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Tiffany Cence
Dr. Mary Monsour
SED 110 01
11/17/14
Philosophy of Education

As Helen Keller once said, The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be
seen or even touched they must be felt with the heart. My heart has felt beauty and pain
throughout my educational experience, and when I preformed some of my field observations
my heart shattered. It was as I walked through the doors of that middle school, sat in that 5th
grade classroom, and had the door shut in my face while helping a young girl that my heart
realized what I did not want to be as a teacher.

The Middle School was not welcoming, the teachers were not caring individuals to their
students, but most importantly the teachers were completely disinterested in the students
themselves. Students would be presenting a project and the teacher would be sitting at their desk
lounged out staring at the ground. As an educator, you are to excite the students about learning
and encourage them not give off the impression that they are wasting your time. Unfortunately
it seems that too many educators are in it for the paycheck, and not enough have the heart and
compassion to give students the knowledge they need to have the whole world in their grasp.

Rather than a disinterested teacher with a hostile environment, an ideal classroom would
contrast quite differently. The walls would be painted with chalkboard and whiteboard paint

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allowing the students to utilize the entire classroom for gain of knowledge. The desks would not
be set in standard rows. Instead, there would be circular tables that allow views of everyone to
aid in discussions especially on novels! The lights would (preferably) not be fluorescent, but
rather a warm light such as the lights on Christmas trees. There would be beanbag chairs
scattered amongst the room for comfort when reading and many, many plants. The key is to
establish comfort. I dont believe in cold, sterile-like environments. If we were meant to learn at
hospitals we would. Most students learn better where they are most comfortable, so the key to
any classroom should be comfort. Take away the coldness of fluorescent lights and establish a
warm glow (still visible though!), take away hard, immobile desk chairs and replace them with
comfortable chairs along with alternatives such as the beanbags. Give the students an area they
want to learn in, and the results will be phenomenal.

In an English-Literature room, the technology would be minimal or so you would

assume. Due to the 21st Century Learning techniques coming into play, it seems as if everything
is becoming completely digital these days. Gone are the days of perhaps using a computer for a
learning game and putting it away. In modern classrooms, computers are everything. Even
books are becoming e-books and available on iPads, Macbooks, and phones. Each student will
be utilizing online books in the classroom however the physical book copy will remain an
option for those who choose it. The students will be using iPads to access their books, and much
of the note taking and quizzes will be administered through online sites. 21st Century Learning is
becoming key in this modern society. The younger children are being brought up with
technology. The brain is rapidly changing, and we must change our teaching techniques to
cohere with that brain change. It is said that many people do not accept change well and I do

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not want to be one of those people. Change should be welcomed, especially when it comes to
teaching our children, who will eventually be teaching the proceeding generations.

Technology can play other potent rules outside of the classroom aside from teaching
instruction: it can be seen as a key communication source and as a research-based trend in
education. Technology will change everything when it comes to teaching. It will change the
lesson, the administration, and even the communication. Students will obtain information
differently and will need to be taught more virtually rather than read a book and test. The
Pinterest assignment was a perfect example. Much learning was obtained from an extremely
digital assignment and no books were required. When it becomes time to communicate with the
students parents, technology provides the opportunities for emails and other ways of
communication mechanisms. When it is necessary to communicate with a students parent, the
way I do it will vary on the reason it is being done. For example, if it is a general class
notification, a memo will by typed up on the computer, sent home with the students, and asked
for a signature for a grade (to assure the students take it home). If a student acts out in a minor
manner a personal email will be sent to that students parent. If there is a major incident, a
personal phone call will be made to the students parent. All of these are effective
communication processes to keep a professional relationship with the parents.

When teaching the students, not one, but two theorists will come into play. Erickson will
be used in the adolescence stage in the aspect that students will be expected to question their life
goals and plans for the future in a 12th grade classroom. The student will be surrounded by love
and support and if they have questions about the future, they will be encouraged to talk about

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those questions in class and there will be time set aside for personal development to be
established. At this particular age, adulthood seems very real and very scary. Colleges are
beginning to be looked at, majors are being decided, and it seems as if you have to have your
whole life figured out when you are only 17 years old. The student will be in an environment
where dealing with these issues hopefully becomes a little bit easier. Another theorists idea used
in the classroom will be Kohlbergs Moral Development Theory at the post-conventional stage.
In the classroom, students will be encouraged to question and establish their own and other
individual rights along with moral guidelines throughout society. These moral guidelines can be
shown throughout novels read, and brought up in real-life experiences the students may want to
discuss within the classroom. An in-text example could be the morality and race issues within the
novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Students should have a set of moral guidelines set by this age
and should be able to apply them accordingly.

All of the ideas for teaching strategies and theorists are wonderful, however before you
present yourself in front of a group of students you better have a lesson plan! A lesson plan using
Common Core State Standards will need to be in place before it is even thought of going up in
front of a classroom unless you are me and walk in for observations and are randomly told to
teach a lesson. That is beside the point though. Standards relating to the grade level and content
area can be found on the SAS website. From there it is easy to choose standards to include in the
lesson plan, for example standards involving theme and authors tone. Then write out the lesson
plan, including essential questions, hooks and lead ins, procedures and objectives, and
modifications for certain types of students you may have in your classroom. It is potent that the
objectives match the standards listed in the lesson plan. For example, if the standards used

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involve theme and authors tone, objectives could include the students reading a piece of fiction
and having an in class discussion on how the tone affects the quality of the piece and what theme
is developed throughout the story. No matter what path is taken with a lesson plan, the most
important part is to have one, because the students deserve more than winging it.

It is said that you should never end with a quote, but in this situation I find myself able to
disagree. Solomon Ortiz once said that, Education is the key to success in life, and teachers
make a lasting impact in the lives of their students. Throughout all experiences, it is mandatory
that teachers are the change that they want to see. I will strive to provide the best education I can
for my students using all of the sources that have been provided to me throughout my
educational experience. I will make changes where I feel the educational system has failed me,
and when I feel it has done something right I want to do it better. As educators, we take on the
duty to provide the best education we can to our students, and we should do no less. I want to be
the teacher to make the impact Ortiz speaks about, and I will make it my goal to ensure I am.