Jared Zimmermann

Jared Zimmermann
Prof. Suk
Education Field Experience EDUC 230-02
Spring 2015
Rationale Statement
My school years are a mixed bag. I remember early on going to the classroom, not
hating school, and getting good grades while making friends. Middle school was also a
good time, teachers kept me involved in class, and I wanted to be there. High school is
where school went out the door to me and caused my eight year put-off of college that I
regret every day. I went to Ridge High in Basking Ridge, a school where the faculty had
no connection to non-sports diehard students and turned a blind eye of ignorance to the
problems of the school and its inhabitants. In school, I was in the geek clique, not the
nerds because I hated studying and big projects, but the entertainment-obsessed groups.
When I think of all the teachers that seemed to never have any idea at all of what any of
us were talking about: They did not know the music, the gaming, the television or
anything that mattered to us. However, they always knew the stats of some star football
team or baseball player. The school had a history of being top tier and calling itself a
"campus" which was laughable as it was a high school. The entire district was very gungho on high test scores, honors programs, and advanced placements. It seemed especially
in high school that it was a pre-college even with how much they shoved extra curricular
activities down your throat. When I think of the students themselves, I think of full-day
drugged out (be it medical or leisure) cheating big shots. Ridge was the school where you
got high grades, but never knew any of the material or practiced it until the day of the
test. The staff pushed college visits and championship rings while the kids snickered at
their ignorance of the true student body. It seemed problems of star-pupils would just "go
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away" and the little guy would not even be noticed. I noticed them though, my geek kin
and I were the nobodies of that school, and we loved our own culture. We went to the hot
cyber-cafe on Friday and Saturday nights while everyone else was partying. We playing
trading cards at lunch while the masses gambled with money and prescription pills under
the aid's noses. A side note - eventually the gamblers were caught which banned all forms
of cards in school (Which of course just got the gamblers to hide it more). I want to be
teacher for the little guy, the outsider. The person who thinks "Why don't I fit in?" I'm
here to tell you, yes you can fit in! You just all have to meet up. I don't want to be
completely ignorant of other students lives and activities, but every student knows their
teacher who is "the guy" you talk to about subject x that you like.
I base my learning on the complete opposite of Old-Fashioned Academy. I'm
against students with their heads in books, writing pages of notes, memorizing useless
information about nothing. I am a strong proponent of the Humanism style of learning
(Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Malcolm Knowles)2. I feel that each student is in charge
of how they will succeed or fail. Everyone can learn anything; it's just how much work
you put into it. People can learn the same subject or skill in a different approach. Just like
the three styles of learning in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, some topics need to be
taught differently.3 Even though it was before my time, I think of School House Rock subjects most kids would find boring such as a tax or bill creation, set to song to get them
excited about it. My favorite history teacher in college was Mr. William Stroock. The first
day of class he said "If you bought the book, throw it out because I don't use it! You all
spend all day watching your screens, so we're going to use those." He did voices, he
showed us clips, but still expected great papers on each test. The more I was in his class
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the easier it seemed remembering past chapters. All of this really stuck with me as what a
great teacher encompasses.
I am starting to feel like an old man not owning a Smartphone or tablet, but I will
need to get one for myself when I get in the classroom. How can I be expected to teach
my students my material if I do not know the tech they use to learn outside of class?
There's no point of stuffing information down students throats just to hit a number or
marker on a government test. There is no one concrete way you HAVE to teach
something, the goal is do they understand it? Sometimes you have to approach a
subject very differently to get the kids to want to be involved, learning while they do not
even realize it. Do you need to find a way to get the class talking about the Middle Ages
with tension between Scots and Brits? Don't open up some textbook, show them some
scenes of Braveheart. Want them to get thinking while teaching the Holocaust? Read
parts of a Graphic Novel like Maus for extra credit. Let them play as a soldier running up
the beaches of Normandy on a Call of Duty game to see how long they can survive.
Just get them interested in the subject! Maybe they'll research it on free time out of class.
I think back to the famous last words of many teachers I have heard on the last days of a
class, "When you get home I know you are all just going to throw this stuff out " A
crucial additive to that line should be - But do not forget what you have learned.
When you open the door to my room, I expect people's eyes to pop open. I want
my room to be alive, not just a classroom. I remember posters with generic Board of Edlike sayings on them. Something along the lines of this or that about "It's fun to look at
this thing!" And it seems that the kids do not care about it the moment they walk out of
the room. I remember when I took a Introduction to Law course in high school; my one
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teacher Mr. Giglio, had famous newspapers and pictures of big law stories plastered all
over the back of the room. Such great stories as the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinski
headlines, O.J.'s Bronco chase, JFK's obituary - next to the paper of the accused Lee
Harvey Oswald. These were old, browning, and a lot more fun to read then "Sub Section
9.1-A.B.C rule of defense etc....." As this was an intro course, who really cared about the
inner workings of law? Most in the class were there for an elective, or to goof off, and
Mr. Giglio found a fun way to get us thinking and talking about law while keeping
current events (well within the past 10 years) a part of the class. I want my classroom to
be like that. Outside people looking in saying- "I never thought to do that!" I also feel
that since we are in the age of technology, many videos via the Internet can be used in
class. If someone walks by and says, "Why are you showing them this?" the class can
reply, "We want to see it!" My classroom's aura should be a fun place, somewhere you
want to be, and hate to leave. Nothing is worse than to look out and see a class full of
sleeping children. My number one priority in the room is learning, but fun is right after
that. Finally, budget willing, I'm going to put tennis balls on the legs of chairs, because it
keeps moving quiet, and it's one of the best idea's I've ever seen in place for antiheadaches. :)

Jared Zimmermann
Professor Suk
Education Field Experience 230-02
Spring 2015
Rationale Statement
Statement of Standard One- 1 Learner Development
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"The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of
learning and development vary 16 individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic,
social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally
appropriate and challenging learning experiences ."
Name of Artifact: Personal Philosophy of Teaching
Date of Artifact: February 2015
Course: Education Field Experience EDUC 230-02
Rationale Statement
This artifact was my opportunity to state my personal philosophy of teaching. The
artifact asked to explain how I handled school; also my personal theories and styles when
it comes to how I want to teach future students. As I wrote this I took a defensive stance
on my approach to a teaching style, but also remember my age ranges that I need to be
flexible as student cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and physical needs vary. This relates
to the standard by making the teacher explain their theories in writing or learning related
to cognitive, linguistic, etc. areas.
While typing this up, it made me think of why I acted up in school and why
students do also. I think it is usually the same reason that I acted up; I wasn't thinking of
my future. When you are a teacher, you have to constantly remind them what happens to
those who don't study, not just demand it. The kids NEED to want to be there. A strong
classroom is fun and fulfilling to the learner and teacher. Nothing is worse than looking
around and the kids are looking at the clock, sleeping, or playing on something. All I can
hope is the material they need to learn I can work into a useful example in the real world.
If I'm lucky to teach history or a tech related class, there is always useful knowledge be
absorbed.
In my future class, I know districts may be strict on what I can and can't teach. I
know the best teachers always put on their own spins to any task and the students are able
to express themselves through their work. I want to use a wide span of teaching, some
assignments may be harder due to lack of funds, (I've already seen this in my service
learning class) but I want the kids to come into class being able to choose their future in
the classroom. I want them to know I care where they end up, and to want to come to my
class. However I am not going to be pushed over. I have learned grade level can make all
the difference on your ease of control and respect even within the same school. You have
to start off strong.
WORKS CITED
"Humanism | Learning Theories." Learning Theories. Learning-Theories.com, 2015.
Web. 31
Mar. 2015. <http://www.learning-theories.com/humanism.html>.
NJPTS 2014. Digital image. The Lion's Den. Raritan Valley Community College, Jan.
2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.
<https://lumserve.raritanval.edu/cp/grouptools/fileshare/24636/132765/NJPTS
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%20201

4.pdf>.

"Three Learning Styles." 3 Learning Styles. Ed. Bepko Learning Center. The Trustees of
Indiana University, 2015. Web. 31 Mar. 2015. <http://blc.uc.iupui.edu/AcademicEnrichment/Study-Skills/Learning-Styles/3-Learning-Styles>.

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