Laura Boak

PSY 301-OL
December 5, 2014
Philosophy of Education

Children are not adults. This may sound like an obvious statement but some
teachers continue to treat their students as such. Childrens minds are still developing
even up to the end of high school and into college. Trying to teach a class full of students
without understanding child development and psychology would be like trying to write a
book without knowing how to read. One must be able to understand the material before
trying to apply them. A teacher must be able to understand children before he or she can
apply her knowledge to teach them. Being an educator requires a lot of thought;
educational practices are constantly changing and so are students. Teachers need to be
willing to change instructional methods as the world and students change. They need to
be flexible and open to new and innovative ideas. To be able to teach, they need to be
willing to learn.
As a teacher I will try to apply my knowledge of child development, however, I
will also keep in mind that every student is different. Though understanding the overall
development of the child is crucial, so is knowing the individual student. All students
develop at different rates and I will put forth effort to get to know my students and
understand them on a personal level. In doing this I can differentiate instruction to best
suit their needs. Not every student is an auditory learner so lectures do not fit every
students need. Students also need visuals, hands on learning, and inquiry based learning.

Each one of them comes from a different background. While some may have been raised
to work individually, others work better in teams. As an educator I will endeavor to
incorporate both group and individual work into the classroom. I also want my classroom
to be multicultural. I believe teachers should incorporate various cultures into lessons and
instruction. With the influence of technology, the world is slowly becoming one global
community. I think students need to understand and value cultures and perspectives
different than their own. They need to understand the world to know their place in it.
I want my classroom environment to be welcoming for all students. Every student
should feel comfortable sharing in class and should feel valued and respected by peers
and the teacher. I want to dispel any prejudices or biases that might be brought to the
classroom. I want to go beyond my own teaching style and comfort zone to reach
students who might learn differently. I also want to include literature that may not be in
my taste. I believe taking interest surveys is very important. Interest surveys help teachers
get to know their class. Student interests could be included in literature choices and in
lessons themselves. If a teacher knows what the students enjoy he or she can use these
things to engage students further into the material.
Not only do I want my classroom environment to be welcoming, I also want the
classroom itself to be inviting. I think a classroom should be intriguing; it should inspire
students to learn without distracting them. I think that decorating classrooms to go along
with units can get students excited and motivated to learn. A cheerful environment will
evoke more positive feelings. Walls and bulletin boards should be colorful and fun but
not overbearing and should display student work. Students should take pride in their work
and one way to encourage students to do this is to hang samples of the students best

work on the walls for others to see and admire. Having desks set up in groups would be
conducive to group work and would promote cooperation and enhance the class
community. My classroom will be very tidy and organized and everything will have a
place. The classroom will be set up so that things are easily accessible to students.
Everything will be labeled so that things can be easily found and transitions will run more
smoothly. Another way to promote organization is by giving students jobs. Giving jobs
serves a twofold purpose. The teacher has assistance in tasks and the students feel
important and valued. I will use jobs to show my students that I appreciate them and to
boost their self-esteem. Self-esteem is crucial; high self-esteem means better academics
and peer relations. I want to build up self-esteem in my students not only through jobs,
but also through praise and positive reinforcement.
High expectations should be held of all students because all students can achieve.
As inclusion is becomes more and more popular, teachers need to ensure that they do not
lower their standards. Students with special needs can also achieve. Students tend to
perform at the level of teacher expectations so I will keep my expectations high. There is
a point at which expectations can become overwhelming and overbearing so I will
attempt to work within each students zone of proximal development; this is the level at
which students can achieve with help. I will work to scaffold my students to a higher
level of learning. I will be their support so they can achieve more than they could on their
own.
I will have high expectations for students so I will need to set a good example for
my class. I will come to each class prepared with both supplies and the proper attitude. I
believe in intentional teaching. Every moment of class time is precious and I want to put

it to good use. I dont want to just teach to the test, there is more to learning than that.
While rote memorization has its place, I want to go beyond this. I want to teach for the
long-term. I will do this by making knowledge meaningful and personally relevant to
students. By activating students prior knowledge I will open up doors so the students can
then build on it. The schema theory says that children and adults alike take new
information and fit it into their current understandings; they organize new knowledge into
already existing categories in their brain. I will attempt to make knowledge meaningful
and personally relevant to students. Discussions will be encouraged in my classroom so
that students can make connections between the content areas and their daily lives. I will
also try to make learning memorable and fun. To make learning memorable so that
students can store knowledge in their long-term memory and can easily recall
information, I will use mnemonic devices. In choosing what mnemonic devices I use I
will assess whether the memory device will help the student understand and remember
the information or if it will merely assist them in memorizing information to repeat back
to me on tests. Mnemonic devices that help the students remember and understand
information are the ones teachers should put to use. Imagery is also a valuable tool. If
students can link content to an image they will remember is more easily. As I mentioned
previously I also want learning to be fun. I believe students remember content more
easily if they enjoyed learning it. If students are bored or hostile to learning, they will not
get very far. Motivation and engagement are crucial. Getting students active in building
new knowledge will get them interested and motivated. Students have a natural curiosity,
which can be a very useful tool if teachers know how to tap into it.

Technology is one way in which to get students interested in a lesson. Students

are now growing up with technology. They know how to use smartphones, search the
Internet, and use the basic of computers. Students naturally enjoy technology and
teachers can use this this to their benefit. Teachers can incorporate technology into their
lessons. Technology should be used to enhance lessons; teachers should not just use it for
the sake of using it. Technology can spruce up lessons and can help gain student
attention. Students need to be familiar with technology to be ready for the workforce.
Teachers, therefore, need to keep up to date on technology so they can integrate
technology skills into their classroom. Students can create podcasts and videos and
teachers can use interactive Smartboard activities. Technology can also help students
become familiar with far away and remote places. Students can be taught through Skype
lessons, can email other students across the world and can go on virtual field trips.
Technology should be used in moderation, however. There is still value in reading from
something tangible rather than from a screen. There is still value in learning how to
compose a proper letter and in exploring a library. There are still many skill sets that need
to be taught outside of the context of technology.
Students need to form opinions about what they are learning. A classroom should
be open to discussion and debate. In discussion different viewpoint students can create
their own opinions of a variety of topics. Forming opinions of information and theories
implies a deeper understanding of information. Educators should endeavor to go beyond
teaching children information; they should strive to teach children to think for
themselves.

Respect is something that is hammered into students, but I believe the best way to
teach is to model. I will model respect to my students. I will be respectful of them and of
their privacy. One way in which I will respect students privacy is to discipline in a
discreet manner. There is no good reason for a student to be embarrassed in front of his or
her peers. We need to build our students up, not tear them down. I will also attempt to
prevent misbehaviors by catching them before they begin. I will try to use more positive
reinforcement of good behavior than negative punishment of bad behavior. At the
beginning of the year I will spell out my expectations for my students. I will remain
consistent in my discipline so that students will know what to expect. If the students
know what the consequences will be the decision is put in their hands. The responsibility
is shifted to the students and they are given the opportunity to behave accordingly. The
ultimate goal is that students will be able to self-regulate and that they will be
intrinsically motivated to behave because they know it is the right thing.
Refining pedagogy is an ongoing process. Every year new students will enter my
classroom. I will need to vary my instruction as my students change. I want to engage in
continuous professional development. The world is rapidly changing with the birth of
new generations. I will unremittingly reflect on what my students need from me and
change my instruction to best fit their needs. I will never give up on my students. There is
a way for every student to succeed and together we will find it.