EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY 1

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Abstract

This paper explores the responses of five educators to a 10 question survey about their educational philosophies. The 10 questions were:

  1. Describe your classroom's physical appearance.
  2. How do you handle classroom discipline?
  3. What are the 3 most important things you do as a teacher every day? What motivates you to do each of them?
  4. How does you personal philosophy influence your educational philosophy?
  5. Has your educational philosophy changed since you started teaching? If so, how?
  6. Do you think NCLB is working? Why or why not? Give specific examples.
  7. How has NCLB impacted you as a teacher? What, if anything, would you do differently if NCLB had not been passed? Why?
  8. When reflecting on your own educational experience, what are three things you valued most? Are you able to provide these same experiences to the students in your classroom? Why or why not?
  9. What is your favorite activity that you have done with your students? Why is it your favorite?
  10. “Responsibility in teaching may be more appropriately represented by the particular interactions between teachers and students than by the results of standardized test scores” (Sherman, 2004, p. 116). Do you agree or disagree with this statement. Explain.

In addition to analyzing teacher responses, this paper compares the author's educational philosophy with the interviewee's philosophies and offers a conclusion on how these interviews influenced the author.

Keywords: education, philosophy, classroom management, behaviorism, constructivism

By interviewing several teachers, I've learned much about how my educational philosophy compares to the philosophies of other teachers. Some of their ideas are practical and extremely insightful. Others are not compatible with my ideas on education. However, each different thought, idea, and philosophy I was exposed to served to sharped and influence my ideas.

The philosophies of my interviewees are varied. One teacher said that his/her personal philosophy on teaching was that “if it's not fun, it's not worth doing.” Because of this philosophy, s/he tries to incorporate student enjoyment into the classroom. This idea is easily compared with the part of my educational philosophy that deals with behaviorism. According to behaviorism, learning occurs as a direct result of stimuli. What better way to get students to learn than through fun activities which stimulate their brains? A great example of this might be having students write a song to help them understand their vocabulary words. Another interviewee mentioned that his/her philosophy is very competitive. The teacher suggested that this competitive nature carries over into the classroom. S/he said that “when faced with diversity this is a very important quality to have as it allows me to push forward and not sweat the 'small stuff.'” This philosophy does not directly connect with mine, but does offer helpful advice to any teacher. If an educator is constantly stressed about little things, that feeling will trickle down to the students and effect their ability to learn. The third teacher interviewee stated that his/her philosophy is that “everyone has the ability to learn and should be given chances to do that.” This teacher also stated that “learning should be meaningful and enjoyable.” While it is difficult for me to categorize these statements into a one-size-fits all educational philosophy, I can compare it to humanism, in a way. Since humanism is focused mainly on the learning as an individual, I believe that I can apply this philosophy to mine, because tailoring assignments to individuals can make the learning process more meaningful, and, hopefully, enjoyable. The fourth interviewee didn't really provide much of an educational philosophy, other than to suggest the role that the educator plays in learning. S/he stated that “if I want respect, I have to give it.” This is definitely a truth, yet it doesn't seem to fit into an educational philosophy category. Since my part of my educational philosophy focuses on accepting and welcoming diversity, I can make a connection with this idea. Part of respect is acceptance and even embracing each student as a unique individual. The fifth interviewee also cannot be easily categorized. The teacher wrote that s/he follows and teaches the golden rule; “this pertains not only to classroom management but also my philosophy of learning.” I do agree with this idea, but struggle to fit it in a structured educational philosophy category. I can make a connection with the idea of behaviorism, which is part of my educational philosophy. Part of behaviorism involves providing good reinforcement, and following the golden rule can lead to this. In all, I learned a lot of practical tips by reading the philosophies of different teachers, and I think I will take little pieces of every response and integrate it into my teaching.

Another aspect of the interviewee's philosophies deals with classroom discipline. Again, responses varied. The first interviewee suggested that s/he uses positive reinforcement to handle classroom discipline. The teacher wrote that “with difficult behavior I often use behavior plans and set goals with those individuals privately.” I think that this is an excellent way to handle classroom discipline. Even though I felt that these structured ideas fit into essentialism, and that is not a philosophy which I wholeheartedly agree with, some of the practical tips that this interviewee offered can definitely be appropriated into my classroom. For example, the behavior plans are a way to teach through a disciplinary and systematic method. However, because the teacher includes not only consequences but rewards, and involves parents as well, I think that this might be an effective strategy. The second interviewee's philosophy on classroom management also focuses on positive reinforcement, but as a whole class. The teacher wrote that s/he keeps track of daily classroom disruptions each day and that the class works to keep the number of disruptions lower each class. S/he wrote that “every time we get a lower number, we call it an 'all time best” and she rewards the class with a special activity, such as free time, a movie, or popcorn. While this seems like a great idea, I'm not sure it would be something I'd appropriate. I would base this activity on each individual class. It might not be needed for some classes, but it might be affective for others. Another reason why I might not appropriate this idea is that it requires consistency for it to work. Since this idea seems to be another example of essentialism, I'm not sure it would work for me. I would be willing to give it a try, though. The third interviewee also uses positive reinforcement. The teacher wrote that “overall, it is important to stress the positive reinforcement and encouragement in our classroom and be cognizant of doing so frequently every day.” I wholeheartedly agree with this philosophy; however, the way that this teacher goes about this seems tedious. It involves students earning coupons and other incentives for positive behavior. This is a school-wide system, which is effective because students know what to expect, but it seems unnecessarily complicated. The fourth interviewee also follows a school-wide system of positive reinforcement. This system also seems complex and tedious. However, the teacher also has his/her own way of promoting positive behavior but for group behavior. The teacher stated that “if a whole group is on task or following directions well, then” s/he awards them an incentive. I think that this is an effective way to motivate groups, and I can see myself adapting this system in my own classes. The fifth interviewee stated: “I don't have any set discipline program.” This teacher has been in the classroom for 38 years and said that s/he “has found that respect for my students works better than any program I ever tried.” Perhaps experience is the best way to decide one's educational philosophy, but I believe that I will need to develop some sort of classroom management philosophy and a practical strategy based on this philosophy. Whatever I develop, it needs to be simple, easy to implement, and be based on my own beliefs. I anticipate that I will need to modify this philosophy several times before it becomes truly effective.

Another philosophy interviewees discussed is based on how they set up their classrooms. It was fascinating to read between the lines and learn how a teacher's classroom set up shows his or her educational philosophy. For example, the first teacher I interviewed sits his/her students in six tables. The teacher wrote that this set up is “more intimate and the kids pay more attention.” This set up shows me that the teacher values student collaboration. However, I don't think I would appropriate this element of this teacher's philosophy. Even though this teacher stated that the students pay attention, I would be afraid that students would be tempted to chat during classroom instruction. The second interviewee describes his/her classroom as “organized and accessible.” This focus on organization helps students “be accountable for [their] own learning.” I can connect with the idea of creating a learning environment that encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning, and would like to arrange my classroom in the same way. The third interviewee didn't necessarily share his/her philosophy regarding classroom design. However, the teacher explained that s/he created an ocean theme in order to keep the classroom “bright, inviting, and child friendly.” I think that creating a theme depends on the age and learning levels of the students, but the idea of designing an inviting classroom makes a lot of sense, as I would like my students to feel welcome and comfortable in class. The fourth interviewee offered even less information about the philosophy about his/her classroom design. The greatest feature of this classroom is “a very large selection of books,” said the teacher. By the list of items in this classroom, I can infer that the teacher values student access to material and supplies. I think that having these items is convenient, but what the teacher does with materials and supplies is what matters. The fifth teacher I interviewed said that his/her classroom was designed to be “inviting, safe, and promote a positive learning environment.” This instructor accomplishes this by arranging the classroom into different types of learning centers. I think this teacher has thought a lot about how the classroom can accommodate student needs, and I can appropriate a lot from this this teacher's ideas. I, too, think that it's a good idea to separate the classroom into as of learning, so that students associate a certain area with a certain activity or type of learning. This creates a routine, which translates into safety for students.

Establishing a solid routine for students directly relates to my personal philosophy in the sense that it connects with the Constructivist approach. Because this theory suggests that each student learns, in part, through their interaction with the environment, the idea of creating a learning-centered environment is very appealing. A scenario in which I apply this philosophy as an educator could be in the creation and editing of the classroom set up. I would divide the classroom into separate learning centers: one for reading, one for group work, one for using the computers etc. After a while, students would associate each area with each type of activity. This idea reflects the Constructivist approach because students will generally reflect back upon previous learned information and then associate as well as add new information that is presented in their environment.

As I grow as a teacher, I'm sure my philosophies will develop based on the various learning experiences I have. This idea was reflected in the responses of the five interviewees. As educational research has advanced, and teachers are learning more and more about individual student learning styles, nearly all the interviewees mentioned this when they responded to the question “Has your educational philosophy changed since you started teacher? If so, how?” For example, Interviewee one stated: “When I first started, I treated each kid the same and as if he/she could move/learn at the same pace.” Now, however, this teacher modifies assignments based on students' learning styles. Interviewee three also mentioned this idea: “I've begun working on... creating differentiating activities and seeking extra support for students.” The idea of differentiation is a part of meeting student needs and mirrors the idea of interviewee one. Interviewee four also mentioned teaching to student needs. This teacher stated that “children can't be plugged into neat categories; I have learned as much as possible about multiple intelligences and how that impacts learning.” Teaching in ways that meet student multiple intelligences is another part of learning about individual student learning styles. Therefore, I believe that as teachers learn more and more about how students learn, their educational philosophies will grow, and I include myself in this category.

Considering all that I have learned through this process of interviewing teachers, I believe that there are parts of my personal education philosophy that I'll change. However, based on what I've learned, I feel that most of those changes will be based on my experiences in the classroom. That's most of what I've learned: that all of the philosophies one has need to be tested in the classroom. For example, interviewee four wrote that s/he began as every new teacher, believing s/he “had all the answers.” Yet, as is the case with all of the teachers I interviewed, their views developed as their experiences grew.