Philosophy of Education |
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“Success is a journey, not a destination,” from Arthur Ashe, lends itself to my philosophy on teaching, leadership, and education.
Philosophy
I consider myself a lifelong learner and lead learner. Teaching was not something I found, but something that found me. I had a career in public relations entertainment that was glamorous, always had me traveling, but left me wanting more with regards to creating positive more impactful change in the world. Teaching is that positive change and outlet that found me while I was volunteering. Teaching went from volunteering to leaving a full-time job that was comfortable and going back to school to become that lifelong learner. The journey was beginning.
The challenges of teaching are what get me up in the morning. Education can be a stressful job and at times a thankless one, but whose small rewards can be overlooked by someone not in a classroom, such as a smile, a conversation, and even the completion of late work by a student who strives to do better. I am driven by knowing that today might be the day that one student has that ‘ah-ha’ breakthrough moment, that one student needs recognition that they are important and unique, that one student finds their own voice. I believe in the cliché that students are our future and that they need to be nurtured, taught more than what comes from a book, and listened to.
I strive to encourage those around me that goals are achievable, but success is always a destination and work in progress. Understanding goals and what success is, as well as understanding my audience and stakeholders is paramount. Simon Sinek states, “What you do serves as the proof of what you believe”(2009). I want my actions to speak louder than my words, and people to see me in action believing and understanding that I am more than just words. Aforementioned is not merely a smile and wave in the morning, but through well-built relationships, time investments in the school and surrounding communities, as well as creating a positive learning environment, where all feel safe to take a chance, make a mistake, and learn from it. I have found that the best way for students and other stakeholders alike, to let their guard down is when I lead by example and let mine down first. That can be anything from making mistakes, asking questions, or being silly. Kids want to have fun but take their cues from those around them. Creating an environment that is safe and welcoming is of the utmost importance.
Through my journey in education, as a lead learner, and as a participant in various communities, I hope to see students who are not only college and career bound, but also ready and worldly. Students and staff who are aware of their surroundings and how they can make their own impact. Stakeholders who reflect positively on their time spent with my community.
Curriculum
Educators following prescribed standards are imperative for having a cohesive language throughout the school, ensuring student mastery, and helping teachers to create content based learning. Standards that are to be followed by all include Common Core State Standards(CCSS), Next Generation Science Standards(NGSS), and state standards where CCSS and NGSS do not cover.
“CCSS emphasizes a set of skills that students will truly need to be college and career ready.” (Glatthorn, Boschee, Whitehead, & Boshee, 2015). Many stakeholders have struggled with the introduction and implantation of CCSS. It is my goal as a lead learner to help overcome the obstacles that have gotten in the way of success with CCSS. CCSS has been a significant change in the education field, but one where the whole student is now looked at and where they prepare for college and the work world, through the use of the four Cs, communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking, creates a base for cross-curricular education.
In choosing appropriate curriculum, it is important to take note of data of the students, the accessibility to technology that may be required of the curriculum, and to keep in mind the options of Open Educational Resources (OER). OER's movement according to their website “is rooted in the human right to access high-quality education” (2018).
Correct and supported implementation of curriculum is imperative for students and teachers alike to find success inside and outside of the classroom. When they are successful inside of the classroom, it can be expounded upon outside of the classroom. Stakeholders, such as parents, community members who are involved with the school, may have an easier buy-in if students themselves are thriving in it and with it.
Instruction
An excellent curriculum can be selected for staff, but if best teaching practices are not in place, it does not matter what curriculum there is to teach. In order to ensure that all students achieve mastery of the CCSS, that education is accessible for all, and that safe learning environments are created, teachers must go back to the basics of teaching: Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs). There are six TPEs that outline best practices of teaching, these are: engaging and supporting all student in learning, creating and maintaining effective environments for student learning, understanding and organizing subject matter for student learning, planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all students, assessing student learning and developing as a professional educator (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2016). TPEs outline best practices for teaching and ensure that education is accessible for all students. It also asks the teacher to take a personal reflection of their own growth as an educator, which can inform instruction immensely.
Ethics, morals, and values too, have a specific place within our classrooms today. Character education, respect for others, and respect for personal self is an increasingly important area of instruction that needs to be covered. However; Yu, asks if we are genuinely teaching character education and character building or merely behavioral training to ensure an orderly environment (2004). Teachers need to teach character education as they would any other subject, ensuring that student backgrounds, understandings, and personalities are taken into account when teaching. It is a subject that needs to be taught explicitly with examples and needs experiencing through patterns in the classroom and around the school. Students need to absorb character education, the morals, ethics, and values that come with it, rather than merely having it preached to them.
Assessment
Chappuis (2014), is quoted in Glatthorn, Boschee, Whitehead, and Boschee (2016), "In charting a course for educational reform, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been developed with increased rigor as a primary goal. This has led to a demand for equally rigorous assessments” (p. 408). Rigorous assessments mean that they not only align with material that has been taught but that teachers also look at other ways of assessing students rather than the traditional pencil to paper form. The CCSS and NGSS allow students, teachers, and leaders freedom to be creative in their learning and assessment. Assessments, it should also be noted come in multiple forms, not summative forms that many have subscribed to years.
Formative assessments are just as crucial as summative assessments, as they inform the teacher of how the class is learning the material, if changes need to be made the lessons, and if the content was mastered. These assessments give teachers immediate feedback from that day’s lesson, rather than waiting until the end of a unit and finding out that part of the class did not understand the content and standards. Formative assessments are used based on the daily objectives, which are a direct break out of the Common Core State Standards. The objectives are measurable and tangible, therefore assessing the lesson is measurable. Initially, hearing daily formative assessments can seem overwhelming, but they need not be more than an Exit Ticket, a Post-It Note, or a whiteboard write and show. Once routines are established students will be ready and waiting at the end of the lesson for their formative assessment, or check-in with their teacher.
Direction Schools Ought to Be Moving
Schools ought to be moving in the direction of forward progress where education is equitable and accessible to all. The fact that you can walk into any Starbucks and have free Wi-Fi but many schools struggle to provide that same technology is hard to come to terms with. Through programs like OER schools can teach without the worry of overhead cost, as well as teaching content not merely material. Schools ought to be moving towards a focus of student lead and character education, looking at the whole student, their needs, and how to better help them.
Sinek states, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” (2009). As lead learners, we need to remember why we get up every morning, what inspires us, and how we bring that fire of education to life for students. Being an educator is a privilege and a journey that is full of successes.
References
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2016). Teaching performance expectations. Sacramento, CA.
Glatthorn, A. Boschee, F. Whitehead, B. & Boshee, B. (2015). Curriculum leadership: Strategies for development and implementation (4th. ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Open Educational Resources. (20018) Retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org/
Sinek, S. (2009, September). How great leaders inspire action. [Video file] Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en
Yu, T. (2004) In the name of morality: Character education and political control, 3-4
Philosophy
I consider myself a lifelong learner and lead learner. Teaching was not something I found, but something that found me. I had a career in public relations entertainment that was glamorous, always had me traveling, but left me wanting more with regards to creating positive more impactful change in the world. Teaching is that positive change and outlet that found me while I was volunteering. Teaching went from volunteering to leaving a full-time job that was comfortable and going back to school to become that lifelong learner. The journey was beginning.
The challenges of teaching are what get me up in the morning. Education can be a stressful job and at times a thankless one, but whose small rewards can be overlooked by someone not in a classroom, such as a smile, a conversation, and even the completion of late work by a student who strives to do better. I am driven by knowing that today might be the day that one student has that ‘ah-ha’ breakthrough moment, that one student needs recognition that they are important and unique, that one student finds their own voice. I believe in the cliché that students are our future and that they need to be nurtured, taught more than what comes from a book, and listened to.
I strive to encourage those around me that goals are achievable, but success is always a destination and work in progress. Understanding goals and what success is, as well as understanding my audience and stakeholders is paramount. Simon Sinek states, “What you do serves as the proof of what you believe”(2009). I want my actions to speak louder than my words, and people to see me in action believing and understanding that I am more than just words. Aforementioned is not merely a smile and wave in the morning, but through well-built relationships, time investments in the school and surrounding communities, as well as creating a positive learning environment, where all feel safe to take a chance, make a mistake, and learn from it. I have found that the best way for students and other stakeholders alike, to let their guard down is when I lead by example and let mine down first. That can be anything from making mistakes, asking questions, or being silly. Kids want to have fun but take their cues from those around them. Creating an environment that is safe and welcoming is of the utmost importance.
Through my journey in education, as a lead learner, and as a participant in various communities, I hope to see students who are not only college and career bound, but also ready and worldly. Students and staff who are aware of their surroundings and how they can make their own impact. Stakeholders who reflect positively on their time spent with my community.
Curriculum
Educators following prescribed standards are imperative for having a cohesive language throughout the school, ensuring student mastery, and helping teachers to create content based learning. Standards that are to be followed by all include Common Core State Standards(CCSS), Next Generation Science Standards(NGSS), and state standards where CCSS and NGSS do not cover.
“CCSS emphasizes a set of skills that students will truly need to be college and career ready.” (Glatthorn, Boschee, Whitehead, & Boshee, 2015). Many stakeholders have struggled with the introduction and implantation of CCSS. It is my goal as a lead learner to help overcome the obstacles that have gotten in the way of success with CCSS. CCSS has been a significant change in the education field, but one where the whole student is now looked at and where they prepare for college and the work world, through the use of the four Cs, communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking, creates a base for cross-curricular education.
In choosing appropriate curriculum, it is important to take note of data of the students, the accessibility to technology that may be required of the curriculum, and to keep in mind the options of Open Educational Resources (OER). OER's movement according to their website “is rooted in the human right to access high-quality education” (2018).
Correct and supported implementation of curriculum is imperative for students and teachers alike to find success inside and outside of the classroom. When they are successful inside of the classroom, it can be expounded upon outside of the classroom. Stakeholders, such as parents, community members who are involved with the school, may have an easier buy-in if students themselves are thriving in it and with it.
Instruction
An excellent curriculum can be selected for staff, but if best teaching practices are not in place, it does not matter what curriculum there is to teach. In order to ensure that all students achieve mastery of the CCSS, that education is accessible for all, and that safe learning environments are created, teachers must go back to the basics of teaching: Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs). There are six TPEs that outline best practices of teaching, these are: engaging and supporting all student in learning, creating and maintaining effective environments for student learning, understanding and organizing subject matter for student learning, planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all students, assessing student learning and developing as a professional educator (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2016). TPEs outline best practices for teaching and ensure that education is accessible for all students. It also asks the teacher to take a personal reflection of their own growth as an educator, which can inform instruction immensely.
Ethics, morals, and values too, have a specific place within our classrooms today. Character education, respect for others, and respect for personal self is an increasingly important area of instruction that needs to be covered. However; Yu, asks if we are genuinely teaching character education and character building or merely behavioral training to ensure an orderly environment (2004). Teachers need to teach character education as they would any other subject, ensuring that student backgrounds, understandings, and personalities are taken into account when teaching. It is a subject that needs to be taught explicitly with examples and needs experiencing through patterns in the classroom and around the school. Students need to absorb character education, the morals, ethics, and values that come with it, rather than merely having it preached to them.
Assessment
Chappuis (2014), is quoted in Glatthorn, Boschee, Whitehead, and Boschee (2016), "In charting a course for educational reform, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have been developed with increased rigor as a primary goal. This has led to a demand for equally rigorous assessments” (p. 408). Rigorous assessments mean that they not only align with material that has been taught but that teachers also look at other ways of assessing students rather than the traditional pencil to paper form. The CCSS and NGSS allow students, teachers, and leaders freedom to be creative in their learning and assessment. Assessments, it should also be noted come in multiple forms, not summative forms that many have subscribed to years.
Formative assessments are just as crucial as summative assessments, as they inform the teacher of how the class is learning the material, if changes need to be made the lessons, and if the content was mastered. These assessments give teachers immediate feedback from that day’s lesson, rather than waiting until the end of a unit and finding out that part of the class did not understand the content and standards. Formative assessments are used based on the daily objectives, which are a direct break out of the Common Core State Standards. The objectives are measurable and tangible, therefore assessing the lesson is measurable. Initially, hearing daily formative assessments can seem overwhelming, but they need not be more than an Exit Ticket, a Post-It Note, or a whiteboard write and show. Once routines are established students will be ready and waiting at the end of the lesson for their formative assessment, or check-in with their teacher.
Direction Schools Ought to Be Moving
Schools ought to be moving in the direction of forward progress where education is equitable and accessible to all. The fact that you can walk into any Starbucks and have free Wi-Fi but many schools struggle to provide that same technology is hard to come to terms with. Through programs like OER schools can teach without the worry of overhead cost, as well as teaching content not merely material. Schools ought to be moving towards a focus of student lead and character education, looking at the whole student, their needs, and how to better help them.
Sinek states, “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” (2009). As lead learners, we need to remember why we get up every morning, what inspires us, and how we bring that fire of education to life for students. Being an educator is a privilege and a journey that is full of successes.
References
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2016). Teaching performance expectations. Sacramento, CA.
Glatthorn, A. Boschee, F. Whitehead, B. & Boshee, B. (2015). Curriculum leadership: Strategies for development and implementation (4th. ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Open Educational Resources. (20018) Retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org/
Sinek, S. (2009, September). How great leaders inspire action. [Video file] Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en
Yu, T. (2004) In the name of morality: Character education and political control, 3-4
