Personal Philosophies

A few years ago I was the lead teacher of the Latch-Key program at The East Millcreek Recreation Center. At the end of our scheduled activities for the day, I was sitting at my desk located adjacent to the recreation room where a dozen or so children were waiting for their transportation home, I realized how thoroughly I enjoyed my job and that by far this was the best work experience I'd ever had.

While these thoughts were wondering through my mind, one of my five year old kindergarten students came up to me and asked what I was doing. I told her and of course, as usual, she followed that with the more important question: Why? This rather curious inquisition included a variety of observations typical of a five-year-old. Her next question was untypical and made me “melt”. “Can you be my daddy?” After a moment of silence, a couple of thoughts flashed through my mind… Was she getting any attention or nurturance from her mother, whom I had only seen occasionally, and who was raising her by herself? Also, was I sensing her desperate need for a father figure? I meant something to her… I made a difference in her life. I was a positive influence.

This singular experience had such a powerful impact on me that I knew my career path had something to do with children and education. The look in the face of that five-year-old imprinted on me the significance of hers and other children's well being. I knew then, for the first time, I was destined to be a teacher.

I believe that education is extremely important for the success of any society because where there is ignorance, inevitably there is suffering and difficulty. My personal philosophy regarding education is grounded in the principal that all human beings are individuals worthy of dignity and respect, and should be treated accordingly; every child is important, their education matters, and one teacher can make a difference.

Every child has different intelligences, and learn in different ways. To address this and maintain a child's self-esteem and ability to succeed, a classroom needs to be adapted to meet the needs of the individual student.

I believe there are two values important to anyone partaking in the education profession; any teaching endeavor one undertakes must include passion and courage. I believe that if a teacher is committed, they will always try to do the best they can, and if they have courage, they will take the risks necessary to achieve the excellence that is so essential to a child's learning.

In the classroom, after creating a safe working environment, the teacher's role is to facilitate learning for all intelligences and learning styles. All areas of education need to be made relevant and meaningful to students. Educators must use critical thinking in the classroom. The real world is outside the classroom door, what students learn must be relevant to what's happening out there.

I think back to earlier times in our nation and to other cultures than our own where teaching was viewed as a calling, a service offered to the community. It was, in some sense, a vocation. To replace ignorance with knowledge I believe the teacher has to view teaching as not simply a job or work, but as a vocation! One is truly lucky if they can find a vocation that suits them. Choosing education as my vocation, I will be patient, flexible, and open to new ideas. I will be thoughtful, enthusiastic, caring, and supportive. I will treat each student as an individual, and give them the support, care, and respect that they deserve. Children aren't in schools for us - We are in schools for them.

In the quality classroom, after creating a safe environment, the teacher's role is to facilitate learning for all intelligence's and learning styles. All areas of education need to be relevant and meaningful to students. The real world is outside the classroom door, what students learn must be relevant to what's happening out there. A teacher must ask a student to only do work that is useful. Useful work consists of skills that students see as valuable in their lives. By using critical thinking a teacher will be able to point out the value of new skills. A student must ultimately recognize that value before they will make a sustained effort to learn.

For a foundation of my strategy I will use overarching goals. These will encompass my unit plan and lesson plan goals. My unit plans and lesson plans will involve authentic instruction that makes use of different instructional methods such as inquiry, discussion, lecture and simulation-gaming. My authentic evaluations will include a variety of visual, oral, written and kinesthetic choices such as; selected response, essay assignments, performance assessments and personal communication.

My classroom will involve just about any type of instruction, materials or methods available to make it successful. I can choose from student-led discussions, Q-matrix questioning techniques, class building and team building activities. I will choose by making pre-active, interactive and post-active decisions. My ferocious appetite for always wanting more knowledge about teaching will support these decisions.

My emphasis lies in making sure that school activities help satisfy students basic needs for survival, belonging, power, fun and freedom. If those basic needs are being met a student will more than likely make more positive choices in their lives. William Glasser insists that success in schools produce a sense of self-worth and an identity of being successful. The road to this identity begins with good relationships with people who care. I care. Hopefully my strategy will create success.

Every teacher knows that rules will invariably be broken, even in the best classes. When a discipline problem does occur it is very important that a teacher function as a leader who provides support and encouragement but does not demand, throw their weight around, or punish.

If a teacher learns to function as a leader, instead of a boss, they can avoid the trap of becoming adversaries of their students, a trap that destroys incentive to learn and pleasure in teaching. When teachers stay out of that trap, they not only foster quality learning but also at the same time reduce discipline problems to a minimum.

It is necessary to work with students to establish standards of conduct in the classroom. A teacher should begin with a discussion of the importance of quality work, which is to be given priority in the class, and how the teacher will do everything possible to help students without forcing them. That discussion should lead naturally into asking students about class rules they believe will help them get their work done and truly help them learn. Rules do not need to be complicated and large in number, they only need to be understood. An example may be as follows:

When rules are broken a teacher should use non-distracting intervention that will stop the misbehavior and re-focus the student's mind on class work. Students prove to be far more interested in good character and being held accountable when they find themselves in a democratically conducted classroom. Teachers must democratically use the ideas and advice of students on what should happen when rules are broken. A teacher should hold a classroom meeting to explore alternatives to inappropriate behavior. Consequences must be comparable with the violation and it must be compatible with the needs and best interests of the student and of the classroom.

Once the rules and consequences are agreed to, they should be written down. All students sign, attesting that they understand the rules and that, if they break those rules, they will try, with the teacher's help, to correct the underlying problem.

It's important to understand that the student, or students, whose behavior is in question be treated with respect and courtesy, do not assign blame. If the teacher shows they don't want to punish them or throw their weight around, and if they talk to them as a problem solver, both their classroom behavior and the quality of their work will gradually improve, as will their respect for the teacher.

To initiate this model into the classroom, the teacher should begin by having class discussions at the start of the school year, and then repeated frequently throughout the year. The discussion should help the students understand that the teacher, with their help, wish to do the following:

Work to make the curriculum as interesting for students as you possibly can. The information must be directly related to an important skill the students express a desire to learn. The information must also be something the teacher believes to be especially useful

Involve students in discussions about topics to be pursued, ways of working, procedures for reporting or demonstrating accomplishment, establishment of class rules, and decisions about steps to be taken when misbehavior occurs. You would offer your opinions but give serious attention to student suggestions as well.

Make it clear to students that you will try to arrange activities they might have suggested and that you will do all in your power to help them learn and succeed.

Learn how to be a leader rather than a boss. The boss approach limits both productivity and quality of work. Most students will probably find the work boring and will do only enough to get by. The leader teachers realize that genuine motivation to learn must arise within students. They also realize that their task in teaching is to use any way they can to help students learn.

Hold regular class meetings to discuss curriculum, procedures, behavior, and other educational topics. These meetings should always be conducted with an emphasis on improving learning conditions for students, never as a venue for finding fault, blaming, or criticizing.

When students misbehave, discuss their behavior and why it was inappropriate for the class. If the misbehavior is serious or chronic, talk with the involved student privately at an appropriate time.


	mrwebster.org \| home Education Portfolio: Doug A Webster \| Table of Contents \| Resume \| Personal Philosophies \| Letters of Recomendation \| Teaching Excellence Award \| Contact Me Personal Philosophies Why I Became a Teacher A few years ago I was the lead teacher of the Latch-Key program at The East Millcreek Recreation Center. At the end of our scheduled activities for the day, I was sitting at my desk located adjacent to the recreation room where a dozen or so children were waiting for their transportation home, I realized how thoroughly I enjoyed my job and that by far this was the best work experience I'd ever had. While these thoughts were wondering through my mind, one of my five year old kindergarten students came up to me and asked what I was doing. I told her and of course, as usual, she followed that with the more important question: Why? This rather curious inquisition included a variety of observations typical of a five-year-old. Her next question was untypical and made me “melt”. “Can you be my daddy?” After a moment of silence, a couple of thoughts flashed through my mind… Was she getting any attention or nurturance from her mother, whom I had only seen occasionally, and who was raising her by herself? Also, was I sensing her desperate need for a father figure? I meant something to her… I made a difference in her life. I was a positive influence. This singular experience had such a powerful impact on me that I knew my career path had something to do with children and education. The look in the face of that five-year-old imprinted on me the significance of hers and other children's well being. I knew then, for the first time, I was destined to be a teacher. Back to the Top My Personal Philosophy of Education I believe that education is extremely important for the success of any society because where there is ignorance, inevitably there is suffering and difficulty. My personal philosophy regarding education is grounded in the principal that all human beings are individuals worthy of dignity and respect, and should be treated accordingly; every child is important, their education matters, and one teacher can make a difference. Every child has different intelligences, and learn in different ways. To address this and maintain a child's self-esteem and ability to succeed, a classroom needs to be adapted to meet the needs of the individual student. I believe there are two values important to anyone partaking in the education profession; any teaching endeavor one undertakes must include passion and courage. I believe that if a teacher is committed, they will always try to do the best they can, and if they have courage, they will take the risks necessary to achieve the excellence that is so essential to a child's learning. In the classroom, after creating a safe working environment, the teacher's role is to facilitate learning for all intelligences and learning styles. All areas of education need to be made relevant and meaningful to students. Educators must use critical thinking in the classroom. The real world is outside the classroom door, what students learn must be relevant to what's happening out there. I think back to earlier times in our nation and to other cultures than our own where teaching was viewed as a calling, a service offered to the community. It was, in some sense, a vocation. To replace ignorance with knowledge I believe the teacher has to view teaching as not simply a job or work, but as a vocation! One is truly lucky if they can find a vocation that suits them. Choosing education as my vocation, I will be patient, flexible, and open to new ideas. I will be thoughtful, enthusiastic, caring, and supportive. I will treat each student as an individual, and give them the support, care, and respect that they deserve. Children aren't in schools for us - We are in schools for them. Back to the Top Teaching Strategies In the quality classroom, after creating a safe environment, the teacher's role is to facilitate learning for all intelligence's and learning styles. All areas of education need to be relevant and meaningful to students. The real world is outside the classroom door, what students learn must be relevant to what's happening out there. A teacher must ask a student to only do work that is useful. Useful work consists of skills that students see as valuable in their lives. By using critical thinking a teacher will be able to point out the value of new skills. A student must ultimately recognize that value before they will make a sustained effort to learn. For a foundation of my strategy I will use overarching goals. These will encompass my unit plan and lesson plan goals. My unit plans and lesson plans will involve authentic instruction that makes use of different instructional methods such as inquiry, discussion, lecture and simulation-gaming. My authentic evaluations will include a variety of visual, oral, written and kinesthetic choices such as; selected response, essay assignments, performance assessments and personal communication. My classroom will involve just about any type of instruction, materials or methods available to make it successful. I can choose from student-led discussions, Q-matrix questioning techniques, class building and team building activities. I will choose by making pre-active, interactive and post-active decisions. My ferocious appetite for always wanting more knowledge about teaching will support these decisions. My emphasis lies in making sure that school activities help satisfy students basic needs for survival, belonging, power, fun and freedom. If those basic needs are being met a student will more than likely make more positive choices in their lives. William Glasser insists that success in schools produce a sense of self-worth and an identity of being successful. The road to this identity begins with good relationships with people who care. I care. Hopefully my strategy will create success. Back to the Top My Personal Discipline Model Every teacher knows that rules will invariably be broken, even in the best classes. When a discipline problem does occur it is very important that a teacher function as a leader who provides support and encouragement but does not demand, throw their weight around, or punish. If a teacher learns to function as a leader, instead of a boss, they can avoid the trap of becoming adversaries of their students, a trap that destroys incentive to learn and pleasure in teaching. When teachers stay out of that trap, they not only foster quality learning but also at the same time reduce discipline problems to a minimum. It is necessary to work with students to establish standards of conduct in the classroom. A teacher should begin with a discussion of the importance of quality work, which is to be given priority in the class, and how the teacher will do everything possible to help students without forcing them. That discussion should lead naturally into asking students about class rules they believe will help them get their work done and truly help them learn. Rules do not need to be complicated and large in number, they only need to be understood. An example may be as follows: Class Rules:* A. What you are doing in class must pertain to that days scheduled activities B. Be Courteous C. Do your best work D. Follow the teacher's directions When rules are broken a teacher should use non-distracting intervention that will stop the misbehavior and re-focus the student's mind on class work. Students prove to be far more interested in good character and being held accountable when they find themselves in a democratically conducted classroom. Teachers must democratically use the ideas and advice of students on what should happen when rules are broken. A teacher should hold a classroom meeting to explore alternatives to inappropriate behavior. Consequences must be comparable with the violation and it must be compatible with the needs and best interests of the student and of the classroom. Once the rules and consequences are agreed to, they should be written down. All students sign, attesting that they understand the rules and that, if they break those rules, they will try, with the teacher's help, to correct the underlying problem. It's important to understand that the student, or students, whose behavior is in question be treated with respect and courtesy, do not assign blame. If the teacher shows they don't want to punish them or throw their weight around, and if they talk to them as a problem solver, both their classroom behavior and the quality of their work will gradually improve, as will their respect for the teacher. To initiate this model into the classroom, the teacher should begin by having class discussions at the start of the school year, and then repeated frequently throughout the year. The discussion should help the students understand that the teacher, with their help, wish to do the following: Work to make the curriculum as interesting for students as you possibly can. The information must be directly related to an important skill the students express a desire to learn. The information must also be something the teacher believes to be especially useful Involve students in discussions about topics to be pursued, ways of working, procedures for reporting or demonstrating accomplishment, establishment of class rules, and decisions about steps to be taken when misbehavior occurs. You would offer your opinions but give serious attention to student suggestions as well. Make it clear to students that you will try to arrange activities they might have suggested and that you will do all in your power to help them learn and succeed. Learn how to be a leader rather than a boss. The boss approach limits both productivity and quality of work. Most students will probably find the work boring and will do only enough to get by. The leader teachers realize that genuine motivation to learn must arise within students. They also realize that their task in teaching is to use any way they can to help students learn. Hold regular class meetings to discuss curriculum, procedures, behavior, and other educational topics. These meetings should always be conducted with an emphasis on improving learning conditions for students, never as a venue for finding fault, blaming, or criticizing. When students misbehave, discuss their behavior and why it was inappropriate for the class. If the misbehavior is serious or chronic, talk with the involved student privately at an appropriate time. Back to the Top What Am I? A Boss Drives. A Leader Leads. A Boss Relies on Authority. A Leader Relies on Cooperation. A Boss Says “I”. A Leader Says “We”. A Boss Creates Fear. A Leader Creates Confidence. A Boss Knows How. A Leader Shows How. A Boss Creates Resentment. A Leader Breeds Enthusiasm. A Boss Fixes Blame. A Leader Fixes Mistakes. A Boss Makes Work Drudgery. A Leader Makes Work Interesting. Am I a Leader? A Teacher is a Leader. Back to the Top