teaching philosophy oct13

Teaching Philosophy Marianne McFadden – EDG 540

October 2013

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Purpose of Educational Process and Educators’ Preparation

Educators who aspire to be looked upon as outstanding and influential begin their

careers by securing, through their education, a strong foundation and working

knowledge of the discipline they intend to teach. In addition, the desire to always act in

the students’ best interest is essential since students are entrusted to the teacher’s care

on a daily basis, and parents appreciate and desire strong, reputable role models for

their children. Teachers should emphasize to their classes that learning is a lifelong

process and try to encourage students to be proud of and have a desire to develop their

talents and skills, whatever gradually they realize them to be. The main goal of every

teacher should be to lead students to obtain more intellectual independence as they

mature, and as a result, become more resourceful in striving to be successful and

productive in our modern, fast-paced, and ever-changing world.

In understanding that each student is a unique individual, the successful educator

must be willing to make adjustments and allowances, as needed, because of individual

differences. These differences enhance learning and make for a more interesting,

enriching, and varied experience.

In reviewing the purpose of the educational process and the corresponding

educators’ preparation, the philosophy described above seemingly fits Gutek’s

description of Idealism, where the educator is viewed as an expert in his field and serves

as a model of ethical character in the classroom (Gutek, 2004). Additionally, Gutek also

states that the Realists believe that the teacher should have thorough subject matter

knowledge, and as students attain knowledge, they come to define their own interests

as they realize their place or function in the world (Gutek, 2004). Therefore, a bit of

Realism seemingly is mixed with Idealism in the ideas conveyed above.

Educator’s Role in Serving the Purpose in Educating Students

Students respond positively to strong, caring teachers who model consistency and

clarity, but with compassion. Therefore, it is essential that at the start of each school


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year teachers should make their expectations clear. Policies regarding classroom

atmosphere, daily activities, homework, and the grading system should be outlined and

adhered to throughout the year. Students respond well to routine and perform better

when they know what to expect. If any necessary changes are made, students need to

be aware of them. In maintaining consistency, educators should exhibit enthusiasm

and optimism – regardless of current class performance – in daily lesson presentations.

Students need suggestions on how to improve, praise when doing well, and gentle

reminders to keep up with their studies. A positive atmosphere encourages attention

and promotes motivation; it keeps the classroom ‘going’.

An effective, respected teacher exhibits flexibility and can respond intelligently

to varying schedules, school events, and crises. In observing a good teacher, students

learn, in turn, how to adjust to things that cause a person to deal with situations that do

not ordinarily occur. In addition, the successful educator needs to be open to input

given by supervisors, administrators, students, and parents. An evaluation and the

corresponding improvements made enable the teacher to become more effective and

grow professionally year by year.

Professional development opportunities and interacting with colleagues also

encourage professional growth. As the world, our society, and family life go

through changes over time, so should the classroom experience. Educators find

success as they learn of new trends and how to respond to them in the classroom

through new methods and technologies. A wise educator realizes that what was

effective ten years ago may not be effective today. A caring educator is willing to

implement new methods of presentation, assessment, and management in the

classroom. These new methods may reflect changes that are occurring in society or

effective teaching styles that have developed in education. If the educator approaches

each school year and class taught as a unique and new experience, then he as well as his

students will be on the road to success, and those in the school community will begin to

look upon him as a respected, outstanding educator.


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In reviewing qualities such as caring, wise, respected, consistent, and open, it is

possible to view the teacher’s role as somewhat similar to Gutek’s description of

Thomism where the teaching profession is considered a vocation and therefore a

service to others (Gutek, 2004). Although the religious aspect is not addressed above,

the dedication emphasized clearly parallels Thomistic thought.

Professionals who conscientiously make an effort to keep all the aspects of their

philosophy in mind on a daily basis as they work with their students have a great

opportunity to be effective, respected, and successful. Many educators (and the author

of this paper) believe they have come to develop and revise their philosophy by

carefully observing the techniques and mannerisms of successful and influential

educators and administrators (mentors) that they have had the pleasure and fortune of

knowing . Mentors’ influences have helped shape the kind of educators that successful

teachers become, and their mentors’ dedication to the profession serves as

encouragement to continue to desire to improve day by day and year by year in order

to continue to be effective and influential educators.

The idea of mentors acting in perpetuating a respected profession most closely

resembles the Perennialists, according to Gutek’s description as those who promote

recurrent universal and timeless truths and values (Gutek, 2004).

Subject Matter and Role in Serving the Purpose

Mathematics is considered a core subject, but it has a much greater role than simply

the art of computing in our everyday lives. Some of the goals of ‘mastering the subject’

include: following step-by-step procedures, developing specific logical procedures,

building skills in higher-order thinking, gaining the ability to think abstractly, and

becoming skilled in analytical thinking. Although many of these skills mentioned may

be considered skills of the very intelligent, an effective Math educator has the ability,

through patience, perseverance and a bit of creativity, to encourage all students to

realize their ‘Math potential’ by successfully leading his or her classes while promoting a

classroom atmosphere filled with encouragement and positivity. When students know


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they are valued and believed in, they can achieve, and the intensity of the material

being learned will not affect their notions of how ‘possible’ their success will be. Many

slow learners have overcome the fear of tackling difficult course material because their

teachers were so influential and effective. These types of educators are able to instill in

their students the thrill of challenge as well as the confidence to carry the learning to a

success just by their persistent enthusiasm and positive attitude. These teachers make

abstract and analytical thinking both enjoyable and obtainable with their creative,

effective methods in the classroom as they strategically combine hands-on applicable

activities with a unique, incremental questioning style in an effort to allow students to

discover and develop somewhat complicated mathematical concepts.

Much of the mathematical teaching and learning described above very closely

follows the Essentialists’ view of the back to basics/mastery of basics approach to

teaching mathematics, where Essentialism asserts that discipline, effort, and hard

work, without diversions, enable learners to develop into productive, civil, and patriotic

citizens. Additionally, the Conservatists state that non-academics weaken the primary

role of the schools. Lastly, a bit of Progressivism is also evident in claiming that hands-

on activities lead to discovery; the Progressives argue that child-centered curricula with

less structure help learners embrace self-expression as they follow their interests in

collaborative, exploratory learning (Gutek, 2004).

Learning Outside the Traditional Classroom Setting

A wise educator should agree that humans learn by observation, questioning, and

testing hunches or hypotheses that the experiences and occurrences their environment

and outside world offers on a daily basis. We see this in very young children and

assume it to be true of anyone of any age. In our classrooms, therefore, it would make

sense that teachers should emphasize this natural inquisitiveness by constant

questioning and testing of the student hypotheses that students are encouraged to

formulate as opportunities are continuously provided for our students to observe and

develop a keen sense of awareness of the workings of their surroundings. If educators


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constantly encourage students to develop observation and assessing skills, then our

classrooms would actually mimic what the immediate environment and outside world

persistently present to us. Students who learn to respond to the outside world’s

demands can be considered to be lifelong successful learners.

A bit of Dewey’s Pragmatism seems evident here as problem-solving as a method of

instruction (or project completion) is emphasized in the description above (Gutek,

2004).

Organization and General Approach to Teaching the Curriculum

It makes sense that the teaching of Mathematics for success would include ways to

develop the skills emphasized in the subject matter section in this paper. In developing

a sound, fluent, and cohesive Math curriculum, it is important to place emphasis on the

building of Math skills, from the very basic to the complex, with a constant stress on

analytical and abstract thinking. Many lessons and daily practices should center on

discovery learning through studying patterns and logical thinking, and teachers should

search for opportunities for students to collaborate in discussing relevant problems that

require critical thinking. The ultimate goal of the curriculum should be to develop

learners who successfully attempt and become confident in projects that require

concentration, perseverance, frequent revision and analysis in order to complete tasks

in any discipline with precision and accuracy. A sound curriculum that offers

mathematical growth year by year (in addition to yearly growth in all other disciplines)

will allow students to become critical and analytical thinkers, and encourage

development of the strong ability to cope with the world’s conditions and problems as

well. Lastly, these educated students will be valued as having the ability to make

meaningful contributions to themselves, their families and society as a whole for the

good of mankind and for the improvement of life, both personally and globally. These

citizens, in turn, will be looked upon as outstanding and influential in their lives’

pursuits, just as their excelling educators were.

Again, in noting the themes described above, it seems reasonable to see a ‘mixture’


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of Conservatism and Essentialism as the basics to the complex is emphasized in

curriculum development. In noting the need for social change (and reform), it seems

reasonable to note that some Liberalism and Critical Theory are part as well as both

emphasize the need for practical, applied scientific methods and a belief in progress,

tendency to innovate, and a willingness to change to enhance reform. In doing so,

reform will give rise to bringing equality and fairness to all in an effort to solving

problems in society – by those who have reaped the benefits of a good education

(Gutek, 2004).

Reference

Gutek, G. L. (2004). Philosophical and Ideological Voices in Education. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

teaching philosophy oct13

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