Philosophical Thinking

As I think about my philosophy of education, naturally I have been reflecting on how this will impact my classroom. I want my classroom to be a safe, caring environment for all learners, so I will try to be as flexible as I can with the room arrangement, taking into consideration what my students suggest. I would start of the year with some type of circular, discussion-ready set-up, depending on if I have desks or tables will impact this. I would love to have enough floor space so students can work on the floor for certain activities, which I know some student prefer, or it is just nice to have options. I will have shelves on the walls and different displays and posters that represent various things from what we are learning to the cultures that exist among the students, because who I am teaching is just as important as what I am teaching. As far as motivation is concerned, I know that some students are motivated by grades, and others will only be motivated if it pertains to them and they can feel some sort of connection to what I am teaching, so I would want to motivate in different ways. I will motivate with words and with grades, always giving students positive feedback when I can, and working hard to pertain the lessons to real life. I think what I will be teaching is important, and I plan to work hard so students can make these connections as well. I want to encourage students to motivate themselves and one another, which kind of plays a role in having them work together and with me to create the rules and expectations for the classroom. We will all work together to ensure the success of the class. This also of course goes along with discipline, and by enlisting students' help in creating and establishing rules and expectations, students will be aware of the outcomes that misbehavior will have in our classroom. I will handle discipline problems as aligned with the rules we make, but will also consider the student and his or her personal situation, so, for instance, if they have a behavioral problem associated with a learning disability, I will take this into consideration when deciding how to encounter them. I will assess my students by asking thoughtful questions to get them thinking and to see how they are thinking and understanding the content. I will meet with them one-on-one as much as I can, and encourage them to give me feedback on how they feel they are doing in the class. I will always let them as clarifying questions. I will try not to use tests and quizzes unless they seem necessary, and will ask students to journal about ideas and what they learn. Through journals I will write back to them and be able to assess where they are in the class and how much they are getting out of it. For assessments that will be associated with grades I will assign students to do projects and papers to show me what they have gained from taking my class. I want my classroom to be comfortable and students can feel encouraged to learn and interact with peers and myself. I will use humor and a be good-natured when appropriate, and encourage students to be themselves and share their insights on the class. I will enforce the rules and adhere to the curriculum, so I will hold high expectations for all students. I will let them know this from the beginning, and that I believe in all of them. I plan to use technology frequently, and will probably want to incorporate a wiki in the class and have them do blog posts. I will use the blogs to assess and encourage them to comment on one another's blogs as well. I will have my desk at the back of the class but will frequently move about and teach from anywhere in the room. I will be easy-going when I deem it fit, but will stress the importance of each lesson and student participation. I will show students that I respect them and expect them to show me and others that they have respect in return. I want my classroom to be fun and engaging, and that all students will be able to learn and feel confident in my class. It will be our classroom, where we value respect, learning, difference, individuality, cooperation, and having fun.

Reading through our printout of sections from Drive I have found a few things of interest to me. One idea I liked, among many, was the concept of DIY Report Cards, which has students list their top learning goals at the start of a unit/year, and then at the end of it they create their own report card and reflect in a couple of paragraphs about their progress. Afterward,they meet with me and I show them their "real" report card and we compare and discuss how they align or do not align with one another. I also appreciated the section on praise, and how to use it correctly. This means, for instance, praising effort and strategy over intelligence, making praise specific, doing it in private, and only offering it when for a good reason and if it is completely honest and heartfelt. The section "Help Kids See the Big Picture" aligned nicely with my ideas of motivation; make certain that kids can successfully answer questions like "why am I learning this and how does it relate to my life and the world I live in?" Make the lessons and content relevant, and students will be encouraged to learn, and make their own connections. Additionally, I liked some of the section "Turn Students into Teachers," because I think it can encourage students to want to learn and to further explore the content. It also holds them accountable of learning and can be used to assess their knowledge. One thing I did not like about this was making students teach to other classes, teachers, etc., because I think this would work better as an option for students, or maybe if they were allowed to work in groups or partners, because some of them would certainly not be comfortable doing this nor would they enjoy it. Overall, I enjoyed reading what we received for sections from this book and it seems like a useful educational resource.