Educational Philosophy
When I think of my educational philosophy, the words of Ta-Nehisi Coates spring to mind. In Spring 2015, the author of Between the World and Me spoke at my school. At the end of his talk, he emphasized the importance of individual agency in learning.
"Do not cede your education to your teachers," he said.
Coates' words are important for students to hear, and they mirror the philosophy I've developed as a teacher and learner. In essence, Coates advocated for an inquiry-based approach to learning. He called for an academic environment wherein the teacher introduces compelling problems and empowers students to create real world solutions through research and authentic experience. It is not enough for teachers to build a nominally student-centered classroom; students themselves must be involved in every step of its construction. Students cannot be passive – they must play an active role in their learning.
For me, this means inviting my students to help define my role as a teacher, and in turn their role as learners. Though I am a highly-trained content area expert, I am not the center of my classroom. I am not an inexhaustible font of knowledge from which my students must drink. I am a facilitator, a guide, a model seeker after knowledge. I make this clear to my students very early on in the school year. We will learn, we will research, we will grow.
In our classroom, this learning comes as a result of authentic assessments and project-based learning experiences created using the Understanding by Design framework. Students who actively engage with content and who can connect what they learn to the world around them are more likely to retain knowledge. Further, by engaging with our community, my students are able to interact with people and resources they would not otherwise have access to. The classroom is a laboratory environment. We must test the concepts we learn within its walls in the real world.
Naturally, not every strategy works for every student. In order for a classroom to be truly successful, I must get to know my students as people and learners, then differentiate content to meet their needs. By meeting the needs of individuals, I empower my students to reach similar learning outcomes in ways that suit their individual modes of learning.
Finally, in order to stay on top of my game in the classroom, I must continue my own outside studies. I participate in professional development seminars whenever possible to reflect on and improve my own practice, and collaborate with colleagues to expand my knowledge and create lessons that meet my students’ needs. I will never see myself as just a teacher – I am a learner too.
Classroom Management Philosophy
Students learn best when they work with a teacher to create an environment with clear and consistent norms, positive reinforcement, and consequences.
I want my classroom to be a place where students can be comfortable, creative, and above all, safe. Each of these priorities is facilitated by a comprehensive classroom management plan. By providing structure, I enable students to feel comfortable in their environment and focus on developing their understanding of our class content.
In order to increase buy-in, I involve students in the classroom management process. At the start of each school year, we come up with a list of norms and turn them into classroom expectations which will be clearly posted around the room. Because students have input in the rules they follow, they are more likely to find them relevant and be willing to work within them. My goal is that students become so familiar with the expectations that they themselves ensure class runs smoothly.
Because different activities require different seating arrangements, expectations for movement and group work are set up and practiced at the start of the school year. We develop procedures for every part of class so that students understand how to maintain the integrity of our learning environment.
Students in an ideal classroom should be able to manage their own behavior. When structures are strong and consistent, most students can adhere to this standard. Of course, disciplinary issues arise in every context, whether in the classroom or the workplace. When a problem occurs, I work first to understand the reason for behavior that falls outside our norms by talking to the students involved. I do not confront students in front of their peers, and always give them an opportunity to recover before resorting to our agreed-upon series of consequences. Positive reinforcement of good academic behavior should always be the first resort.
Of course, students are always more willing to follow a teacher’s request when they know the teacher respects and cares for them. By learning about my students’ hopes and dreams beyond the classroom, I show them that the high expectations we set in class are there because I want them to succeed. By building a climate of mutual care and respect, I give my students a safe place to learn and grow.
When I think of my educational philosophy, the words of Ta-Nehisi Coates spring to mind. In Spring 2015, the author of Between the World and Me spoke at my school. At the end of his talk, he emphasized the importance of individual agency in learning.
"Do not cede your education to your teachers," he said.
Coates' words are important for students to hear, and they mirror the philosophy I've developed as a teacher and learner. In essence, Coates advocated for an inquiry-based approach to learning. He called for an academic environment wherein the teacher introduces compelling problems and empowers students to create real world solutions through research and authentic experience. It is not enough for teachers to build a nominally student-centered classroom; students themselves must be involved in every step of its construction. Students cannot be passive – they must play an active role in their learning.
For me, this means inviting my students to help define my role as a teacher, and in turn their role as learners. Though I am a highly-trained content area expert, I am not the center of my classroom. I am not an inexhaustible font of knowledge from which my students must drink. I am a facilitator, a guide, a model seeker after knowledge. I make this clear to my students very early on in the school year. We will learn, we will research, we will grow.
In our classroom, this learning comes as a result of authentic assessments and project-based learning experiences created using the Understanding by Design framework. Students who actively engage with content and who can connect what they learn to the world around them are more likely to retain knowledge. Further, by engaging with our community, my students are able to interact with people and resources they would not otherwise have access to. The classroom is a laboratory environment. We must test the concepts we learn within its walls in the real world.
Naturally, not every strategy works for every student. In order for a classroom to be truly successful, I must get to know my students as people and learners, then differentiate content to meet their needs. By meeting the needs of individuals, I empower my students to reach similar learning outcomes in ways that suit their individual modes of learning.
Finally, in order to stay on top of my game in the classroom, I must continue my own outside studies. I participate in professional development seminars whenever possible to reflect on and improve my own practice, and collaborate with colleagues to expand my knowledge and create lessons that meet my students’ needs. I will never see myself as just a teacher – I am a learner too.
Classroom Management Philosophy
Students learn best when they work with a teacher to create an environment with clear and consistent norms, positive reinforcement, and consequences.
I want my classroom to be a place where students can be comfortable, creative, and above all, safe. Each of these priorities is facilitated by a comprehensive classroom management plan. By providing structure, I enable students to feel comfortable in their environment and focus on developing their understanding of our class content.
In order to increase buy-in, I involve students in the classroom management process. At the start of each school year, we come up with a list of norms and turn them into classroom expectations which will be clearly posted around the room. Because students have input in the rules they follow, they are more likely to find them relevant and be willing to work within them. My goal is that students become so familiar with the expectations that they themselves ensure class runs smoothly.
Because different activities require different seating arrangements, expectations for movement and group work are set up and practiced at the start of the school year. We develop procedures for every part of class so that students understand how to maintain the integrity of our learning environment.
Students in an ideal classroom should be able to manage their own behavior. When structures are strong and consistent, most students can adhere to this standard. Of course, disciplinary issues arise in every context, whether in the classroom or the workplace. When a problem occurs, I work first to understand the reason for behavior that falls outside our norms by talking to the students involved. I do not confront students in front of their peers, and always give them an opportunity to recover before resorting to our agreed-upon series of consequences. Positive reinforcement of good academic behavior should always be the first resort.
Of course, students are always more willing to follow a teacher’s request when they know the teacher respects and cares for them. By learning about my students’ hopes and dreams beyond the classroom, I show them that the high expectations we set in class are there because I want them to succeed. By building a climate of mutual care and respect, I give my students a safe place to learn and grow.