PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
Education plays an important role in not only shaping the skills, beliefs, attitudes, and values of individuals, but also education is responsible for linking the past with the present and providing students with the tools necessary to make informed decisions in a global society. As a result, an educator must have a "plan of attack" when confronting the needs of today's students. I love the axiom, "Plan your work and work your plan, because if you fail to plan you plan to fail."
I believe there are four pertinent areas that must be addressed when developing an educational philosophy. First, an instructor must have mastery of the subject matter. Second, a teacher must be willing to continue his/her education so students can benefit from new and changing trends within their fields of study. Third, a teacher must establish clear, and cogent goals and objectives, and create lessons that progress sequentially and logically. Fourth, this must all occur within a student-centered classroom learning environment that is safe for students to explore and inquire without feeling threatened or intimidated.
Mastery of the subject matter is paramount as it allows the teacher to move freely through the subject matter while experimenting with a variety of instructional styles. This "comfort zone" affords students the luxury of asking questions and attaining immediate responses. It also affords the instructor a sense of respect from the students as they see him/her as a resource of information that has paid his/her so-called "dues" to be elevated to the role of teacher. In addition to having mastery of the subject matter, teachers must learn how others learn if he/she is to teach his/her subject matter.
Throughout my studies in learning theory, I have discovered that individuals learn from a variety of instructional methodologies, and there is no one, simple, 'best' way, to teach people. This was extremely frustrating to me, as I have always been one who functions best with a single, clear-cut, undebatable answer. Despite my frustration with being unable to uncover the 'one' fail-safe secret to learning, I did encounter some educational theories that have definitely impacted my theory of learning and my philosophy of education.
The first is the theory that our brains learn new
concepts when we attach new, unfamiliar concepts to known concepts. The
second is the whole-part-whole method of instruction. The two theories
are known as constructivist learning theory and are the foundation for
how I choose to facilitate the learning in the courses I am blessed to
teach.
By understanding that individuals learn new concepts based upon previous
knowledge, and each student brings a variety of different and similar
experiences to the classroom, I create lesson plans that offer students
an opportunity to explore their previous learning experiences through
a variety of exercises-- case studies, lecture, cooperative learning groups,
self-exploration, guided practice, web quests, etc. After establishing
what students already know, my next step is to introduce new terms, concepts,
and ideas using vocabulary, analogies, and examples familiar to each student.
As for instruction I have found the whole-part-whole method to be a logical
approach to learning. After providing a brief overview of the material
to be covered, I construct lesson plans that strategically build upon
the student's growing knowledge base. I then assist the student with reassembling the whole picture
and demonstrate how each individual part is ultimately responsible for
the newly learned concept. At the conclusion of each unit of study, I
spend time reviewing the connections to previous learning experiences
and show similarities and differences to known concepts. This allows students
to begin thinking about how they learn and to try and make connections
outside of the classroom.
Making connections outside of the classroom should not be limited to students. It is important for teachers to continue their education as well as this serves two purposes: one, it shows the students that learning is an ongoing process that is never complete, and secondly, it affords students the opportunity to stay current with changing trends in society, and the workforce by taking classes from instructors who are staying current with the ever-changing trends of a 21st century information based society.
Another important factor in education is curriculum development and implementation. Creating learning outcomes and goals for each course and developing sequential, logical lessons that progress students through the course material is essential. The goals must be in accordance with the philosophy of the institution and should be relevant to students matriculating into the workforce or into higher levels of education. Lesson plans that take the wide variety of learning styles into account while providing engaging learning experiences to the largest number of students within the classroom is a difficult challenge for educators. But, by planning lessons that fulfill the goals and objectives of the class, instructors can develop coherent and comprehensive courses that prepare students for either further education, or employment opportunities.
In addition to all of the above factors, educators must create a non-threatening learning environment for all students. This is a tremendous task especially in the community college setting where many non-traditional students are returning to the classroom and are intimidated from the outset. However, a classroom where questions are proposed and answered with kindness and compassion alleviates many of the threatening barriers. Also, providing one-on-one opportunities outside of the classroom via either office hours or journal writing gives students another venue to learn without the fear of appearing unintelligent, or unable to learn.