A Philosophy of Practice
My philosophy starts with the question; why am I a teacher? To answer this question I will give a very brief history of my process to become a teacher. During my schooling years, many teachers brought out the best in me, even when it appeared I was committed to sabotaging my academics. These teachers went well above what is called “teaching”. Which leads me to the first part of my philosophy. What is teaching? Teaching is to show, share knowledge of, or explain to others a concept, an idea, a method, etc., in a way such that the person learning comprehends and is able to reproduce said knowledge, in the same or a different capacity. This was my original idea behind teaching, but it is so much more. Teaching is not a job but a calling. Teachers have the responsibility of creating a space where students can thrive and explore who they really are. This brings us to the need to move away from testing as the only way to measure academic success. I have always struggled with the pressure I put on myself academically. During some tests I have written, I panicked and I forgot concepts that I remembered after I handed in my test. Testing under significant pressure does not measure a student's achievements and capabilities. All that does is how well a student can score on a test while being under a significant amount of pressure. I believe the reason I am so hard on myself is that I always focused on getting good marks (which is what the education system told the students to focus on). I was not focused on learning but on passing tests and getting good grades. Knowing what I know now, I can honestly say that I missed the mark (no pun intended). Learning is about the process more than the product.
As I made my way through the schooling system, I realized that it was not a system for me. I did not learn what most teachers were trying to teach me. This lead to me to create the idea of what is learning? Learning is the acquisition of a skill or knowledge through experience, study, or by being taught. Learning is something that is intrinsic and results in some sort of change. This change is not brought upon by biological aging. With this definition in mind, I guide myself as a teacher very carefully. If you noticed, there is no memorizing of facts or regurgitation of information already known. Learning is the acquisition of a skill or knowledge. It took me about 6 years working full time to save up the money to go to teacher's college because I wanted to be the force that helps others who were on a path of self-destruction. This is one of my core values in teaching, whatever you do, do it with great love. To become a teacher, I had a desire to learn about the past to understand where I am heading in the future. This is a concept I share with students. It is not enough to memorize facts about the past, you must seek to find out the “why” in any situation. Now, I know this is a lot to think about when becoming a teacher, but thinking is a dying art we must resuscitate. Educators must emphasize to students that we must think for the sake of thinking and learn for the sake of learning.
Teachers should not have all the answers but like Socrates, teachers should ask a lot of questions. Schooling for the sake of schooling has led our system a stray from truly educating our children. Schools should not be used to only train students for jobs, although, students should learn about skills and qualities that will get them a job in the future. To quote Socrates, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel”(Socrates, n.d.). Students are not empty and they all come with their own talents and shortcomings. Let us stop only focusing on the science based thinking and promote the humanities and arts. Unless our educational goals are to create a community of single minded individuals, we need to change what we focus on. I know I need to be careful when I teach students to question everything because sometimes your questions can get you into trouble. I will stress that we should not accept anything blindly. We could even question the curriculum as, according to Ivan Illich, “curriculum has always been used to assign social rank”(Illich, 1970). Let us break out of the ranks, focus on the learning, not the testing, and help support our students to become the best they can be. If you noticed, most of my philosophy is written like a story or as a journey into my mind. Because that is what education is, a journey. Education is not a destination but an endless amelioration. Education needs to leave space for creativity and innovation. Without creativity and innovation, we as humans will eventually cease to exist. Secondly, education is about sharing stories and experiences to bring people closer together and to progress as a species.
As I made my way through the schooling system, I realized that it was not a system for me. I did not learn what most teachers were trying to teach me. This lead to me to create the idea of what is learning? Learning is the acquisition of a skill or knowledge through experience, study, or by being taught. Learning is something that is intrinsic and results in some sort of change. This change is not brought upon by biological aging. With this definition in mind, I guide myself as a teacher very carefully. If you noticed, there is no memorizing of facts or regurgitation of information already known. Learning is the acquisition of a skill or knowledge. It took me about 6 years working full time to save up the money to go to teacher's college because I wanted to be the force that helps others who were on a path of self-destruction. This is one of my core values in teaching, whatever you do, do it with great love. To become a teacher, I had a desire to learn about the past to understand where I am heading in the future. This is a concept I share with students. It is not enough to memorize facts about the past, you must seek to find out the “why” in any situation. Now, I know this is a lot to think about when becoming a teacher, but thinking is a dying art we must resuscitate. Educators must emphasize to students that we must think for the sake of thinking and learn for the sake of learning.
Teachers should not have all the answers but like Socrates, teachers should ask a lot of questions. Schooling for the sake of schooling has led our system a stray from truly educating our children. Schools should not be used to only train students for jobs, although, students should learn about skills and qualities that will get them a job in the future. To quote Socrates, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel”(Socrates, n.d.). Students are not empty and they all come with their own talents and shortcomings. Let us stop only focusing on the science based thinking and promote the humanities and arts. Unless our educational goals are to create a community of single minded individuals, we need to change what we focus on. I know I need to be careful when I teach students to question everything because sometimes your questions can get you into trouble. I will stress that we should not accept anything blindly. We could even question the curriculum as, according to Ivan Illich, “curriculum has always been used to assign social rank”(Illich, 1970). Let us break out of the ranks, focus on the learning, not the testing, and help support our students to become the best they can be. If you noticed, most of my philosophy is written like a story or as a journey into my mind. Because that is what education is, a journey. Education is not a destination but an endless amelioration. Education needs to leave space for creativity and innovation. Without creativity and innovation, we as humans will eventually cease to exist. Secondly, education is about sharing stories and experiences to bring people closer together and to progress as a species.
References
- Illich, I. (1970, July 2). Why we must abolish schooling. The New York Review of Books, 15(1), 9–15.
- “The Mind Is Not a Vessel That Needs Filling, But Wood That Needs Igniting”. (n.d.). http://quoteinvestigator.com. Retrieved August 11, 2017, from quoteinvestigator.com Web Site: http://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/03/28/mind-fire/#note-5808-7
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