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Philosophy Of Educationms. Schrader's Teaching Portfolio

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Philosophy of education ms. schrader

Philosophy of Teaching

Emma Thomas

This is certainly true for teaching, just as it is for most any other profession. My role as a teacher is dependent on my ability to collaborate with colleagues, parents and, of course, my students. It's invigorating for me to be able to learn content and skills alongside my students and use design thinking to solve problems in order to help. When the teacher is having fun teaching, students have fun learning! Documenting learning and formative/summative assessment are still possible using these teaching methods - particularly if short exit tickets, 'do nows,' and written work based on prior learning are used throughout each lesson.

Philosophy Of Educationms. Schrader's Teaching Portfolio Lesson

Teaching and learning. Reaching our highest peaks as we climb onwards and upwards mountains of learning. It requires a sense of adventure, perseverance, and a great deal of hard work. Both give the climber lots of pleasure in what they achieve a long with a view of the world that most people don’t get. Behind the teaching methods of any solid teacher is an equally solid teaching philosophy. Formed mainly by time spent with students from less-than-ideal home backgrounds, the core of my teaching philosophy revolves around the idea that every student has the potential to learn and every student should be taught with the highest expectations.

Georgia State University

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I will never forget the overwhelming sense of unpreparedness, apprehension, fear, and actual nausea I felt as I walked to room 121 of Price Middle School to teach my very first lesson as a teacher, only two weeks into my teacher preparation program. How could someone possibly let me be alone with 20 eighth graders, let alone allow me to try and teach them algebra? While my lesson on solving for x was not the strongest, within minutes of standing in front of my first group of students in the heart of downtown Atlanta, my sense of fear dissipated and turned into sheer excitement at the possibilities of my future. I knew that deciding to become a teacher was the right choice. When reflecting on my knowledge, understandings, and ideals as a teacher, I must first recognize that many of my ideas about education have been shaped and influenced by my involvement and unconventional teacher preparation training with Teach For America. Before becoming a teacher, I was on track to becoming a television sports journalist. My major in college was Journalism and Electronic Media, and I had multiple internships with news organizations and newspapers. Although I truly have a passion for news, writing, and reporting, I felt a void in my life that could not and was not being filled. I decided to apply to Teach For America after hearing more about the organization and being inspired by their work. It was only after that first day of teaching during our summer training program that I was confident that teaching is what I want to do.

Most of my beliefs stemming from Teach For America center around the idea that I alone can close the achievement gap in my classroom with my group of students. Using pre and post reading Diagnostic of Reading Assessment data, writing data, and ongoing tracking of mastery on learning standards and objectives, Teach For America is firmly grounded in the idea of data driven results and proof that good teachers alone can close the achievement gap between high income and low income students (Farr, 2010). My philosophy of teaching parallels this seemingly highfalutin notion:I truly believe that I can close the achievement gap in my classroom. My students can achieve the same level of academic knowledge and rigor that any student in America can. My students can grow two years in reading comprehension in only one academic year from the day they entered my classroom. And ultimately, my students can have the same life opportunities as any other student living in another area of the United States.

My mission as a teacher is for all of my students to leave my room successful and grow in their reading comprehension skills. I want my eighth graders to be critical and intuitive thinkers; to write with eloquent diction, proper grammar and develop their personal writing style; to read varied grade-level texts with fluency and accuracy; and to articulate scholarly speech and acquire stellar communication skills. I don’t want to just tell my students that I believe they are smart and capable; I want to enable my students to prove to themselves and believe deep down that they are smart, can accomplish great things, and will ultimately be successful. I want every student to leave my classroom each school year with an enhanced belief in their future and know that they are destined to do great things.

Of my five major beliefs in my philosophy of learning, the first and most important idea is that student achievement is my responsibility. No matter where my students come from, what educational background they possess, what reading level they may be on, where their writing skills may be, I am the sole person responsible for how much growth they achieve and what they accomplish in one school year. While many teachers view academically low-performing students and students behind grade level as a burden, I view them as an opportunity. Even though my students might not have had the best education leading up to my class, I can help them catch up and be even more prepared for the next grade level. Above all, I do not and will not ever make excuses for my students, as I know that their learning is my responsibility.

Another pillar in my philosophy of education is the notion that every student can learn. I often hear teachers, administrators and other peers in the field saying that their students “just cannot do it” or “are not capable” of doing rigorous and high-level work. I think just the opposite. I truly believe and have been witness to the ideal that every student can learn any subject when given the adequate support. By differentiating and modifying assignments for individual students, encouraging students to believe that they can do anything they set their mind to, and planning rigorous lessons and material to help students catch up, I know that I can get 100% of my students to a higher academic level than they currently possess (Wormeli, 2006).

Coupled with my belief that every student can learn, I also know that every student can behave. In order to have a safe learning environment, there must be a common expectation of how to act and what to do while students are in the classroom (Jones & Jones, 2006). Every child must know exactly what to do with all of their senses: who and where they should be looking, what their volume or noise level should be, what and where their body should be, and what they should be doing with their brains (Jones & Jones, 2006). In that regard, I believe that behavior largely depends on my instructions and expectations I set in my classroom. By holding high expectations not just academically but also behaviorally, I let my students know that I care about their education and their future.

The next ideal that shapes my philosophy of teaching is my deep-seated belief that the achievement gap is a literacy gap that doesn’t have to exist. I know that the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students has many historical, regional, and racial causes; however, this gap doesn’t have to exist just because of a zip code and the geographical location of where someone is born (Farr, 2010). Closing the achievement gap mainly involves closing the literacy gap, as many of the problems of underperforming students stem from their behind grade level reading scores.

In order for my students to become empowered by the potential they each posses, they will need to master each faction of the English Language Arts curriculum. Teaching English, reading, grammar, and writing in the context of meaningful texts and literature is the last pillar in my philosophy of teaching. I truly believe in what I am teaching and see the utmost value in mastering reading, writing, grammar, and effective communication skills. Of all subjects, I know that mastering English Language Arts is critical as it is a foundation for not only all other subjects, but for being an active and educated member of society. It is also the key and access point for overcoming the achievement gap in education, and can literally change the outcome of a student’s life.

Sources:

Farr, Steve & Teach For America (2010). Teaching As Leadership: The Highly Effective Teacher’s Guide to Closing the Achievement Gap. San Francisco, California: Jossey- Bass.

Jones, V. & Jones, L. (2006). Comprehensive Classroom Management (8th ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair isn’t always equal: Assessing and grading in a differentiated classroom. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

What is a Philosophy of Teaching Statement, and Why is it Important?

Philosophy of teaching statements are concise statements of what you believe about the teaching and learning of languages or literature, and possibly also about education in general. Most sources recommend that you keep your teaching philosophy statement between one and two pages in length, covering what you believe, why, and brief examples of how you implement it in the classroom.

While a statement of your philosophy of teaching is an important item to include in your teacher portfolio, it also serves a much more important role. It guides and informs you as you prepare other portfolio items, it helps you prepare for a job interview, and it helps you to ensure that you are consistent in the way you answer job interview questions.

TiPPS HANDOUTS ON PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING STATEMENTS

Philosophy of teaching statements – “Let the brainstorming begin!” (revised 2016)

BOOKS & ARTICLES THAT TALK ABOUT PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING

Bullock, Ann Adams, & Hawk, Parmalee P. (2001). Developing a teaching portfolio: A guide for preservice and practicing teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Murray, John P. (1997). Successful faculty development and evaluation: The complete teaching portfolio. Washington, DC : Graduate School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University.

Philosophy Of Education Ms. Schrader's Teaching Portfolio Login

Schönwetter, Dieter. J., Sokal, L., Friesen, M., and Taylor, K. L. (2002). Teaching philosophies reconsidered: A conceptual model for the development and evaluation of teaching philosophy statements. The International Journal for Academic Development, 7(1), 83 – 97.

Seldin, Peter (1991). Teaching portfolio: A practical guide to improved performance and promotion/tenure decisions. Bolton, MA : Anker Pub. Co.

Vick, J. M., Furlong, J. S., & Lurie, R. (2016). The academic job search handbook. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press. [This excellent book is available online for University of Hawaii at Mānoa faculty, staff, and students.]

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A STATEMENT OF TEACHING PHILOSOHY

Teaching Statements, Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.

A useful website that provides guidelines and strategies to help you write your philosophy of teaching statement.

Montell, G. (2003). How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy.

A handy article from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Office of Faculty and TA Development, The Ohio State University. Writing a philosophy of teaching statement.

This site takes a comprehensive look at a philosophy of teaching, including definitions, the purpose of developing a philosophy statement, common major components, different ways of developing a statement, and benefits of having put one together. Mac os sierra dmg filetalkingrenew. It also gives a number of sample statements. The authors try to provide multiple perspectives on the topic, as well.

Chism, Nancy Van Note (1998). Developing a philosophy of teaching statement.

This article on developing a teaching philosophy statement is often cited on other sites. A concise guide to the task of writing your statement.

Philosophy Of Educationms. Schrader

Center for Teaching Excellence in Learning & Teaching, Iowa State University. Writing a teaching philosophy statement.

SAMPLE PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING STATEMENTS

The websites that follow were found via an internet search and are designed for you to review and learn from. As you look at some of these statements, here are a few things to look for:

  • Do you get a clear idea about this person as a teacher?
  • Do you get a clear idea about what the teacher believes about learning? About teaching?
  • Do aspects of teaching that are not included feel like they were omitted as a result of informed choices or as a result of a careless oversight that you feel should be rectified?
  • Are there examples of how the teachers implement their philosophy?

Philosophy Of Education Ms. Schrader's Teaching Portfolio Assessment

PHILOSOPHY OF RESEARCH STATEMENTS

Philosophy Of Education Ms. Schrader's Teaching Portfolio Organizer

For those of you needing to write a philosophy of research statement, here are some helpful resources: