• How do you plan to teach when you have your first classroom?
• What content will you focus on?
• What teaching strategies will you incorporate?
• How will you relate to your students???

• Will help guide you in the classroom
• Though, it’s there – you are not often aware of its existence or how it will influence your actions
• Philosophy – set of principles we choose to live by, even though we do not often think about them.
▫ Studying education philosophy – more aware of your beliefs about teaching & learning & helps to make decisions
▫ Strongly influence how you teach & interact with students

• Philosophy – search for wisdom (study of theories of knowledge, truth, existence & morality
• Reflecting helps us to develop our philosophy of education
• Theory – set of related principles that are based on observation & are used to explain the world around us
• Philosophy and theory = overlap

• The branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge & questions
▫ How do we know what we know
• A variety of ways of knowing
▫ Scientific method
▫ Experience
▫ Intuition
▫ Relying on others

• Important b/c our beliefs about how students learn influence how we teach

• Metaphysics – branch that considers what we know
▫ What is real???
• Axiology – branch that considers values & ethics
▫ ¾ of students admitted to cheating on tests
• Logic – branch that influences how we think about the world
▫ Examines the processes of deriving valid conclusions from basic principles

• Perennialism – suggest that nature – is constant
& schools should teach content & topics that have withstood the test of time
▫ Right vs wrong, morals, concepts: good & evil, sin and repression
• Essentialism – suggest that specific knowledge & skills exist that all people should possess
▫ Reading, writing, math
▫ Reforms – No Child Left Behind
• Both share the view that knowledge & understanding are crucial, both are weary of educational trends

• Progressivism – emphasizes real world problem solving & individual development
• Develop students as completely as possible – physically, intellectually, socially & emotionally
• Teachers – caring, questions/answers

• Social Reconstructionism – asserting that schools, teachers & students take the lead in addressing social problems & improving society.
▫ Curriculum – societal issues
 Discussion primary teaching method

• Social Reconstructionism
• Progressivism
• Perennialism
• Essentialism

• Personnel
• Physical Plant
• Organization of the curriculum
 Which will be most important to you??? Why??

• Curriculum – everything that a teacher teachers & students learn
• Organized around standards – learning goals

• Early childhood programs
• Elementary Schools
• Jr. High Schools
▫ Emphasis on academic subjects
• Middle Schools
▫ Address the need of early adolescents
• High Schools
▫ AP (Advanced Placement) Courses
▫ Dual-Enrollment

• Could you see yourself as an elementary school teacher??

• Problems with tracking
▫ Career pathways
▫ College
• Size
▫ 1,500+ students
• Departmentalization
▫ Grouping of teachers – not interrelated
• Lack of academic rigor
▫ Scheduling

• Career Technical Schools
• Career Academies
▫ Small learning communities
• Technology & Teaching
▫ Distance Education
▫ Virtual Schools

• Quality of school = satisfaction with your job
▫ Quality = Important
• Good – Effective
▫ Learning for all students
• Researchers has identified 7 characteristics

• Optimal Size
▫ School
 Too small or too big = problems
 Size = influence other factors
▫ Class
 20 or fewer – optimal
 Teacher – student ratio
 Research – for fewer students
 Smaller class sizes – life is easier 
 97% indicated it on survey
• Leadership
▫ Principal sets the tone of the school, like you set the tone of the class
▫ Sports do not take precedence over learning
• Collective efficacy
▫ Teachers’ belief in their school’s ability to promote student learning, regardless of condition
▫ Personal teaching efficacy – teacher’s belief that he/she can promote learning in all students
• Interactive instruction
▫ Teacher – student participation
▫ Walking through the hallways

• Monitoring of Student Progress
▫ Feed back about learning
▫ Effective – assessment centered
• Strong Parent & Communality Involvement
• Safe & Orderly Environment
▫ Home – very important