You are on page 1of 2

Educational Philosophy

When it comes to which educational philosophy I find fitting for my future classroom,
my teaching style will lean towards constructivism. Constructivism can be defined as the
questioning of ones own knowledge. This is made possible by the application of the zone of
proximal development and the scaffolding the teacher gives. Constructivism allows for the
teacher to be the facilitator of learning. Students will learn by problem-based learning activities
that will allow them to become hands-on in the lesson. I, as the facilitator, will help focus the
learning in the direction that will grant the highest level of achievement. Starting on the first day,
starting small, I will begin the process of spiral curriculum so that by the end of the school year
they have the ability to conquer any challenge they face in the classroom.
Students learn best when allowed the freedom to explore in a safe, welcoming
environment. It is the job of the teacher to create this environment. Learning rates exceed
expectations when the teacher finds a method or methods that reach each student. The layout of
the classroom should allow for teaching as a class and group work where the teacher is able to
advise and monitor the students while they work together to learn and each other. To me, this is
the best way for teachers to teach their students and for the students to soak in the fresh
knowledge.
In using constructivism, the curriculum should be planned out so that a baseline is created
and continued to be built upon throughout the school year. Help, scaffolding, should be provided
at each step of the curriculum. Assessments should not be a weapon used to frighten or
intimidate students into learning the material. Neither should they always be in the form of
formal assessments. As objectives are taught, projects to monitor students progress should be
assigned as a type of assessment. These projects can be used to keep older knowledge relevant
and on the students minds. Also, formal assessments should be used, but not all of the time.
These formal assessments should cover the new objectives that have been taught while still
brushing across previous objectives.
Based on my limited experience thus far, constructivism seems to be the best method to
use in teaching. It works with all grade levels and allows for multiple methods of instructing the
class. By no means am I saying it is the only philosophy that works, but it works better and more
efficiently than others. Constructivism embodies many aspects from other philosophies. It allows
for live and symbolic modeling as in social learning theory. To me, it allows students to go
beyond the level of learning that cognitivism allows for by teaching students how to develop
their own thoughts and ideas based on their knowledge base. This is different because
cognitivism teaches how to map out the information they need to pass a class or get to the next
level.
Focusing in on special education, differentiation and student interest surveys are
extremely helpful when planning and implementing lessons with students with disabilities. One
of the most important things a special education teacher can remember to do is to stay positive
and calm. When trying to help teach a student with a disability, it will take multiple tries of a
variety of methods before you can find a way to best meet your students individual needs. This
could be teaching in a more visual manner verses a verbal manner. Or for instance for a student

with autism, the teacher might find that teaching with a more kinetic approach yields the best
results from the student in both an academic and behavioral points of view. All of this still aligns
with the constructivism approach to education. Special education teachers must remember that
their curriculum and lesson planning must meet each individual students needs, IEP, and be
developmentally appropriate.

You might also like