An educator, at any level, has the power to affect the way a young mind will view their subject. That being said, teachers have a tremendous impact in the educational experience for all students. Each educator is affected by the various educational styles of their learning process. These philosophies are defined by the relationship between educator, curriculum and student.
My learning process was greatly affected by the teachers and professors that shared their joy for learning with me. Although a vast majority of my interactions with educators were positive in nature, I found many points of contention with teachers who did not possess a level of enthusiasm for their subject or students. In contrast, I responded more energetically to educators who sought for their students to find the enthusiasm in their subject in leading by example. The English department at both my high school and university housed some of the most inspirational educators on campus. Each professor entering class with an inspired sense or knowledge-sharing allowed students to feel as though they were sharing in an personal process of learning. This environment fostered conversations which led to a greater understanding of subject matter. Socratic methods for learning provide students with the ability to engage with their peers and their subject in a method that is only provided in an environment of enthusiastic learning. I was able to experience this in advanced placements of English at the high school level. These classes inspired me to become a lifelong learner, understanding that academic discussion with peers and educators is one of the most direct avenues to understanding and conceptualizing great literary works. Thus, the enthusiasm for both student and subject is necessary from the teacher in order to create an environment conducive for academic conversation. This enthusiasm for learning has the power to inspire students to understand their own potential in a subject the had previously understood as difficult. Having trudged my way through high school sciences, I reached the point where I needed one more course in the biological sciences to finish. Dreading the first day of classes, I begrudgingly made my way to “Science Research”. Much to my surprise this class ended up being one of my favorite courses in my high school career. The teacher rewarded enthusiasm, and introduced an atmosphere of “coolness” for being eager to learn. Although not in a subject I had aimed to pursue, this teacher introduced to me that each subject and each educator has the ability to make learning exciting. My results from Sadker & Sadker’s “What is Your Philosophy of Education?” survey were unsurprising in their explanation of my teaching style. I believe that it is the educator’s job to cater to the changing climate of the students’ education. With my scores weighted toward progressivism, I recognize my “student-centered” approach to the education process. This study was enlightening to defining my goals for students as active learning. In “Analyzing the relationship between prospective teachers’ educational philosophies and their teaching-learning approaches”, Sahan and Terzi describe learning under the thought of progressivism as “teacher is the guide of learner-centered education, learning should be via problem solving and individuals should make meaning of the knowledge useful for him/her via connecting knowledge to real life. Progressivism philosophy puts forth that the individual must learn practical knowledge via actively participating in real life” (Sahan and Terzi, 2015). This description establishes progressivism as a method for creating problem solvers. In actively taking part in their education, students gain skills alongside knowledge. As a passive learner, repeated information bares little to no significance in the workings of the mind. With this new understanding of my own educational philosophies I hope to broaden my horizons for understanding how to cater to multitudes of students. Progressivism, as a school of thought under educational philosophies, requires the educator to orient their teaching style to the needs of the student. In these ways the educational system becomes more personal and practical. I assert that as an educator, it is one of the many duties to help develop learned and eager students. As individuals we are an aggregate of experience, and as educators we must understand that we are a part of cultivating that experience for young learners. Exhibiting a decorum of professionalism while maintaining enthusiasm for both student and subject are two of the most major facets of building my educational philosophy. References More, E.T. (2015, August 7). My Educational Philosophy. Retrieved from https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/philosophy-of-teaching/my-educational-philosophy/ . Sadker, M.P. & Sadker, D. S. (1997). Teachers, schools and society (4th ed., pp. 403-405.) NY: McGraw Hill. Şahan, H. H. and Terzi, A. R. (2015). Analyzing the relationship between prospective teachers’ educational philosophies and their teaching-learning approaches. Educational Research and Reviews, 10(8), 1267-1275. |
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May 2020
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