Philosophy of Education

Anna Hutchens
Grandville West Elementary
1st Grade
EDF 310-03
Winter 2017
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Philosophy of Education

The purpose of education is to make sure that students can leave their

school as better citizens and can go on to continue learning, creating, and

discovering. To reach that goal, educators must break tradition when it

comes to the way that information is presented to students. It is crucial in

the education system to be continually finding better ways of reaching each

student to ensure they receive the best education possible. If we strive to

better the education of our students, they will be able to better the world.

Our teaching methods should be constantly evolving to best serve the

students we have. In addition, students should be shown how to take

responsibility of their own learning, and educators should work to instill that

intrinsic motivation to do better in all of our students. This involves adapting

our teaching practices to fit the various backgrounds, learning styles, and

creative abilities of students; as well as making sure they are developing a

love of learning and desire to always do their best.

It is important to understand that each student may have a very

different background and way of thinking, so they cannot all be taught the

same way. We, as educators, need to shy away from trying to educate all

students in the same manner, and evolve to ensure that we can reach each

and every child no matter their background or learning styles. We need to

learn how to manage the classroom in a way so that students understand

that they do not all learn alike. It is crucial to let students know that it is

alright if they need to ask that the content be shown in a different way and
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that it is perfectly okay for others in the class to do so as well. Curriculum

must be taught in a way that is very adaptable to the needs of each student.

Each subject should be taught using various methods such as hands on,

visual, or auditory so that there is a higher change that the content will be

fully understood by all students.

In addition to this, students should be able to move to get up, to play,

to explore. This will help students to enjoy their learning, to stay healthy, and

to release some of their energy. Students should not have to sit all day and

simply listen. They should also have the opportunity to be creative, and to

think about and discover concepts for themselves, in their own way. This will

help students to make concepts more meaningful and applicable to their

lives. Children are already natural scientists in the world. They have a vast

capability for thinking in ways that allow them to explore and investigate the

world around them. Students are working to understand different

phenomena that they experience all the time, both outside of school and

within it. This natural curiosity should be harnessed and used when

educating these students in all subjects. In addition, these observations and

inferences that children make are often very factual, logical, and based upon

their experiences. This can lead to some misconceptions about the world

that students may hold for a very long time if they are not addressed.

Allowing students to think and act like a scientist in their learning, through

inquiry and exploration, can help to address these misconceptions that they
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may hold and will allow them to more likely to fully grasp that information

and make it their own.

In order for students to be successful in their learning, there must be

management systems put in place that allow for that. First, students should

always be aware of the expectations and rules that are set out for them, and

should be taught the skills necessary to follow them. When expectations are

unclear, problems with behavior may occur more frequently and

unintentionally. This causes a distraction from learning for everyone. When

rules and expectations are broken, it is important for the student to be

involved in correcting their mistakes and fixing the problem. The teacher and

the student should work together whenever possible to find consequences in

a process that helps students understand their mistakes, anticipate future

problems if the behavior continues, and to make decisions that will help

them to be more successful going forward. It is important that consequences

are logical and related to the misbehavior, as well as predictable or

expected. During the process of behavior correction, it is crucial that the

esteem of the student is never threatened or torn down. It is part of our job

as educators to teach students what is expected behavior, and how to fix

their mistakes not to embarrass or instill fear in them. Positive behavior

should be the focus whenever possible, and misbehavior should be viewed

as potential for growth.

Educators should always be striving to enhance the personal and

academic potential of their students. Because of this, it is important to

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always put the needs, wants, and interests of the student at the forefront of

your thinking whenever designing a lesson. Finding more efficient,

individualized, and fun ways of teaching and assessing students allows

educator to give each student the best education possible adapted

specifically for them. In order to do this most effectively, teachers need to

make a conscious effort to get to know each of their students on a personal

level. The basis for this whole philosophy is to ensure that a solid relationship

is formed with all students. Knowing our students their needs, interests,

wants, and ways of learning allows educators to help them to be successful

in all aspects. After all, education is all about the student.

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Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am so excited to be welcoming your student into my class this year! First, I
want to introduce myself. My name is Anna Hutchens and I received my bachelors
degree from Grand Valley State University in Elementary Education and Integrated
Sciences. In my spare time, I enjoy drawing, reading, and spending time outside!
I want to do my best to make sure your child feels at home in my classroom,
and that I can help them to reach their full potential. I know that this class will be
made up of a group of unique individuals, each with their own interests, ideas,
learning styles, and dreams. If there is anything you think I should know about your
child that can help me to teach them more effectively please dont hesitate to let
me know! I want to help ensure that your student is successful in all aspects of life,
so part of my classroom management plan involves working with students to solve
their own problems and fix possible behavior mistakes. I believe this will help your
student to grow to be the successful person you are shaping them into!
It is my belief that learning should be as fun and engaging as possible. I want
to use each childs natural curiosity in order to help them explore the world around
them through learning. I also make it my mission to do my best to reach all of my
students in each lesson, and to adapt my teaching to your student if something isnt
clicking.
It is so important to keep communication open between us. I want us to be
able to work together to help your child do their best, so please let me know if you
ever have any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to a great year with you
and your student!

Thank you,
Mrs. Hutchens
Email: kingsbua@mail.gvsu.edu
School Phone: (616) 123-4567

First Grade Prezi - http://prezi.com/wrdshxmu7cpa/?

utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
Mrs. Hutchens
o Introduction of self
o Share hobbies and interests with students
o Show pictures from life outside of school
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Our Class!
o Get to know the class and have them get to know each other
o Have a class list of names up on this screen
o Play a get to know you/team building game
The School Day
o Review the school day routine
o Goal is to make students comfortable with and aware of what
each day is like
Your Learning
o Show students the effort that is expected of them academically
this year
o Encourage curiosity, questions, and discovery
o Learning should be very inquiry based
My Teaching
o Let students know that you want learning to be as fun and
positive as possible
o Students should be aware that teacher values a positive
relationship with each student
o Students given responsibility when it comes to their education
not passive learners
How to be Successful
o Make the class rules together
Write them on the board as they are created
Copied to a large poster to be hung in the classroom later
o Have students focus on creating rules that would follow the
basics: be safe, learning, respecting others, etc.
What will first grade be like?
o Create excitement about learning for the year
o Have a discussion with students about what they might like to
learn this year
Write these down, work them into curriculum if possible
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Theory to Practice

Teaching is about so much more than simply presenting students with

content. There are many aspects that go into an effective teaching practice

that are not routinely talked about or recognized. First, a teacher has to think

about their classroom culture and how they will shape it. This involves

thinking about how each student is going to feel in the classroom, and how

they can impact the class as an individual. Next, one needs to consider the

expectations that are set for each student within a classroom, and what role

each student should take when it comes to their own learning. Discipline, of

course, also must be taken into account. An educator must think about the

way in which they will handle misbehavior and encourage wanted behaviors.

Strategies for teaching must also be thought about how can a teacher

teach all of their students most effectively, and how can they get the

information to stick in their students heads? Finally, a teacher most also

consider the curriculum that will be taught within their classroom. This

involves not only the traditional subjects that are taught within the school,

but also the hidden curriculum. An educator must consider the life skills they

want to teach their students, and how they want their students to feel about

learning and themselves as citizens. All of these components combine to

encompass the challenges that teachers must face when entering their

classroom. In order to be an effective teacher, one must consider all of these

components, and create a plan for this multitude of challenges.

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It is crucial within a classroom culture to remember that each student

in the class is their own individual, and that individuality should be

celebrated and recognized. Teachers should make their best effort to get to

know each student on a personal level, and should let the students get to

know them as well. By sharing parts of their own lives with the students,

teachers can invite the students to share and connect with them in turn.

Choice Theory states that the successes and failures in the classroom have

everything to do with the teachers relationship with the student. Without a

strong and open relationship with each student, a teacher could be setting

themselves up for failure. This theory also emphasizes showing empathy to

each student, and the importance of getting to know them and their

situation. Listening to our students can certainly benefit educators. The Love

and Logic program expresses many of these same ideas, as well as the

importance of treating each student with kindness and respect. It is crucial to

never lose your temper with students, as that damages the relationship

between teacher and student. A strong classroom culture begins with strong

relationships at its base.

Students should be aware of what is expected of them, as they can

never succeed if they are not first told how to succeed in the classroom. The

Positive Classroom Discipline model advocates for posting the classroom

rules for all the students to see, which would help them to be aware of their

expectations. It is also important to establish a set of routines for the school

day, so that students are aware of what they will be engaged in and learning
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during the course of the day. These routines should be broad and

overarching, however, as doing the exact same activities over and over with

different content can become frustrating and boring to both the students and

he teacher. But, if students know that at this time they will be doing math

and at that time they will be doing english, they will find themselves more

mentally prepared and ready to engage in the material. In addition, students

should be aware that it is expected of them to always do their own personal

best in everything that they do. Not all students have the same ability levels,

and their skills will always vary. Therefore, while it is not reasonable to hold

each student to the same academic standard, they should all be held to the

same effort standard. Students should be positively encouraged by their

teachers to always try their hardest, and think about what more they can do

to further their own learning and skills.

When it comes to discipline and behavior management in the

classroom, its important to keep a positive demeanor and maintain the

relationship with the student. The Logical Consequences behavior program

reminds educators to build relationships with kindness, and to give attention

to and listen to all students in order to keep that relationship. It also states

that it is important to show appreciation for each student and to not hold

resentment against any child for their misbehavior. This is important to

remember, as the behavior itself should always be separated from the

student. Logical Consequences also teaches that a teacher can only

influence, but never control behavior. Because of this, the implementation of

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consequences are used to help the student understand the problem with

their behavior, anticipate future problems, and make their own decisions in

order to fix it and to be more successful. This is a program that is built

around giving choices to students and teaching them problem solving skills

that they can use to correct their own misbehavior in the future. It is

important for consequences to always express the reality of what happens

because of a students behavior. These consequences should always be tied

directly to misbehavior, given in a way that does not hold judgement or

threaten the student, and allows students to make choices in order to fix the

problem. This helps to prepare students for life outside of school, as they are

learning what they can naturally expect from their behaviors, and are also

taught how they can remedy their mistakes. The behavioristic Positive

Classroom Discipline model holds aspects and ideas that work well with

Logical Consequences. For example, it reiterates how important it is to

maintain a positive relationship with students, including affirming them for

their successes. Within this model, students are given a personal

responsibility for their own behavior, much like with Logical Consequences. It

is also important for teachers to have discussions with misbehaving students

in a very private matter, as making a public behavior correction only serves

to embarrass the student, distract the rest of the class, and destroy the

teacher/student relationship. Overall, discipline related intersections with

students should be as positive as possible in order to maintain a trusting and

open relationship between the teacher and the student.

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When considering the strategies used in the classroom, one of the

most important ones to remember is that the goal of the teacher is to ensure

that every child is engaged in each lesson. While it is not realistic to say that

each of our students will always be actively participating in every lesson, it

should be the goal of the teacher to plan lessons so that they will grab as

many students attention as possible. If a student is disengaged from a

lesson, they are not learning the content. Therefore, lessons should be fun,

hands on, and relevant in order to keep each students interest. It is also

important for each lesson to be as student-led as possible. This inquiry based

approach helps to ensure that students are thinking and problem solving. It

also allows students to ask their own questions and make their own

discoveries. Because of this, students are allowed to take more control of

their own learning, and will be more likely to be engaged and to retain that

information in the future. Students should also be challenged to reach their

potential. It is crucial for educators to keep the zone of proximal

development in mind for this, because content should not be too easy or too

hard for any student. The best learning occurs when the student is able to

take prior knowledge and stretch their thinking in order to reach new

conclusions. Learning should also be very collaboration based, with time built

in for students to work together and talk through their ideas. This allows

students to help each other and learn from each other. Another important

strategy for education is to allow students to get up and move as much as

possible. Children were not made to sit still for 7 hours a day, and more
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learning and engagement and interest can be generated if students can

expel some of their energy and to put it toward the lesson.

The content that is taught in a classroom should be taught based upon

the national or state standards, yes, but there is more to the content than

just that. Within our classrooms, students need to be taught how to be

functioning and successful members of society. It is not enough just to teach

them math and reading. Students should also be taught how to communicate

and to solve problems and how the world works. In addition, students need

to know that the classroom is a safe space where they can learn and try new

things. Learning is much less likely to occur if a student does not feel safe

and like they are an accepted part of the classroom environment. It is also

important to integrate subjects together as much as possible. This gives

students a chance to practice all of their skills together and routinely

thorough out the day. When each subject is studied in isolation, less

connections can be made and students do not receive as many chances to

practice and apply what they know. Finally, it is imperative that teachers

make the content relevant to our students lives. It should be made clear

why subjects and skills are being taught, and how they can use this

knowledge outside of school. This will help to create a more engaged

classroom environment, and will help students to connect their learning to

their lives.

Educators must develop their own plan for balancing all of these

aspects: culture, expectations, discipline, strategies, and curriculum. All of

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these elements should take each student and their needs into consideration

first and foremost. It is also important that a teacher works all of these

aspects together in order to create a safe, engaging, and encouraging

learning environment for all of their students. After a teacher defines what

they want and believe for each of these aspects of education in a cohesive

manner, effective teaching can take place.

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Knowledge Base

Theories
o Logical Consequences
o Love and Logic
o Positive Classroom Discipline
o Choice Theory
Classes
o Organizing and Managing Classroom Environments Terry
Stockton
o Diverse Perspectives in Education Susan Carson
o Science in Elementary Education Julie Henderleiter
o Teaching Science in the 21st Century (Capstone) Keith Oliver
Experience
o Teacher Assisting with Kim Richardson at Grandville West
Elementary
o Employment at Parchment Early Learning Center and Tutor Time
Learning/Childcare Center
Presentations and Organizations
o Teaching with Love and Logic Presentation Lauri Bach, Wendy
Maxwell, and Becky Nicolette's (Alpine Elementary)
o Social Justice and Equality in Education - Calvin Terrell
o National Science Teachers Association
o Blandford Nature Center