these aspects should be neglected. Man is emotional as well as rational and both these aspects should be properly developed so as to form parts of an integrated and organic whole. The development of the one at the expense of the other will result in disaster. A good example may be found in today in a great majority of Jamaica’s classroom setting.  There are a lot of teachers that had no intention of being a teacher; hence no zeal or zest is involved in the practice. I believe this is the true reason why the teaching profession is undervalued and the breakdown in education in Jamaica,                 The main task of education is to produce useful, intelligent, patriotic, emotionally integrated, morally strong, cultured, scientifically tempered and healthy young men and women. In short, the aim and objective of education is to develop character. Now, character is a very comprehensive term and means not only pattern of behavior of an individual but also moral strength, mental presence, self-discipline, fortitude, and reputation. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life. Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one's self. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.

“We must remember that intelligence is not enough? Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate” (Martin Luther king jnr.).

The ideal teacher-student relationship

Being that I am being trained in technical and vocational education as a teacher of construction technology; I can safely assert that I will be interfacing with more males than females. Teaching a male dominated subject area requires a lot more energy, hands-on techniques and practical illustration and presentation. Based on my personal experience in school and during school observation I have noted that relating to students is not always easy as students or a student can make a teachers work and life so much more difficult and the opposite is true. Therefore it is important that both parties work together for the mutual benefit of them both.

The ideal-teacher student relationship is one where both the teacher and student learn and adapt to new ideas and reasoning. Just as a tour guide can’t make you enjoy the time you spend wandering around the scenery, a teacher, despite their title, can’t be the force that is responsible for the student’s learning. However, like a good tour guide, a teacher can make it a lot nicer than it would be otherwise. A teacher’s job is to guide the student as best they can down the path of knowledge and it is the student’s job to follow as best they can. All other aspects of their relationship as teacher and student stem from this.                 The most important trait for a teacher to possess is the ability to adapt to their student’s needs. If a teacher will works off a fixed schedule and never makes any changes, they will not be able to instruct the student as well as they would otherwise. They must be able to deviate, spending more time in the places that create confusion and less in the places that are quickly understood. They need to spend the right amount of time explaining each thing; otherwise it is demeaning to the relationship.                                    In an ideal relationship, both teacher and student need to be gaining as much as possible at all times. Obviously knowledge is the most important thing to be gained but along with that there needs to be a level of satisfaction or accomplishment along with enjoyment. Someone can work like crazy and complete more than everyone else combined but unless they feel that they have truly accomplished something the task has no meaning simply because they will have done nothing in their minds. This stems into enjoyment because if you feel like you’re doing nothing you will become bored and being bored with something is only counterproductive while doing it. Whenever I become bored with something, I stop paying attention to it and start doing something else. If you start doing something else while being taught then you will not learn during that time. It is therefore essential for some form of enjoyment to be present otherwise nothing can be gained.                   The final requirement for an ideal teacher student relationship is that both are ready and willing to commit themselves to either their instructing or learning. Now this applies mainly to the student who is for the most part required to be there and less to the teacher who chooses to be there. The imbalance comes from the simple logic that the teacher is almost automatically committed because why else would there be a teacher in the first place? There are plenty of other professions out there. On the other hand a student is more obligated to be there instead of choosing to be there and thus has a much higher chance of not being committed than the teacher.                   If for some reason either of the two are not committed to the task then the endeavor will be a complete waste. If the student does not want to learn then they will not learn. The teacher cannot physically force the student to learn, just as our tour guide, cannot make someone love a piece of scenery if they have already decided that it is stupid and that they want to go home. Similarly it is impossible to force someone to do a better job as a guide. And so, the only way an ideal relationship can form is if teacher and student are both committed to their tasks.

The role of student and teacher in the teaching-learning process

In my role as a teacher I will myself in ways which will help me to identify learner's needs, knowledge and skills and also help to identify referral points against levels within the National Standards. When I identify needs that need to be referred, I will have to give the learner information, advice and guidance to where they are being referred. Wayt (2008) explains that "Assessing varying learning styles within a group and considering learner's motivation and previous experiences helps identify various teaching methods that could be useful throughout the program. Sessions incorporating visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning styles ensures students have equal rights to learning and provide the opportunity to re-evaluate what is already known while exploring aims and objectives from a different perspective."

As a teacher, I am a Planner, in that I plan appropriate, effective, coherent and inclusive learning programs that promote equality and engage with diversity. This means I should plan for the use of different teaching methods and activities which are in line with the curriculum requirements and meet the needs of the learners. These may be group discussions, questioning etc. Planning is a very important role for me because it will direct or guide me in the delivery session. My planning will depend on the identified individual needs, which will prompt me to use the appropriate teaching methods.                         The relationship between student and teacher, if it is to be maximally productive, must reflect certain attitudes and commitments of each to the other. Specifically, three elements must exist in a student’s relationship to a teacher: First, the student must respect his or her teacher and hold him in the highest esteem, for this is a necessary prerequisite to accepting his advice. Regarding someone who is only giving factual information, and not assuming the role of mentor, this condition becomes less critical. In relation to a spiritual advisor, however, the student needs to feel deference and admiration, for this creates a willingness and desire to receive the teacher’s instruction, even though this instruction may be uncomfortable and disconcerting at times.               Secondly, the student must trust the teacher’s concern. The student must believe that the teacher always has his or her best interests in mind. If the student would sense some ulterior motive, some self-interest, or even carelessness in the teacher’s instruction, he or she would not be able to surrender whole heartedly to the teacher’s advice, and this would make the entire exchange meaningless.                      Finally, the student must commit himself or herself to following the instruction with utmost discipline, for only then can the intended effect be realized. Just as a doctor’s orders must be followed precisely, since failure to do so could cause more harm than good, so a teacher’s “prescription” must be obeyed with equal conscientiousness and deference to his superior knowledge and authority.              The teacher also has levels of responsibility to his students in relation to giving advice: The first is fulfillment of the prerequisite of getting to know his students individually, to probe the innermost depths of their hearts as well as examining the outer details of their lives. As the teacher’s familiarity grows, so the potency of his advice deepens proportionately. Secondly, the teacher must express love and affection toward his students. It is this affection that dissolves the students’ natural tendency to resist being told what to do. Thus, the advice can penetrate more deeply and effectively. Finally, the teacher must take time to reflect upon his students’ progress, refining and adjusting his vision of how best to influence them toward positive change. This is an ongoing requirement because students quickly “outgrow” old advice, and the categories of what is beautiful and what is ugly change with each new stage of growth.                 The teachers are those who set the tone for a great learning environment. However, a lot depends on the way the learners face the lessons and overall, learning. To begin with, a learner must seriously take into consideration that learning is a great commitment. Most of the times, it requires hard work in order for it to be a successful procedure. Building up knowledge should be continuous; that is, the learners should consistently study so as not to have any gaps, for the reason that then they will have serious problems in their learning. Learning is like a chain, and each lesson and studying time is a link in the chain. If the learners fail to study or miss a lesson without making up for it, then they automatically break the learning chain and their learning is disrupted. For that reason, teachers are there to remind learners that both of them should stick to a schedule and that when a lesson is missed, it will surely be made up for.                         Learners must understand what kind of learner they are: are they visual, aural, and practically, this can be encouraged by the teachers. Not everyone learns the same way. (Unfortunately, I have heard teachers say “Oh, why is that student constantly whispering when he reads?” Well, maybe he likes to hear himself and assimilate the text better. It is important for them to decide on what kind of learner they are, as this will help them tremendously. Learning will become much easier and naturally, more pleasant for them. Plus, they will help their teachers enormously, as the latter will be able to adapt their lessons to their learners’ needs and special traits. For instance, at a young age I realized I could learn better when hearing something when the teachers spoke in my daily lessons at school. I later took advantage of my personal learning style and enjoyed assimilating through listening to my teachers speak, from tapes and television (here in combination with images), or from the radio, whatever the lesson. Up to now, my aural learning style has assisted me and it will assist me in my teaching as well.       A characteristic of the good learner is concentration, both in class and in the study place. A good learner pays attention to the teacher while delivering the lesson and also to their classmates, when they are asking a question about the lesson or answering the teacher’s questions. It is very constructive to pay attention when classmates have questions, because for example it may be something they cannot comprehend. Teachers need to encourage and remind this and try to engage a number of students when someone asks a question.  I personally have been shut down several times in several classes for “asking too many questions” and I disagree as this is a very good opportunity for the others in class to learn something new, something maybe they had not thought or about, or they can even answer the questions themselves, if of course they can explain the unintelligible point in question. I believe responsibility of the learner is to:

Ø  Adapt to and thrive in diverse teaching/learning environments.

Ø  Be actively engaged in the learning process both inside and outside the classroom.

Ø  Create, develop, and evaluate an individualized academic plan and life goals.

Ø  Respect the learning environment and rights of all learners.

Ø  Abide by the Student Conduct Code.

Ø  Interact with peers.

Ø  Participate in or support student organizations and campus activities.

Ø  Be aware of and use student support services and resources.

Ø  Assume responsibility for academic and personal choices.

Ø  Be a viable and contributing member of the community.

The influence of existing philosophies in education on my philosophy of education

As I have stated previously “my educational philosophy is presently eclectic”; in that it is a combination of more than one dominant philosophical perspective, namely; idealism and realism which are the foundations of all the other existing educational philosophy. I believe education is as much about things much bigger than us (idealism) as well as elements of the real and tangible world (realism). While proof-reading my educational philosophy I discovered that there are small traces and evidence of other dominant philosophical perspectives such as; social re-constructivism and existentialism but to a lesser extent.    My personal philosophy tends to be neutral; meaning it is neither centered on the student or teacher but aims at the mutual benefit of both. Teacher-centered philosophies tend to be more authoritarian and conservative, and emphasize the values and knowledge that have survived through time. The major teacher-centered philosophy of education is essentialism, on the other hand, student-centered philosophies are more focused on individual needs, contemporary relevance, and preparing students for a changing future. School is seen as an institution that works with youth to improve society or help students realize their individuality. Progressivism, social re-constructionism, and existentialism place the learner at the center of the educational process: I believe Students and teachers work together on determining what should be learned and how best to learn it.            Existentialism is derived from a powerful belief in human free will, and the need for individuals to shape their own futures. Students in existentialist classrooms control their own education. Students are encouraged to understand and appreciate their uniqueness and to assume responsibility for their actions. I am in full support and acceptance of this aspect of existentialism; this may be so because I am presently a student. I also support and adopt the aspect of social re-constructionism that desires more direct and immediate attention to societal ills and interested in combining study and social action, believing that education can and should go hand in hand with ameliorating social problems.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be asserted that behind every school and every teacher is a set of related beliefs, a philosophy of education that influences what and how students are taught.  A philosophy of education represents answers to questions about the purpose of schooling, a teacher's role, and what should be taught and by what methods. I figure that as life progresses my philosophy/viewpoint will have to change whether due to maturity, experience or for the purpose of conforming to the philosophy/modus operandi of an institution/community I am or desire to become a member of.