What
is the purpose of education?
The purpose of education is to teach people how to create
their own knowledge. This is the most important thing that a person can learn
because it gives them the ability to understand and navigate any situation that
they come across. This is important to me because I believe that someday this
can be a world where everyone feels confidant in themselves and their own
abilities, alleviating the need for anyone to put anyone else down to feel
good. I believe that someday this world can be defined by Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect. Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves and having the power to
learn and to know is the biggest source of self efficacy that I know of.
What
is the teacher’s role?
If
teaching students how to learn is the goal of education then the role of the
teacher is multifaceted. A teacher should encourage students to develop the
skills and abilities that they come into the classroom already possessing as
well as encourage students to develop their skills in areas where they have
weaknesses. A good teacher encourages students in whatever they are interested
in while providing a base of knowledge that will help them get to where they
want and need to be. A teacher should also model a desire to learn and be
willing to share with students the different ways that learning has affected
their life so that students might see that value that learning can have in
their lives. The most important thing a teacher can do is support students in
their learning and their growth as students and as people.
What
is important to teach/learn?
A
teacher must teach the necessary basic skills that students need to learn on
their own like reading, math, and communication, both written and spoken. A
teacher must also teach higher order skills like critical thinking and problem
solving. The most important thing a teacher can teach, however, is how to ask
good questions. Questioning is essential to creating knowledge because it moves
students beyond simply accepting information that is handed to them and into a
deeper level of knowledge. Asking questions allows students the opportunity to
take what they already know about the world from their own experiences and use
that to deepen their understanding of the material that is being presented to
them. Asking questions also gives students the chance to develop their
communication skills, which are vital in today’s fast-paced information
centered world. Everyone deserves to be heard and appreciated and good
communication skills facilitate the types of interpersonal relationships where
that appreciation and understanding can happen.
How
does learning happen?
Learning
begins with what we experience and how we perceive those experiences because we
take these things with us wherever we go. These experiences are important
because they are the foundation for all the other learning that we do in our
lives. We take these ideas that we already have and relate those ideas to the
new ideas that we come across to form a revised version of one of those ideas
or maybe even a completely new idea. Having time to think about our ideas is
crucial to allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts we are
trying to learn about. The same is true
of talking and sharing our ideas with others. The more perspectives that we can
gain on the material we are learning, the more options we have in understanding
and defining our own understanding. When learning something new our thinking
might be more confused than it was before we began taking on this new concept;
this is a positive sign because it shows that we are truly grappling with the
new idea and what it means to us.
Mistakes
are important parts of our learning process and should be appreciated for the marks
of learning that they are. This means that it is important to be present in the
classroom to address any questions and concerns that come up in the course of studying
a given subject. This also means covering a topic that has already been covered
in new ways so that students who are struggling with different aspects of the
material can get a new perspective.
How
can we understand what has been learned? (Assessment and Evaluation)
What
I believe about how people learn means that holistic assessments and
evaluations are important to me. Tools like portfolios give students a chance
to take ownership of their own learning. This ownership increases the amount of
investment that students take in their learning. When coupled with student
reflections, portfolios give students the chance to evaluate their own work and
decide where their strengths are, what improvements they have made, and where
they want to go from where they are. At the same time, portfolios validate the
experiences and knowledge that students bring with them into the classroom by
allowing them the chance to talk about where they have come from and how that
has affected the way that they are learning. Because students get to choose
what materials to include in their portfolios they are in a position to choose whatever
combination of works they feel best represents not only their level of
understanding of the different materials from the class, but also what best represents
their unique strengths and personal style.
Another
important component to understanding what students have learned involves making
an investment in getting to know each student through their work as well as
one-on-one conferences with them. Taking these steps makes it easier to get a
feel for areas where students have learned and areas where significant learning
still needs to take place. Simultaneously, students will be able to ask
questions and address issues that they may not feel comfortable bringing up in
the context of full class discussions. Letting students know that you are
invested in their personal journey as learners and as people is vital to
instilling in them the confidence they need to learn and grow at their full
potential; one-on-one time is an important part of that.
What
is diversity and how does it impact teaching and learning?
My
belief in the power of our experiences is especially important when I consider
the diversity of the world that we live in. The obvious diversities that are a
part of our lives like race, gender, class, and religion can and do have a huge
impact on the types of experiences that we have had. Even when those obvious
characteristics are the same for two people and their experiences are similar,
there is still diversity in the way that they perceive and interpret what they
have experienced. These perceptions and experiences are what shape the kinds of
people and learners that we are. Teachers not only need to value these differences
in students, but they must teach students to value these differences in one
another by modeling the desired treatment of people who are different and
exposing students to cultures, works, people, and ideas that represent the
diversity of the world.
The
idea of diversity becomes even more complex when I consider that I won’t just
be learning about all the different students in my classroom, I will be trying
to teach them the English language skills that they will need to make it in a
world full of people who are just as diverse as they are. In a room of
twenty-four students there will be twenty-four different and important sets of
needs. This means that I must also consider the diversity of learning styles
that my students will bring into the classroom with them. Students will need
different levels of help with different concepts and the same students will not
always need the same things. I will have to present material in ways that are
helpful to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners so that all my students
have the same level of learning opportunity.
What
kind of learning environment will I create?
What will I do in my classroom because of what I believe about teaching
and learning?
In my classroom I will encourage inquiry by modeling
inquiry. It is important to me to create a learning environment where students
feel comfortable voicing their opinions and asking questions about the concepts
and materials that we are covering. I will help them do this by asking
questions about the material that I cover and try to really probe into what it
means in the world. I will address whatever issues come up as well as I can and
if I don’t know something, I will work with my students to get the information
that they need. I will model for them where and how to find information and to
evaluate it so that they can explore whatever issues interest them throughout
their life in an informed and conscientious way.
I
believe that our differences are just as beautiful and important as our
similarities. To show this I will create an environment where everyone feels
like their voice is heard and their perspective is valued. I will encourage
students to embrace their diversity by using material that reflects the
diversity of my classroom and the world that my students are a part of. I will do
whatever I can to create experiences for my students that help them step
outside of their comfort zone and look at the world in different ways so that
they will be better able to look at things from other people’s perspectives. I
will make time to meet with each of my students individually so that I can know
them—know what makes them unique, know who they are, know what they need to
learn effectively, and know what
connects them to their peers, their communities, and their world. I will show
that I appreciate what their perspective contributes to my classroom by
displaying the works that are important to them where they can be seen. I will
also work diligently to provide opportunities for my students to share their
learning outside of the classroom setting in the context of the larger student
body and in the community because I believe that learning is a communal act
that is more meaningful and better developed when it is shared and explored by
many people. I believe that modeling Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect is the key to changing this world for the better. I believe that I have been called to teach so that I can be that model.
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