Michelle Nitchman

EDUC 111-02

10 April 2019

Educational Philosophy

As a teacher, my job is to not only educate the children to the core standards, but also

educate them on how to become great individuals. They should learn to be respectful, use their

manners, and be accepting of others. There is a good possibility that these characteristics may

not be taught at home, so it is up to me to ensure that every child has a basic knowledge of what

is and isn’t acceptable. My goal is to focus on each student as an individual rather than just the

class as a whole. Every child learns differently and at different rates, so it would be my duty to

cater to that and set them up for success. In order to do so, it may be necessary to stem away

from the core curriculum so that they receive the skills and mindsets that are needed later in life

and in the real-world.

As a believer in progressivism, I would allow students to apply their learnings to the real-

world. The instruction in my classroom will be shaped to the curiosity, concerns, and life events

of the students in it. We would hold open discussions to allow them to have a better

understanding on the topic and to help their peers by giving examples. At least once a day, my

students will work together in small groups. By doing so, they will gain a deeper understanding

of the topic and develop their social skills. My class’ additional curriculum to the state standards

would encourage them to help each other and apply their learning to experiences they have had

in the real-world. Students should be able to evaluate their experiences in order to make

conclusions in the future. While being taught what is part of their core curriculum, the last thing
they need to worry about is the standardized tests. They aren’t defined by these tests and are

smart in other ways that aren’t shown by a test score.

In a classroom full of young children, they should love the idea of education and

appreciate the opportunity to go to school. However, in many cases this desire to learn is

decreasing due to the fear of standardized tests. Students dread these big tests at the end of the

school year due to the fact that they may be labelled depending on their scores, they are difficult,

or they simply may not be good test takers. No matter the reason, these tests don’t establish a

child’s ability to succeed. The tests shouldn’t be a large concern for students as it puts a lot of

pressure on them and can falsely miscalculate their intelligence. The test won’t measure the

child’s strong desire to help others or their capability to connect a subject lesson to an experience

they might have had. For example, a student identifying shapes in a math lesson can compare it

to the shapes of street signs that they will need to understand once old enough to drive a car. In a

progressivist classroom, it is important for the students to recognize their individuality and ways

that they can contribute in the classroom and in the society. They need to realize that their

education is very important, but they are much more than just a student. By learning the core

curriculum, they are given the power to make a change in people’s lives and the world.

As a teacher of the powerful youth, it is crucial to help a student successfully reach their

full potential. It all begins in the classroom. Upon educating children on the topics required by

the state, teachers shouldn’t stop there. Teachers can shape their students into strong, caring,

independent people who are able to make changes outside of the classroom. They should

provide a strong learning environment that encourage students to become actively engaged in

their own learning. In a progressivist classroom, there are likely to be interest centers throughout

the classroom. A student will likely perform better in school when participating in lessons,
educational games, and downtime activities that gain their interest. If it is something that is

boring, the student won’t put forth their best effort and won’t take it seriously. In this type of

classroom, as the teacher I wouldn’t be constantly talking and leading the classroom. Given

some instruction and an introduction of a lesson, the students will then be working freely among

themselves. Group work will be very common, and students will be attacking the lesson or

assignment in a way of their choosing. One group of students may choose to use books or

physical materials, while another group will use the computers and solely digital material. The

main concern isn’t demanding the children to all mimic each other and do the exact same things,

but rather allow them to learn in a way that is fun for them. It isn’t about how they learn it, but

what they learn, whether it be the importance of valuing others or the colors of the rainbow.

Young students will lose interest quickly, so it is necessary to have a positive environment that

makes learning fun. They come to school to learn the common core curriculum but also to learn

skills and characteristics that are necessary for the next steps in their life.