Purpose of Education

Teaching Philosophy...

I believe the purpose of education is to equip students with the skills and motivation to satisfy their own curiosity and become better global citizens. This is achieved in classrooms which encourage students to think critically on important issues while being exposed to a variety of voices and viewpoints. The social sciences are uniquely qualified to aid students in their assessments and interpretations of society’s problems, as well as allow students to develop critical skills in communicating and understanding.

Representative Curriculum

Students learn best when they are personally interested and engaged with the material. Through a representative and thematic curriculum, the history and story of social issues will become relevant and thought provoking to the students. If social science classes are taught in a manner which shows the background of the issues students see and face, the students become problem solvers and investigators rather than test takers. History and Civics classes become tools of progress as opposed to classes of memorization. The best curriculum design is flexible enough to take direction from student interest and allow student choice.

Student Voice in the Classroom

As students are exposed to different voices and viewpoints, they will be encouraged to think critically about their own biases, experiences, and opinions. Through a representative curriculum, students are shown that their voices and experiences matter, encouraging them to become active participants and grow with each other. By allowing students power in the classroom, they gain ownership of their own education. Encouraging students to actively participate in their education will not only impact their progress in my class but will carry over throughout their day and their educational career.

Assessment of Learning

Student growth can be assessed in a variety of ways and does not need to revolve around test taking. My role as a teacher is not to have students memorize and recite a text, but to assess the student’s progress in their critical skills. Through portfolio based assessments, student growth in areas of argument creation, critical thinking, and reflection can be seen and measured. Individualizing a student’s education will help the students gain an understanding of their strengths and monitor their own learning.

The Role of a Teacher

A teachers’ role is to encourage and support their students as they strive to meet high standards of learning. School should be challenging and a classroom should provide a safe place for students to experiment, learn, and grow to meet those challenges. It is the teacher’s role to make high standards accessible to their students through encouragement, support, and differentiation.

Classroom Management

Students want to be respected, challenged, and engaged. Ensuring a classroom fits the needs of all of my students is the first step in creating and maintaining a strong learning environment. Learning is an active prosses, in order to provide the best opportunity for students to actively engage with the material, lessons should be designed to follow student interest, maximize opportunities for student choice, and encourage student reflection. In an active learning environment, the teacher can more effectively support students and individualize their education.