Philosophy of Teaching Elizabeth Folger April 2013

Introduction

It was on the day I entered high school that I first read the school motto, Educating the Whole Person. As I sat in the auditorium listening to members of the faculty speak, I found myself pondering what this might mean. I understood what it meant to educate; obviously, that was the point of being in school, but I was not sure what, or who, the whole person meant. Throughout my time there, I learned that this meant academically, socially, and spiritually. My class requirements went way beyond what normal schools offered, into things such as Ukrainian, Hebrew scripture, choral music, and public speaking. Even my normal classes went beyond what most schools would expect. I did not totally understand the benefits of this education, or why it was apparently so successful until while cracking under the pressure of the annual science fair when I finally asked a teacher, I want to be a music major, why do I need to be able to do a scientific experiment? The teacher responded with, How can someone know that they are as good at science as you are at music if they are never given the opportunity to try it? Plus there is something to be learned from everything. The teachers at my school were not teaching us things in the hope that we would all go into a field in the subject they taught. Instead, they felt an obligation to teach us things to expand our horizons and

give us opportunities to try new things and find our interests. Nor were all of the community events such as dances and spirit days meant just for fun. To them, teaching went beyond the classroom, the next assignment, and the end of the school year. Their lessons were meant to truly affect our lives and to connect us to the bigger picture, the world around us.

Education for the Real World

In his pedagogic creed John Dewey states, I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living. This means that education must be relevant to what students are experiencing in their everyday lives. Teachers must acknowledge that children come to the classroom with some prior knowledge gleaned from life experiences (Abrahams). Students are not blank canvases for teachers to fill with their personal knowledge, as the banking (Freire) model of education would have us believe. Rather, they are people who have their own lives and experiences that are of equal value to that of the teacher. Lessons must be based on what the students bring to the classroom, rather than a distant topic. To do this, teachers must be aware of what is happening within their students lives, both as a generation and individually. In order to do this, teachers must constantly participate in the cycle Joan Wink describes as learning, relearning, and unlearning (Wink 17). One must learn throughout their own lives and be aware of this knowledge, also known as conscientization (Wink 32). To teach, one must then be able to change, or unlearn, the things they know, and then relearn in the context of their students lives. Students must see the relevance and application of

each lesson in their own lives and be given opportunities to experience the lesson. Teachers cannot think that because we have told them, we have taught them, and therefore, they have learned (Abrahams).

Individualistic Teaching

Todays teachers must acknowledge that every student is different, and therefore, learns differently. Bernice McCarthy addresses this in her 4MAT cycle. This theory states that the two main elements of learning are perception, how one takes in and experiences things, and processing, how one reacts, confronts, resolves, and creates (McCarthy 13). Each person does these things in different ways, which puts them into a specific learning type. According to McCarthy, there are four learning types all with different strengths and weaknesses. Type one learners learn mostly by feeling, reflection, listening, and sharing. They work well with people and tend to have an awareness of what other people need. The constantly ask the question why? Type two learners are extremely detailed and goal oriented. They like structure, theory, and facts, and strive for excellence. They are people that ask the question what? Type three learners learn through hands on experience. They excel at problem solving, practicality, deadlines, and plans. They are always focusing on the question how? Type four learners are risk takers that are always looking to the future. They are good communicators who seek to influence people. The emphasize learning through experience and ask the question what if?

Because of the variety of students, teachers have many different approaches to teaching. This means offering a wide variety of activities for students. These should include group work, lecture, creative projects, and hands on work. Teachers should be aware of how each student responds to their teaching and be able to offer a different approach if a student is struggling in a particular area. This also means a teacher must be aware of their personal styles of learning and teaching.

Multiple Intelligences

Psychologist Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences has greatly shaped my philosophy. This theory states that there are eight main intelligences, all of which people have in different levels. These intelligences are: linguistic intelligence, logical/mathematical intelligence, musical/rhythmic intelligence, bodily/kinesthetic intelligence, spatial intelligence, naturalistic intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and interpersonal intelligence. Linguistic intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals. This intelligence includes the ability to effectively use language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember information. Logical-mathematical intelligence consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically. It entails the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically. Musical intelligence involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose

musical pitches, tones, and rhythms. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Spatial intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas. Interpersonal intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others. Intrapersonal intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations. Naturalist intelligence enables human beings to recognize, categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment. (Smith) Understanding these intelligences allows a teacher to see the potential of each student. Each of these intelligences is present in every student in some capacity; making every student teachable in every area, even it is not their strength. It also means embracing that students will progress differently as they discover their personal strengths, weaknesses, and interests. A curriculum must offer some flexibility for this, otherwise, students will not truly learn. Combining this theory with that of McCarthy and her 4MAT approach offers every student the opportunity to be successfully exposed to every area. Student-Teacher Interaction The student-teacher relationship must be open for education to be successful. Both must see what can be learned from the other, and both must be open to sharing this knowledge. There must be frequent communication and dialogue between both parties. Dialogue is talk that changes us or our context. Dialogue is profound, wise, insightful conversation. Dialogue is two-way, interactive visiting, Dialogue

involves periods of lots of noise as people share and lots of silence as people muse. Dialogue is communication that creates and recreates multiple understandings. It can move people to wonderful new levels of knowledge; it can transform relations; it can change things (Wink 41-42) This type of communication can occur at any time, whether in class, during office hours, or even online. However, it is only through this type of communication that teacher and students can both truly learn and connect as people. The Morality of Education Education should never exist merely for the sake of education. Teachers have a moral obligation to their students to make them good people and successful members of society. Paulo Freire, John Dewey, and Howard Gardner all believe that the primary goal of education is to bring about social change. I believe that education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform. (Dewey). This means successful education is not simply the gaining of knowledge, but also its application to society. Schools that hope to be successful in this aspect must reinforce the school as a community. While students must be educated as individuals, they must also feel a part of something bigger, they must connect with the world and people around them. I believe that the school is primarily a social institution. Education being a social process, the school is simply that form of community life in which all those agencies are concentrated that will be most effective in bringing the child to share in the inherited resources of the race, and to use his own powers for social ends (Dewey). The school must instill in students not only academics but also teach through social interaction. This will teach students how to respond

appropriately within society and their interactions with others. It gives them an opportunity to draw from real life experiences with others and to know and understand the people in the world around them. Conclusion Throughout my four years of high school, I believed that the whole person being educated was really just an academic person. What I found later was that academics were not the ultimate goal, but rather the tool to creating a fuller person. The school is a place for overall growth: social, academic, physical, mental, and spiritual. If any one of these aspects is missing, education will not be successful. Students must have opportunities to put into practices the things they are being taught so that they see the use of their knowledge. Each students abilities must be embraced and nurtured in order to make them knowledgeable people who will use their abilities for the good of society and the world around them. References

Abrahams, F. Teaching Philosophy. 2007 Dewey, J. "My Pedagogic Creed." School Journal 54 (Jan. 1897): 77-80. Web. 1 June 2010. <http://dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm>. Freire, P. (1970, 1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed. (M. B. Ramos, Trans.). New York, NY: Continuum Gardner, H. (2006). The development and education of the mind. New York: Routledge.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: the theory of multiple intelligences. New York, NY: Basic Books. McCarthy, Bernice. About Teaching. Wauconda, IL: About Learning, Incorporated, 2000. McCarthy, Bernice. Teaching Around the 4MAT Cycle. Thousand Oaks, California: About Learning Inc., 2006. Print. Mission Statement. Saint Basil Academy. 2010. <http://www.stbasilacademy.org/pages/about/statement.html> Simpson, D. L., Jackson, J. B. & Aycock, J. C. (2005). John Dewey and the art of teaching: Toward reflective and imaginative practices. Thousand Oaks: CA: SAGE, 2005. Smith, Mark K. (2002, 2008) 'Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences', the encyclopedia of informal education, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm. Wink, Joan. Critical Pedagogy: Notes From the Real World. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., May, 2005.