My Educational Philosophy

Having taken many undergraduate and graduate level education classes, I thought I had my educational philosophy and teaching style down. I learned how to be the best teacher from my teachers, and entered the classroom with confidence. Quickly, I realized that my approach to teaching was just beginning to evolve. After have two kids, and watching how eager they were to learn, my thoughts of how to educate changed drastically. I am more in tune with individual learning styles and get so much joy watching my students get excited to learn new concepts or information. I like to give people the power to form their own educational destiny, and offer them the tools to pave their future.

The sole purpose of education is to learn. Both the student and the teacher need to take active roles in the learning process. The teacher I am striving to become has been formed from watching my children grow and develop, and from my interactions with former students. A teacher should not be afraid to ask questions, nor should the student. The environment should be beneficial to both sides. I expect my students to be actively involved in the learning and education processes. There should be a burning desire, or hunger, for knowledge and understanding. No two students are alike, and very few have just one “learning style.” A teacher is the facilitator to the information; one who teaches the student how to get there, but not exactly where there is.

I once had a professor named Polly Detels, at TAMU-Commerce, who I thought was crazy. She assigned us books that had content unrelated, and asked us to relate it. That’s it. The whole class was on chapters out of these two books and finding harmony within them. There was very little lecture, nor structure. We, the students, were in charge of making the course have structure. I had never taken a class like this, and felt lost and helpless without having a specific outline. I was anxious every time I sat in my desk, but also excited. I was never late, or absent from her classes.  At the end of the semester, I was glad to be out and had no idea the impact she made. Now, looking back I do know how much I learned about education and how much I did learn. I find myself thinking about her class and wanting to make my students feel anxious and excited at the same time. The combination of these feelings created a wonderful teacher-learner environment.

As an educator, I compare myself to a clerk at a grocery store. I understand that I am not fully educated on everything in my store, but I can tell you where it is located and even guide you to the correct aisle. Students are the impromptu bakers. They come into my store to choose what they want to buy, and then develop a meal. Each meal is different, based on the ingredients they sought out. Each meal is representative of life and the path they choose. I feel my job is to guide them to the right aisle and maybe suggest a good brand, then let their creative imaginations fly from there. Teachers can open their store of knowledge, but students must choose to purchase. It is up to us to make sure our store is enticing so they might pull many items off the shelf, and have the desire to create a wonderful dish.

I do not expect everyone to agree with me, because I once even thought this was a bizarre way of educating. Now, I believe 100% in guiding students, whether they are adults or children to experience education. An education is something to be proud of, and it should be highly sought after. I want to be a part of what people are seeking out, and to help fan the flames of desire for education.  

 

**I absolutely loved writing down my philosophy. In my head, I knew the kind of teacher I wanted to be. Writing it down helped me make my goals concrete. I am now confident in the path I am choosing to follow, and I know it will be met with much opposition. The ultimate test will be in the classroom.**