Running head: Chapter 5 Assignment

Personal Philosophy Holly Tyler EDU-1010-004-S14

CHAPTER 5 ASSIGNMENT, PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY A teaching philosophy is essential for any classroom. Philosophies are like personalities because they are a direct representation of the individual. A teacher must be like the sculptor who strips away the unnecessary material and leaves the students with a well formed set of principles. Since the dawn of cognition, man has waxed philosophical and throughout history we are left with a variety of ideas from which to create a personalized philosophy. A student can only learn as well as he or she is taught, the true test and measure of an educator is to recognize and discard what he or she has experienced from poor philosophies and form one's own quintessence. Throughout my education I have discovered what I believe to be essential to both the learning and teaching process. Presently there are several philosophies that stand out, Perennialism focuses on material and ideas that have stood the test of time, Essentialism concentrates on basic skills, Progressivism is application-based such as problem solving and Social Reconstructionism helps student with social issues. It is my belief that no single idea can be utilized wholely, rather all of these philosophies must work in concert so to best serve the broad spectrum of students and their abilities. Presently, my educational philosophy will adapt to various learning styles, serve as a source of Axiology and incorporate a combination of the established aforementioned teaching philosophies. The three basic learning styles are tactile, audio and visual learning. Personally I am a hands-on learner and repetition is most effective for me. However, in my philosophy I state that I will address all learning styles, so I must proceed with caution so as not to just teach the way I learn. It is imperative that I allow for enough audio and visual teaching aides. I can accomplish this through a variety of technological resources, oration and ample demonstration.

CHAPTER 5 ASSIGNMENT, PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY My area of expertise will be in elementary education, this is the foundation for the rest of their educational experiences. It is during this time that perennialism and essentialism are introduced. Again, this is the foundation and basic repetitive information and assessments are critical at this stage but not at the sacrifice of enjoyment, which is perhaps the biggest challenge as a teacher. The next area of my philosophy is as debated as any other subject. Axiology and Social Reconstructionism are argued quite often because one is not sure where the responsibility lies when it comes to the other half of a student's education. Far too often the public view is that teachers are to help raise the child and teachers would argue against that whole-heartedly. However, both views are incorrect because it must be a joint effort. A student cannot help but to be influenced by his/her teacher so this endeavor must be embraced. This is not to say that a teacher is the parent but the demonstration of racism, bigotry, prejudice or unethical views cannot enter the realm of the classroom except to serve as a learning tool; in other words, the one and the many must learn from the great mistakes of history and the teacher plays the important role of facilitator. To narrow down one's teaching philosophy is flawed. This is apparent due to the various ideals that prompted this assignment, however, it is an essential origin for any future educator. The teaching philosophy that should be present in any classroom is one that should extend to any profession and that is adaptation. Teaching should be a constant ebb and flow of ideas and a potpourri of lessons and methods. To confine oneself to just a couple of ideas would create stagnation. Foundation is good but what should be conveyed here is the ability to adjust to best serve the student body.