Great Minds: The Essential Guide for Teachers

As a student of education, I have been able to gather many ideas and opinions about practices and ideals I want to implement in my future classroom. My philosophies about education are still being formed and continually change with every class I visit and with every educator I encounter. My ideas, admittedly, come from random experiences and intangible texts, but as I gain more experience in the field through my courses, my philosophies about teaching will become more clearly defined. These few ideas I have now will undoubtedly be added upon as I enter student teaching and my professional career, nevertheless, they are concepts of which I hope to never lose sight.

Each of the major philosophical approaches to education has merit. However, to strictly employ only one philosophy is limiting and hampers all possibility for improvement. Essentialism, progressivism, perennialism, and existentialism all contribute valid ideas to the teaching profession. I will choose to use aspects of each in varying degrees as is appropriate to different

Benjamin Samuel Bloom was an educational psychologist from America who is remembered for his creation of “Bloom’s Taxonomy.” This included the theory of mastery-learning and the development of the exceptional talent. All of his research and findings lead to this foundational and vital element within the educational system.

PUTNAM, RALPH T., et al. “Teaching.” Encyclopedia of Education, edited by James W. Guthrie, 2nd ed., vol. 7, Macmillan Reference USA, New York, 2002, pp. 2482–2492. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com.catalog.stisd.net:2048/apps/doc/CX3403200615/OVIC?u=j031916004&xid=22bb1e93. Accessed 2017.

Bloom’s Taxonomy was created in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom at the University of Chicago with the purpose of create higher ways or forms of thinking in education, in which the student or the learner has to reach certain level of thinking and also, to involve knowledge and the development of intellectual skills.

The current education system has been shaped through the influence of both traditional philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle as well as contemporary philosophers inclusive of Freire and Dewey. It is our duty as educators to be able to recognize and adapt the ways of particular philosophies to guide the teaching and learning process. I believe in the power of education and importance of this commodity in producing a more productive and developed society. The purpose of education goes beyond the teaching subjects; it also encapsulates the teaching

It is important for teachers to know about learning theories and influential theorists as it adds to the quality of their teaching and contributes to their ability to cater to the individual needs of the children within their classroom. According to Woolfolk & Margetts (2013) the quality of teaching can make a difference to children’s lives therefore it is imperative that teachers develop their pedagogical knowledge of learning theories and influential theorists so they can become an effective teacher. Each child is influence by socio-cultural factors and will have their own way of learning. A teacher with an understanding of learning theories and influential theorists is likely to guide their teaching methods to cater to the children’s individual

The word character can be defined as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Teaching, unlike any other profession, requires character, but I believe it goes deeper than that. When broken down there are key ingredients found as to what makes a good teacher. The phrase, “To be a good teacher”, has no clear meaning if we do not know what makes up an effective educator. Students sometimes need to be shown how to be successful not only in their work, but in their life. Think upon a cookbook for a moment. This item does not just supply a list of ingredients, for how are you to know what to do with them? Rather, it supplies the ingredients needed, along with the application and limitations of how to create something that, when made correctly, in genuinely good. The act of teaching is considerably similar to this idea. True that there is no book in the world that has an exact list of what educators need to do and how educators need to act in order to be effective. But there are books that list traits needed in order to be good, and how to apply these traits to yourself in order to help those around you. Writers John Dewey, William Bagley, Richard Mitchell, and Plato are all people who have tried to give us that list, in order to teach us how to, well, teach! But without a set of guidelines on how to apply these techniques, the academic world can be lost in the chaotic and ever changing era of today. As a prospective teacher, I

Within a framework of teaching, educators focus on the nature of knowledge and how students gain that knowledge. There are five established, major educational philosophies. They are behaviorism, essentialism, progressivism, existentialism and perennialism. These philosophies greatly focus on what should be taught.

There are all different kinds of students and each of them deserve the chance at a fulfilling education that improves their self - esteem and self - efficiency in the world. Every child deserves a teacher that is fair and understanding of the different ability levels of each student in their classroom. This is my philosophy of education. In preparing to become a teacher who truly tries to understand the vast differences between children, I want to address the nature of students, the nature of knowledge, the purposes of public education, the methods of teaching, and the curriculum area that I am studying.

Amongst the many topics debated in education circles, it is easy to forget the choice of what we teach and why is of paramount importance. Critical reflection on the relevance of educational philosophers, both past and present, is essential to understanding curriculum choices. With regard to these statements, I wish to apply to this program as a result of a strong professional and personal interest in philosophers of education. More specifically, gaining a deeper understanding of behavioral and functional psychology in education can enhance my current work in many ways. The theories of philosopher’s such as William James have direct implications in my work. For example, by considering the role of acquisition and association of ideas in teaching and learning, I would be broadening my overall knowledge. Additionally, understanding the impact of interest, attention and memory on learning are key components that would enhance my teaching abilities and benefit my students.

This lesson plan introduces students to three philosophers from three different time periods who came to define educational theories of their time.

Before following this module, I will not deny the fact that I have always believed in traditional teaching, whereby the teacher is the one who controls the learning environment and students were simply ‘knowledge holes’ that need to be filled with information. In other words, I used to believe that it is the teachers that cause learning to take place (Novak, 1998). However, during the running of this module, I have been given the opportunity to reflect on different aspects of teaching and learning.

Each classroom is composed of a unique and diverse group of learners that have different abilities in the way they learn. Models of learning and various theoretical frameworks provide a “blueprint” to help teachers understand different theories across disciplines. Knowledge is everywhere and providing children with the proper tools on how to learn is essential in education. I believe that if I create a learning environment that allows children to grow socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically it will allow students a path to help meet their full potential as an individual. A few of the theoretical frameworks and theorists I have found most useful in my teaching experience and that have helped me developed my philosophy include Lev Vygotsky, John Dewey and Howard Gardner.

In the field of education there could arise many philosophical ideas of each individual teacher. Many of the past philosophies have been and still are used in today’s education programs, such as the Socratic method. My philosophy will also contain some of the many philosophies of the past and possibly the future. I will state the nature of students, the nature of knowledge, the purpose of public education, method, and curriculum according to my own philosophies, which also may be based the philosophical ideas of previous individuals.