Danielle Parkka
Secondary Classroom Methods
My Teaching Philosophy
Believe it or not, philosophy and education are undoubtedly linked. Many
philosophers came up with their own ideas of what education should be, and as a
potential teacher it is my job to see the different possibilities of education and
choose for myself which ones I think are the best..
Idealism is the search for truth and knowledge. One important movement in
Idealism is the dialectic, or the learning to examine the nature of truths through the
means of arguing points of view. The main idea is for the two parties to share their
points of view until there is no doubt of what the real truth or conclusion is. This is
important because it causes both parties to question each other. Idealists believe
that you should question everything in order to be educated. Students must ask
questions in order to immerse themselves in the educational process. It is only then
that they can truly learn something. This is a strategy that I would absolutely apply
in my teaching strategies.
Like Idealism, Realism also embodies the idea that ideas are permanent and
unchanging. It is important to uncover the real truths about things. Teachers, in
Realism, do not hold their students hands and walk them to the correct answers.
This I find very similar to the dialectic. Students must be their own teacher, and
strive to learn by themselves. Again, this is important because it gets the students
more involved in their education process. It makes them care about their education
and help them develop better study habits down the line.
As a teacher not only should I think about the way I present myself but how I
also present my classroom. In Behaviorism things such as environment are very
important. If students are not inspired or excited to learn then they will have a more
difficult time picking up on concepts. Teachers should inspire their students to learn
the second they walk into the classroom. They should also try and learn their
student’s behaviors so they can pick up the “vibe” of the classroom. Sometimes
students get tired or they get bored learning a certain topic. Teachers need to be
able to pick up on this and rectify the situation. If teachers can learn how to do this
then they will have a very important power and ability over their classroom.
As well as understanding their environment, teachers need to be able to
assess their relationship with their students. In Existentialism, the philosopher
Buber talks about a I-Thou relationship and a I-It relationship. In an I-Thou
relationship we respect the uniqueness of other individuals, and make an effort to
treat them as we would treat ourselves. This is how teachers should view their
students. Some teachers see their students through the eyes of an I-It relationship,
which is when we treat others as objects. Sometimes in big classrooms students get
overlooked and ignored. It is important as a teacher to remember that these
students are unique individuals who have their own way of learning. They need to
be treated with respect and uniqueness. Each individual student has his or her own
way of viewing things, and teachers must take that into consideration.
One thing to take away from Analytic philosophy is the idea that language
can sometimes get in the way, unless it is used properly. Teachers are constantly
communicating so it is important that they know how to really get their point or
their topic across. They should also pay close attention to how students get their
point across, so that they can better understand how each of their students learns.
The teacher student relationship heavily relies on the ability of the teacher and
students to communicate correctly. Without this clear communication the learning
process would be tarnished, and the students would end up struggling in the end.
Reaching back in time to the philosophies of the past can really inspire
new and better teaching methods. Teachers could really draw inspiration from
these wonderful ideas and teachings if only they would open their minds to the
possibilities.