Teaching Philosophy Juan Ortiz 2010 Introduction As a middle school student, I lived the life of an average, yet awkward

adolescent. Never very popular, I was made fun of for having different interests then the normal basketball playing, hip-hop loving students that paraded the hallways of my Bronx; New York located junior high school. I was automatically dubbed the class queer because I had the characteristics of being what they considered feminine, was fat, loved to sing and had an obsession with Britney Spears. Nevertheless, I held my head high as best I could and kept my focus on the prize of someday being able to get out of the hood and bask in the success of what my future would hold. However, as years passed, it became harder to see the positive when negativity was constantly reiterated. It wasnt until I joined a High School/College bound program called Vision that I was given the support, from teachers as well as fellow students, that I needed to prosper and be successful. Vision created a family amongst my colleagues and myself that gave us a sense of community and trust, no matter what the school given status quo was. Through team building activities, educational excursions, and hard work, we became culturally aware of what our success would mean for our futures and given the optimism we needed to become successful. School was no longer something that we did because we had to do it, rather something we wanted to be in because it promised a better life in the long run. No matter how hard, or how stressful the task, we were determined to succeed. We were taught to strive for the best and only see the positive in our achievements. The barriers between teacher and student were blurred in order to bring the learning to our world and the students were no longer separated by the standards of what was cool and not. We were united through not only our similar heritage, but also our desire for success. United We Learn The cultural expectations that society projects onto students give them negative self images. Students are dictated to emulate perfection and follow the latest fads through media ads, music videos, and the latest trending topics. This in turn causes them to focus solely on the negative aspects of what they have done wrong and what they are missing to meet those expectations. They question themselves as to why they didnt get better grades, or perform better or why they dont look a certain way. However, I have found that through stripping away those expectations and promoting optimism and positivity, teachers are allotted the opportunity to create a unified community that is accepting of students individuality. Thus, giving you a class that is no longer worried about standards and more focused on the betterment of their education. Concisely: United We Learn. Howard Gardner states, at every educational level, good teaching can be practiced in various ways (102). In Japan, through the practice of the Suzuki method in preschool, children are expected to inspire and support one another, and much ofeducation is devoted to creating a harmonious group of peers, (Gardner, 104). My philosophy is heavily based on the idea that unifying your students can help them to see past societal and cultural stereotypes and allow the teacher to show the students why they should be in school and how what the teacher is teaching will better the students individually.

According to John Dewey, we tend rather to frame our statement on the basis of the defects and needs of the contemporary situation; we take for granted without explicit statement which would be of no use, whatever is right or approximately so in which case we then continue to frame our explicit aims in terms of some alteration to be brought about (107). As a result, generations of students grow up wanting what they dont have, rather than appreciating their own capabilities. Every student is different. These differences are brought about due to diverse cultures, upbringing, learner types and heritage. The teacher should take the time to focus on these differences so that the students differences can act as the driving force of the classs education. Embracing the diversity can help to better the overall school and class culture. Joan Wink states school culture affects all aspects of teaching and learning on both micro and macro levels (62). School culture affects how you go about relaying the information to your students, as well as, how they will react to it. Aside from having multiple learner types in the classroom, school culture and outside influences can be cause for distractions in the students education because rather than focusing on learning, they are more focused on outside things. Every culture must address certain universal needs and ensure that its younger individuals master certain areas of knowledge acquire certain values, [and] master certain skills also serving as a form of silent segregation amongst students (Gardner, 100, 101). Being familiar with what the customs of the diverse cultures are will benefit the teacher, and help him or her know how to handle this segregation. It is possible to make progress in appreciating another cultures perspective and, perhaps, in making ones own perspective clearer to others, therefore students should learn to embrace their uniqueness while encouraging others to do the same (Gardner, 101). With somewhat of a universalist position, we can show our students that deep down, people are all alike in the important aspects; and that apparent difference are superficial and trivial (Gardner, 99). A steady flow of information can be learned and taught once the differences are accepted and barriers are no longer cause for informational blockage. Support amongst the students will go a long way, especially see as how in a highly secular society like the United States, both peers and the media assume much of the educating role that had been handled in earlier times by the church and rudimentary schools (Gardner, 101). If the students are able to encourage each other, they than have created their own in class support system. This helps the students to keep a positive outlook on learning because they have a sense of unity in their goal of education. Bernice McCarthy quotes Sussana Cook-Greuter on language awareness saying, as long as they continuously deconstruct and reconstruct their relationship to the phenomenon, they can loosen its grip (108). Relating this thought to the idea of classroom unity, when the teacher can break the barriers that the students have learned outside of the classroom, the teacher than can reconstruct the general relationship and community of the class so the students can have [knowledge], rather than be had by it (McCarthy, 108). It is the teachers job to ensure that the students develop a view of life that helps them get beyond personal interests and consider the interests of others, including their schools, communities, nation, and world (Simpson, 21). A teacher can achieve this goal by making certain that they are familiar with their students world, and the factors that affect that world. By concentrating on the students diversity, and encouraging them to embrace it, the teacher encourages the student to have pride in who they are and where they come from, as well as, urging the students to support each others individuality. With those differences the students can find a common ground through team building activities. Taking the time to play small team building activities will prove beneficial in both getting to know the students, as well as, building

a sense of community and trust, not only between teacher and student, but amongst the students as well. Once the students are in a natural state that is untouched by outside influences, the teacher is free to teach and relate the curriculum to the students newfound enthusiasm. The students can work together, encouraging everyone to do well with their future goals in mind. The teacher should view each child and youth as a social and ethical beingwho needs to learn to use what she learns for the well being of others (Simpson, 21). Creating a flexible lesson plan that can give each student the ability to relate the material to other aspects of their lives, gives meaning to what they are learning. The teacher should keep in mind that teaching is your opportunity to learn even more about your students. When they are able to associate the given material to something specific in their lives, the information becomes easier to internalize and register. The students in turn, desire to learn more, so they can make more connections. Throughout this learning process, encouraging optimism and positivity is also key to the encouragement they need to do better. The students aim should not be to perfect their talent of memorizing information and taking tests. Rather it should be to learn the material and use that knowledge to better their future. Conclusion The lessons that Vision taught me are inevitable. What began as an extracurricular activity soon turned into something that helped shape who I am, as a person and the value that I put on my education. Aside from that, the friends that I gained from partaking in the program are irreplaceable. When I was in eighth grade I was convinced that after high school, I would dropout of college and become a pop star. I was sure that college couldnt teach me anything, and I would be better off doing things on my own. Vision helped me to realize the importance of being educated. They gave me a taste of reality and a look at statistics, and showed me how I could help be part of a change in our society as a male Hispanic college student. Through weekly meetings, retreats and college road trips, I was able to create a bond with students who, like me, were just as determined to make a difference in their lives. We grew closer through not only the team building activities we did, but also the amount of time and effort we were putting into our common goal. We knew that together we would be able to influence each other in a positive manner. We became a family and to this day I am in contact with everyone involved in the program, facilitators, as well as, students. There are so many expectations put onto our youth today. They are automatically trained to lead a life of perfection, and anything less than that is eligible to be made fun of. I was once one of those students. Students who are in the same school getting the same education with the same teachers should not be segregated by the superficial values of others. Breaking down barriers and getting to know your students ensures that you will be able to find a ay to have the information work in their favor. Once a sense of trust is established, the students can then embrace their individuality and appreciate their capabilities, without focusing on what they are missing, or what they have done wrong. Promoting optimism and encouraging positivity promise a more delightful journey through education for your students. And watching your students flourish will be worthwhile, because you will know that they worked together and see the value of their hard work. United we learn.

References McCarthy, Bernice. 4Mat About Teaching; Format in the Classroom. Belmont: About Learning Inc, 2000. Dewey, John. Democracy and Education; An Introduction to Philosophy of Education. Dover Publications Inc, 2004. The Macmillan Company, 1916. Gardner, Howard. The Disciplined Mind; What All Students Understand. Simon & Schuster, 1999. Simpson, Douglas J., Michael J. B. Jackson, Judy C. Aycock. John Dewey and he art of Teaching; toward reflective and imaginative practice. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 2005. Wink, Joan. Critical Pedagogy; notes from the real world. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2005.