Philosophy of Education

By Kelly Gaule
Education allows every child to have the opportunity to engage in
discovering knowledge to create a viable, informed, skillful, and
connected community. It is my goal, in education, that students
become experts in the community, not memorizers. One of the key
principles of expertise is that knowledge cannot be reduced to sets of
isolated facts or propositions but, instead, reflects contexts of
applicability. (Bransford, 31). The only way students can become
experts is to teach them to become scientists, mathematicians, writers,
readers, and historians in a relevant and engaging way.
Students learn to act as experts when they are actively involved
in their learning. Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon once said, the
meaning of knowing has shifted from being able to remember and
repeat information to being able to find it and use it. For this to
happen, students need to take control of their learning and
energetically participate in their lessons. Because of this, my way of
teaching is very hands on so that students are engaged through a
variety of learning experiences and activities. Through this practical
learning, a student makes discoveries and investigates with knowledge
firsthand, instead of hearing or reading about others' experiences.
Students also learn best when the content is relevant. Good
teaching contextualizes rather than fragments (Kincheloe et al, p. 76).
Creating appropriate contexts for information allows for more student
engagement and learning instead of alienation from the information.
Information can be related to the students prior involvements and
experiences in the classroom so that they are able to see the
importance of the learning. It is more likely that students will be able to
understand and apply the information that way.
While the students become more active in their learning, the role
of the teacher needs to shift as well. Teaching needs to become less
about spitting out facts and more about guiding the students through
the information. I am not the all-knowing source of information but,
instead, I am a resource in which students can look to and guide in their
understanding of the world around them. It is my job to engage the
students in their own learning experience. First, by motivating the
students and interest them in topics in a relevant way to increases
attention and focus. Then, provide them with a variety of experiences to
expand and apply their knowledge.

It is also my task, as a teacher to figure out the way the students

learn best. Students come from diverse backgrounds socially,
economically, and educationally, that all contributes to the strengths
and weaknesses in their schoolwork. Students also learn in different
ways. In order for them to learn best from me, I must learn more about
them and address their individual needs as a student. This means that I
may have to display information in a variety of ways and differentiate
the classroom learning activities and experiences. This way all students
can achieve success in my classroom through the variation of the
lessons.
Getting to know my students backgrounds also positively
influences my classroom management strategies. A well-managed
classroom creates a comfortable environment where students want to
learn and decreases distracting behavioral issues. In order to create this
confortable learning environment, it is important for me to get to know
my students and their backgrounds. Knowing where students come
from and their interests can tell me a lot about how and why the
students behave the way they do. Knowing the reasons behind
behaviors can drive my implementation of management strategies. Also
with knowing how my students, I can better interact and communicate
with them to ensure that I make them feel listened to, respected, and
included. To make sure students are comfortable and included I allow
the students to create classroom expectations along with me. This way
students feel responsible for how things run in the class and know that
they personally responsible for when they are off track. When students
are continually off track and disruptive to others and their own
learning, I start with identifying the behaviors. Then, I go back to what I
know about their background and I know is going on with them
personally. From there, I decide what the best behavior plan for that
student is.
My classroom is built on what I know about my students and how I
can involve them in order for them to learn best.

Works Cited
Bransford, John. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School.
Washington,
D.C.: National Academy, 2000. Print.
Kincheloe, Joe L., Patrick Slattery, and Shirley R. Steinberg. Contextualizing Teaching:
Introduction to Education and Educational Foundations. New York: Longman,
2000. Print