Hayley Jochum

Philosophy of Education

1. The Purpose of Education

Growing up in the public-school system, I was perceived as “average” in comparison to my

peers. I went to a very small public school with high expectations where grades were taken very

seriously, and it was easy to fall behind on the large amount of work assigned. When I was

diagnosed with ADHD in 3rd grade, it became harder to cope with this workload. With the help of

organization and coping mechanisms, it because less tedious to accomplish the work. I was

able to keep on top of my studies by having a strict and full schedule, forcing me to stay focused

when it mattered most. Unfortunately, I was not given these resources in school, so it took

longer than I would have liked to to find ways to succeed as my peers did effortlessly. These

experiences molded who I am as a learner and how I aspire to make the effort to help the

students who may be silently struggling. I want to teach the students the basic curriculum but

also things beyond that. I want to find out specifically what the student is interested in and help

relate those common interests to subjects, such as math or reading, that may not be as fun or

inviting. I consider myself a progressive as well as a constructivist educator. I believe in allowing

students to expand their knowledge by deciding what methods work for them, but also allowing

them the proper knowledge to question what values are presented to them in a school dynamic.

I am a firm believer in the think-pair-share method because it allows students to go from a

narrow point of view to directly hearing the ideas of their peers. This also allows them the

chance to argue/defend what their own ideas in comparison to the ideas of others. I also believe

in finding meaning behind assignments and discussions and reflecting upon them so that they

can bring that knowledge outside of the classroom. Finally, I believe in teaching children without

bias and trying to encourage them to break the molds placed upon them. If a child who is

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struggling is not given an equal opportunity to succeed, they will always believe they are less

than their peers who are achieving the goals placed upon them.

2. Curriculum: What Should Be Taught and Why?

Curriculum is the structure/organization of what a teacher has to educate students about

throughout the school year. When looking at curriculum, it is decided by the government under

the current common core standards. Though I may not personally agree with the current

standards, there are some parts that I think should always be included. I strongly believe in

teaching problem solving and critical thinking as a part of the visible curriculum. I think this way

because having the basic skills to evaluate the worth of ideas and work through any obstacles

they may face along the way is the first way to molding a student into being an independent and

thoughtful member of society. I also believe in the writing across the curriculum movement.

Writing is a skill that is going to be used way beyond the classroom setting in life and by

bringing the task of writing across all subject-matter allows the student to step outside his/her

comfort zone and actually apply what they are learning in class through a common medium that

is spread across all of their subjects. When it comes to social skills that are influenced through

the classroom, I believe in encouraging students to push the limits and always be asking

questions. With this comes the challenges for me as a teacher to find and create answers to

said questions. By teaching students to question themselves and each other in the classroom,

we are in turn teaching them to not just accept the information that is given to them and to

always be thinking outside the box when it comes to challenging questions. This also forces

them to come up with their own ideas and opinions and relay them off of each other rather than

just accepting the social norm.

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3. Nature of the Learner

As a progressivist educator, I believe in not just giving the students all of the answers. I think

that students are responsible for being active and engaged in furthering their own education. It

is my responsibility to teach yet it is also their responsibility to learn, there is no use trying to

force information upon an uninterested student. By uninterested, I do not mean a student who

may be having trouble, but one who is refusing to learn. I want my students to be able to talk to

me about what they are struggling with so that we can find a way to help aid them in whatever

they may need. This also involves me being attentive and trying to find ways to teach the

information in the curriculum in a way that interests my students. I want my students to view me

as a respectable figure who they listen to and enthusiastically learn from. Ideally, my students

would be able to help each other out inside the classroom with material that we are learning, but

of course they can also ask me anything, for no question should be though as “stupid”. I also

want my students to be comfortable enough to approach me if they are struggling with issues at

home. I want the student to see me as a confidant if they are afraid or in need of help. I will

enforce kindness in my classroom. When people are kind to one another and reject hostility, a

welcoming and safe environment is created in my classroom. I will encourage my students to

solve disagreements with compassion and understanding, not just in school but also in the real

world.

4. Effective Classroom Environment

When planning my classroom environment, the first thing I would tackle is the physical

environment. I would arrange my students in groups or “families” to help them acclimate into this

new classroom environment but also develop a support system within the groups so that they

can rely on each other if they are confused or have questions. I also would maximize the

student's unique talents and decorate the classroom with their own work and projects so that

the environment is really centered for the children, by the children. I also would enforce my own

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personal mantra onto the classroom which is “KCR”; kindness, confidence and respect. What I

mean by this is that students should live by expressing kindness, exuberating confidence and

treating each other with respect. The two most important elements of effective classroom

management are maintaining academic engaged time and building positive student-teacher

relationships. Academic engaged time is the amount of time the student is actively engaged and

and learning. I will maintain academic engaged time by giving small, clear doses of necessary

information broken up with activities pertaining to the information given. This will encourage

learning beyond what I can teach the students directly by forcing them to think on their own feet.

Building positive student-teacher relationships is just as important because it helps students feel

more supportive and thus will allow them to accept my authority over them. I will maintain this by

making a conscious effort to really get to know my students such as their hobbies,

extracurricular activities and their home lives not only to incorporate with my lesson plans but

also to view them in a different context. I will also give high but attainable expectations so that

they realize that I care about them and will push them to do their very best but also celebrate

with them when they succeed, thus giving them a support system inside the classroom besides

their peers.

5. The Role of the Teacher

When looking at what important qualities a teacher should possess, I believe they should be

understanding, concise and motivated. A teacher should be understanding because not all

students are going to function the same way. We never know what someone is going through in

life and as a teacher, it is our responsibility to listen, take a step back and reflect to find an

approach so that every student has an even playing field. A teacher should be concise because

it is important to communicate fairly and efficiently with your students. Giving students clear and

comprehensive objectives for them to accomplish without “front-loading” (giving too much

information up front) allows the students to work towards an achievable goal as independently

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as they can, maximizing their learning opportunity. A teacher should be motivated to create the

most knowledgeable and morally-decent class he/she can throughout the course of the school

year. Teachers should be enthusiastic about what they are teaching but also pushing the limits

so that he/she can also be learning more to relay back onto the students. If I was granted the

opportunity to educate a student with disabilities or any type of diversity in my classroom, I

would adjust my content accordingly. I would have the whole class adapt casually with the

student’s diversity but do not draw too much attention to said student who is just trying their

hardest to fit in. The idea is to teach the entire classroom something beneficial that they may not

have been able to learn without the inclusion of this diverse child. An example of this would be

to teach sign language alongside a student who may be Deaf or the native language alongside

a student who may be an ELL.