Teaching Philosophy

 Teaching Philosophy

When considering educational philosophies, there are several names that come to mind. Vygotsky, Bruner, Bloom, Skinner, and Gardner all come to mind rather quickly. While I do agree with these great minds about their approaches to education, the one that I resonate with the most is Piaget and his Constructivism approach.

For those who are unfamiliar with these names, I shall keep my in-depth philosophical jargon to a minimum. Simply put, If my students have been seated during the entirety of my class period, then I have failed. Young minds must be active and learn best by doing and witnessing the material and content. I find that the human mind remembers information best through both conversation and through completing the work that builds one’s skills and capabilities. When teenagers learn to drive, are they solely told what to do and given a reading assignment in the hopes that they will successfully drive their car without failure on their first attempt? No, because that would be preposterous. That being said, I would not and will not teach my students in a way that is detrimental to them being at the metaphorical wheel of their lives.

I’m also a firm believer in promoting a ‘Feedback Classroom’ where the students will be able to give feedback to one another on top of the feedback I give. Students must learn to accept and give helpful criticism in order to improve upon any shortcomings they may have and a classroom that is capable of this will create students that are self-reflective, empathetic, and perceptive.

My greatest concern with education is that students have always been ‘pushed through’ without teachers taking the time to make sure everyone is understanding the material. For this, I turn to teamwork. In my youth, a coach of mine once told me that a team is only as fast as their slowest runner, and I believe that a classroom can operate best when working as a team. Students are always looking to their teacher for guidance, but if I cannot reach the student effectively, this is where their classmates can come in and help. This is the silent call for students who possess true leadership and camaraderie to step up to the plate and prove that they truly value these virtues. A rising tide raises all ships, and if we all improve, then the world improves too.