For my individual lesson I will be teaching the students how to write a memo. Through the memo format the students will also be learning how to write persuasively. The students will be writing a memo to the principal and ask her to consider changing a rule or policy present in the school. The students will each choose one major change that they would like to see in the school, and then the class will vote on which student's rule change should actually go to the principal. Then, as a class they will collectively go through and write a memo from the class to send to the principal. This memo will include their reasons for wanting the rule change. It will be a great exercise to get the students to discuss ideas and brainstorm a logical persuasive argument. Hopefully, the principal will play along and write back a letter with reasons why this rule is the way it is. The students will then be able to come up with a defensive persuasive argument offering bargains to achieve their wish.
When it comes to my educational philosophy, I really don't have one. Well, actually I believe I do, but I don't have any technical concepts or terms to include in it. All I know is that I believe each child deserves a nourishing, hearty education, special made to benefit them in the greatest possible way. I believe that differentiated instruction is one of the most important classroom instruction strategies, if that has anything to do with my "educational philosophy." Either way, my philosophy is that each child is different and deserves my support, as his/her teacher, on his/her pathway to success.
Question: What is your educational philosophy? Or rather, what do you feel is your biggest goal in the classroom? What do you enter and leave the classroom hoping for?
It sounds to me like your philosophy fits in well with some of the things that you have expressed interest in during a few of our personal conversations. You always talk about special education being a possibility for you because you enjoy the students and have a lot of interest in differentiated instruction. However, you are also the type of teacher that needs to be in a general education classroom because you are so devoted to helping students as individuals; this is something that I think is difficult to do and is therefore rare in regular classrooms. Either way, I like you philosophy!
ReplyDeleteI always enter the classroom hoping that I will be able to engage the students in a discussion that will help them to learn something, and I always leave hoping that they still have questions. I think that this fits in well with my educational philosophy; I feel that the classroom is a place to express one's ideas, respond to others' ideas, and develop a curosity about the world. I believe that these things will help students to take a greater interest in their own learning (this is probably my biggest goal in the classroom). I want my students to take responsibility for their learning with an understanding that I will be there to assist them along the way. I also want them to be actively involved in the learning of their peers. Cooperative learning and learner-center activities are the cornerstones of my philosophy.
It sounds to me as if you do indeed have an educational philosophy, and you have stated it firmly and concisely. Sometimes I think the field of education gets caught up in the use of fancy terminology that could be stated just as clearly with much fewer, simpler words. The lesson you have planned proves to me that you do indeed have a philosophy. I believe your students will see this as a "real life" lesson, and I hope they get completely involved. ( I also hope you have cleared this with the principal, and he/she will cooperate.)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are comfortable with the differentiated classroom, because that's where our education system stands and rightly so. It only makes sense that we address the needs of all students and that students should be allowed to learn from each other, as an added bonus.
Great reflection!