“Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money – in
that order it is a process, a never-ending one.”
(Bel Kaufman)
I chose to become a teacher because, in a sense, of the lack of a father figure or a good male role model. Nearly 50% of all children come from single parent homes where the father plays little or no role in the child’s development. How does a child (boy or girl) relate to a man if all they see when they go to school from the age of kindergarten to fifth grade are women teachers and when they go home, their mother? I suffered because of this fact, and I am sure other did as well. My love of teaching also has to do with the love of children in general and the structure that teaching not only brings to children’s lives but to mine as well. Most importantly is that I pass on to students the ideas of perseverance.
When it comes to classroom management, I believe in discipline and setting boundaries for the students to learn and live by. I feel that setting a good tone (Establishing classroom rules and guidelines for working, discipline, and respect from the on-set of the year) off the bat is vital for having a productive learning environment. Setting a tone of being strict at first and having a no-tolerance policy is key to gaining control of the classroom. It is harder to be lenient at first than strict later rather than strict first and then lenient later. Also, I keep in mind the saying: “praise in public, punish in private.” Others might say that too strict of a classroom is counterproductive to learning, but I disagree with this because I believe that students not only need structure and order in their lives, they desire it as well. A good example of this is that I thought teachers were too strict and disciplined when I was growing up. I was grossly inaccurate in this assumption because the teachers I admired and respected the most of all were the teachers that were the toughest on me. When given the chance to determine their own rules and regulations, children chose not only much harsher rules but a lot more of them as well.
My methods of teaching are varied from hour to hour. I teach in a variety of ways as not to become too monotonous and boring. I believe in getting the class involved and excited about learning while not excluding anyone. When it comes to slower learners as opposed to faster learners, I think that the method of inclusion works best. This not only helps the students come up to par with the class, but it allows the brighter students the opportunity to practice leadership abilities as well. I strongly believe in individuality to promote active learning while teaching the kids the value of healthy competition in order to reach their learning potential. What I mean by this is that a majority of people believe in treating everyone the same no matter what. I agree with this only to a certain point. In the real world, each child is different and that individuality should be nurtured to its fullest extent and not put down to conform. I believe that through individuality each student can reach his/her greatest potential.
My goal as a teacher is to incorporate history into all aspects of subject areas that I teach my students. History is a vital part of learning, and I feel it is important that students receive a well-balanced education. History is proven to make students feel better about themselves and do better in school, participate more frequently, and have a higher self-esteem. History is just not the study of dead people and facts, but rather it is a culmination of events of why we as a people know what we do, what we study, and who we are as a people and an individual. An example of this would be for each individual student to do a genealogy report on their background and give a report to the class on their lineage; maybe dress the part of their ancestors (e.g., kilts for Scottish) to demonstrate how diverse our backgrounds are but how we share a common goal as citizens of this great community, state, and country as well. I would also try to incorporate the issue of non-traditional kids who may be adopted or in foster care by allowing them to do a genealogy report on what they feel that their lineage my be and present those findings to the class in order that they may now feel left out of the so-called norm.
I bring all of these criteria of teaching into the context of hard work, discipline, respect for each other and ourselves, the joy of learning, and the value of education in relation to a historical context. As mentioned before, I believe that the most important lesson to be learned outside of facts and truths is the lesson of perseverance. Too many times, in school and learning, students become frustrated in that they quit instead of trying again. If a child learns to quit at an early age, then this will become a habit. This habit is hard to break, and more often than not, this behavior is setting the student up for failure. I want to teach students that it’s okay to fail sometime; I feel one can learn more sometimes from failure than from success. However, no matter how hard a subject or situation is, if one keeps trying and persevering, then one will succeed in the classroom and in life. Pain is temporary – Pride is forever! Nobody can take away our hard work and dedication in the pursuit of our goals.
I finish this philosophy with a quote from an anonymous source:
“ A successful teacher needs: The education of a college president,
the executive ability of a financier, the humility of a deacon, the adaptability
of a chameleon, the hope of an optimist, the courage of a hero, the wisdom
of a serpent, the gentleness of a dove, the patience of Job, the grace
of God, and the persistence of the Devil.”