What I Believe...My Educational Philosophy
As I prepare to share my blog for a class assignment, I noted that one defining factor in what I believe as an educator is missing. If you have read some of my "From the Heart" series, you might have noted some of the defining moments in my career - those that have shaped me from the fresh faced 21 year old entering the classroom for the first time, thinking all of my students would love me and would strive constantly to make straight A's. Through these times and everyday that I enter a classroom, my ideas of what I believe constantly evolve - a metamorphosis of sorts.
As a young teacher, I believed that my content was important. Having been an English major, teaching 9th grade, I thought my enthusiasm for To Kill a Mockingbird and The Odyssey would carry my students into a love of books. I quickly learned that my love for literature was not necessarily THEIR love for literature - and it was about much more than that. Literature is not the be all and end all-it is instead a catalyst to promote deep-thinking and elicit personal connections. It is not a text to be read and then tested over with simple recall or even thematic discussions. Instead, I believe that teachers should use great literature to not only facilitate reading behaviors but to help readers explore the world around them and their own perceptions of life. It's not about Scout and Jem and Atticus, but instead its about the journey we take with them and how a reader feels the consequences of Mayella's lie, the enormity of Scout's loss of innocence and the connections they can make to their own lives.
Another battle I have endured is that of testing. I am in a new phase as I no longer have a class of test scores sitting on my head. For years, I have said that my students are more than just a test score - and I truly believe that they are. A child is human with unique strengths and weaknesses and very fragile spirit that can easily be broken with a scantron and a sealed test booklet. So many may not have slept the night before, due to a crying baby or arguing parents. Others many have tried their hardest - time and time again, never feeling the sweet satisfaction of success. But they are so much more than that score. As a teacher, it is my job to make them know they are valued. They are noticed, they are worthy, they are loved - and they are so much more than a test score could ever show. I have also come to understand that as a teacher - I AM so much more than a test score as well. In the past I have weighed my worth as a teacher in accordance to the scores that I produced. However, this mentality is not only unproductive for myself, but it is also doesn't support my belief about my students being more than a test score. We are all worth more than that.
Finally, as cliche as it sounds, all students can learn. They can. I have never had a student leave their time with me exactly that same as they entered. That isn't to say that students all master the curriculum under my watch - but that in some way they grow. Whether in their understandings of essay writing or that a capital letter goes at the beginning of sentence. Whether they discontinue from my Reading Recovery program successfully or can identify 2 more letters than when they entered. They. Can. Learn. It is my job to push them -gently - to grow. To encourage them and find unique and creative ways to reach them where they are. It is also my job to always remember that every child is on a journey of their own and that no tell-tale benchmarks can clearly define where they "should" be.
So with that said, I guess my philosophy boils down to a few distinguishing concepts. While my job title may state that I am responsible for imparting the curriculum to a group of children and grading them on their mastery of said curriculum, teaching is so much more than that. It is my job to nurture, to grow, to create, to encourage, to find the individual inside each child and to leave the tiniest impression. Not enough to change who they are but just enough to gently nudge them towards a future full of hope and possibility.
As a young teacher, I believed that my content was important. Having been an English major, teaching 9th grade, I thought my enthusiasm for To Kill a Mockingbird and The Odyssey would carry my students into a love of books. I quickly learned that my love for literature was not necessarily THEIR love for literature - and it was about much more than that. Literature is not the be all and end all-it is instead a catalyst to promote deep-thinking and elicit personal connections. It is not a text to be read and then tested over with simple recall or even thematic discussions. Instead, I believe that teachers should use great literature to not only facilitate reading behaviors but to help readers explore the world around them and their own perceptions of life. It's not about Scout and Jem and Atticus, but instead its about the journey we take with them and how a reader feels the consequences of Mayella's lie, the enormity of Scout's loss of innocence and the connections they can make to their own lives.
Another battle I have endured is that of testing. I am in a new phase as I no longer have a class of test scores sitting on my head. For years, I have said that my students are more than just a test score - and I truly believe that they are. A child is human with unique strengths and weaknesses and very fragile spirit that can easily be broken with a scantron and a sealed test booklet. So many may not have slept the night before, due to a crying baby or arguing parents. Others many have tried their hardest - time and time again, never feeling the sweet satisfaction of success. But they are so much more than that score. As a teacher, it is my job to make them know they are valued. They are noticed, they are worthy, they are loved - and they are so much more than a test score could ever show. I have also come to understand that as a teacher - I AM so much more than a test score as well. In the past I have weighed my worth as a teacher in accordance to the scores that I produced. However, this mentality is not only unproductive for myself, but it is also doesn't support my belief about my students being more than a test score. We are all worth more than that.
Finally, as cliche as it sounds, all students can learn. They can. I have never had a student leave their time with me exactly that same as they entered. That isn't to say that students all master the curriculum under my watch - but that in some way they grow. Whether in their understandings of essay writing or that a capital letter goes at the beginning of sentence. Whether they discontinue from my Reading Recovery program successfully or can identify 2 more letters than when they entered. They. Can. Learn. It is my job to push them -gently - to grow. To encourage them and find unique and creative ways to reach them where they are. It is also my job to always remember that every child is on a journey of their own and that no tell-tale benchmarks can clearly define where they "should" be.
So with that said, I guess my philosophy boils down to a few distinguishing concepts. While my job title may state that I am responsible for imparting the curriculum to a group of children and grading them on their mastery of said curriculum, teaching is so much more than that. It is my job to nurture, to grow, to create, to encourage, to find the individual inside each child and to leave the tiniest impression. Not enough to change who they are but just enough to gently nudge them towards a future full of hope and possibility.
YES!
ReplyDeleteI love your passion and dedication. You’re amazing!
ReplyDelete