Goal 1: Philosophy

Educators articulate, maintain, and develop a philosophy of education that is demonstrated in

their practice.

Education has always been very important to me because it gives us a way to continually

grow into better versions of ourselves. There are several key components to successful

education, but there is no single philosophy that encompasses all facets of learning. I believe that

in order to learn, individuals must interact with the information socially and physically, and that

fundamental skills must be developed to mastery before complex problems can be solved. In my

professional teacher portfolio, I demonstrate how I implement these values in my classroom.

Ultimately, I continue to evolve as a teacher, and employing a growth mindset throughout life is

what my educational philosophy rooted in.

My personal philosophy of education is closely aligned with that of the

humanist/constructivist philosophy of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. I believe that students

actively work out their understanding of concepts by interaction, rather than simply watching,

and by talking about what they learn. Vygotsky (1978) theorized that language comes first and

then understanding comes second. It is through our interactions with each other, that humans

conceptualize their reality and that language is the bridge that humans use to connect their

understandings to one another. In my portfolio, I emphasize the importance of group work and

student discussion as a gateway for students to construct meaning.

Hands on learning is important when teaching students of all ages, the example lessons

given in my portfolio have hands on activities mixed with self-reflection and discussion to bring

the concept full circle into a deeper understanding. “According to this theory, knowledge cannot

be transmitted directly from the teacher to the learner, but rather is constructed by the learner and
later reconstructed as new information becomes available…One constructivist technique for

helping students ‘make meaning’ of a concept is called scaffolding, whereby the teacher provides

support as the student attempts to understand the concept.” (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, p.307) In my

portfolio, I demonstrate how to scaffold student’s when introducing a foreign concept, such as

the formation of the earth, and break it into chunks for the students to digest. As they learn, they

create their own meaning, and build on each concept from lesson to lesson.

Jean Piaget theorized that there are four stages of cognitive development in children:

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational (Piaget, 2003).

Students in the concrete operational stage, grades 2-6 really benefit from hands on activities

which help them develop their understanding of new concepts and advance their level of thinking

to the formal operational stage. The formal operational stage is exceptionally important as this is

when the individual is able to begin using reasoning and logic when searching for solutions to

abstract problems. The students that I taught in the examples from my portfolio were in grades

4th and 7th, meaning they were in a concrete operational stage that was transitioning into a formal

operational stage. As these students were transitioning between these two stages, my goal was to

take them from passive to active learners.

Developing foundational skills during adolescence is critical in developing well educated

adults. Eric Hirsch Jr. (1996), the creator of the Core Knowledge foundation, believed that

foundational skills are so important that, without them, individuals are unable to advance in their

personal ability to perform tasks as children and as adults. His theory of contemporary

intentionalism, emphasizes the importance of learning skills that you will readily use, not skills

that you do not need or use. In my portfolio, I base each lesson off of the core standards and the
enduring understandings I want each student to learn. I believe there needs to be an emphasis on

teaching fundamental skills with intentionality and purpose.

Students are the most likely to succeed with teachers who are intentional about their

methodology and transmission strategies. When I chose the science unit for my portfolio, I

collaborated with my students and with other teachers, to create a plan that would both engage

and challenge my 7th grade students. Kazemi and Franke’s (2004) research suggests the impact

of teacher collaboration on the quality of instruction is undeniably strong. In their research, by

the end of the year, the teachers were sharing the kinds of conversations they had with students

that uncovered their thinking and the tasks they used to enable children to express their

reasoning. (Kazemi & Franke, 2004). The importance of nurturing the development of problem-

solving skills in students is very important to successfully educating students.

We must continually be lifelong learners ourselves as teachers for us to be the best

teachers we can be. As I reflect, I see many areas of improvement within my portfolio and

teaching philosophy. There are ways to refine my approach of teaching. Vito Perrone (1991), a

contemporary educational theorist recommends we capitalize on our personal strengths and skills

to refine the manner instructors deliver the information. It’s very important that educators are

always trying new things and continuously go out of our way to learn more about the world

around us. I operate on the belief that all children are capable of doing great things. It's critical

that people of all ages never stop growing if we want to reach our full potential. My goal is to

cultivate this growth mentality in my students by always being willing to learn something new,

both at home and at work.

 References:

Hirsch, E.D. (1996). The schools we need: and why we don’t have them. New York, NY:
Anchor.

Kazemi, E., & Franke L. M. (2004). Teacher learning in mathematics: using student work to
promote collective inquiry. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 7(1), 203–235.

Perrone, V. (1991). A letter to teachers: Reflections on schooling and the art of teaching. San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Piaget, J. (2003). Part I: cognitive development in children. Journal of Research in Science

Teaching, 40(1), S8-S18. Retrieved November 15, 2016.

Ryan, K. & Cooper, J. (2013). Those who can, teach. (13th ed.) 480. Belmont, CA: Wasdworth
Cengage Learning.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes.

Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.