Brooke Merry Formatted: Left

Dr. Mary Bowne

ECE 441

October 14, 2016

Philosophy Paper

Formatted: Centered, Indent: First line: 0"

Like all students, I had high expectations for what I wanted to be when I grew up. Upon

entering high school and having the opportunity to shadow an elementary school teacher in my

home town, I quickly became aware teaching was my professional calling. The more I interact

with students in field experiences and student teaching opportunities, the more intriguing my

decision becomes. Throughout my college education I have witnessed the many different levels

and concerns that come along with teaching.

Many view school as the place of learning in a students life but this should not be the

case. From a young age, students begin to learn many important life and education skills from

their parents as well as other older people around them. It is the parents job to help the students

develop these important skills that can be built upon once the child enters the school system.

However, parents jobs do not stop once the students enter the school system. It is crucial for

parents and educators to work together to develop the child mentally, emotionally, and socially.

Families are students first teachers and they know exactly how to assess what their children are

learning by being able to see exactly how they are developing. As an educator, I would like to

take as many opportunities as possible to integrate families into the classroom. One unique way

I have noticed would be to have family members come in and talk about their occupations.
Linda Starr (2015) said another way to involve families is to, Set up a homework hot line

students or parents can call to get forgotten or missed assignments (p. 1). Especially when

working with common core, this can be very beneficial if parents dont understand the

homework. Starr also said educators should create a parent resource center where parents can go

to get more information on issues of concerns like child development and special education

(2015).

Assessment can come in many different shapes and sizes. I personally feel like I can get

the most information from a checklist because I know exactly what I am looking for. Portfolios

are also a great tool to use for longitudinal purposes. They not only show if students are

learning, but also if lesson plans worked, to achieve whatever goals were set. When I think

about assessments, I think about what I need to do to ensure my students are successful.

According to Benjamin Bloom, students must be able to remember facts, understand concepts,

apply the information, and make connections way before they can even be evaluated. Patricia

Armstrong (2016) said that, Objectives (learning goals) are important to establish in a

pedagogical interchange so that teachers and students alike understand the purpose of that

interchange (p. 39). I believe it is important to follow these steps before I assess students

progress to ensure I am assessing them accurately.

After my field experiences and training, I now see how important it is to make lesson

plans that all children will understand and learn from. I believe one of the main roles of a

teacher comes from the theorist Lev Vygotsky on working in childrens Zone of Proximal

Development (ZPD). According to Jeanne Ellis Ormrod (2014) when talking about ZPD, Its

the challenges in life, not the easy successes, that promote cognitive development. But whereas

challenging tasks are beneficial, impossible tasks, which children cant do even with
considerable structure and guidance, are of no benefit whatsoever (p. 39). Teachers also have a

lot more to think about than just how they handle themselves in the classroom and around their

students and fellow coworkers.

For a teacher, it is extremely important to understand that the professionalism doesnt

stop upon leaving school. In my opinion, teachers are community leaders as they are the faces of

school employees to parents and everyone in their communities. Not only do we as teachers

need to display professionalism around other adults, we must also conduct ourselves in

appropriate manners around our students and other children. To ensure the safety of students and

other colleagues, it is important to not only follow all of the guidelines within the school district

but also to follow laws and be model citizens.

Children learn in a multitude of different ways. I personally believe children learn best in

a combination with John Dewey and Howard Gardners philosophies on development. I believe

students learn best through hands on experiences as well as when the curriculum is relevant to

the students life. Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligence theory is important to teachers

because it shows students can learn in a number of different ways and it is up to teachers to reach

into these areas. According to Jeanne Ellis Ormrod (2014), We must also give students tasks

that encourage them to address and thereby strengthen their area of weakness as well (p. 122). I

believe that as teachers, it is our job to make children into the best selves of themselves and

always be a support system for them.

Overall, there are so many different aspects that go into the philosophy of a teacher. I

believe that my ideals are very student driven. As a teacher, I want to make sure I am utilizing

my abilities the best I can to assist students both in and out of the classroom. My favorite

teachers were the ones that I could tell genuinely cared about how well I did in class and how I
was developing as a person. I hope that one day a student can look back and think that I affected

them in that way also.

 References

Armstrong, P. (2016). Blooms Taxonomy. Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-

pages/blooms-taxonomy/.

Ormrod, J. E. (2014). Educational Psychology: Developing learners. Pearson Education, 39-122.