Introduction: experience and strengths
In our country every child has the right to a free public education,
which challenges the student to meet and exceed expectations. Schools should create the safest and most positive learning
environment possible. Classrooms should be set up in a way that actively engages the students and promotes a community of
learners. As a teacher I have always believed in a hands-on student centered classroom that actively challenges the students
and prepares the student to meet the needs of the 21st century. As a future administrator, my personal goal is
a combination of the principles that are listed above. My personal goal is to create and maintain a safe, secure and positive
school environment where the student feels safe and allows for optimal learning to occur. I have chosen a career in education
because I believe our children are the future and our children need role models with strong values and morals that can help
our children grow and mature into well rounded free thinking individuals. I believe that I can be this role model. As an educator,
I want all of my students, parents, teachers and colleagues to understand that the education of my students comes first and
I will do whatever it takes to ensure that this education comes first. I believe in the public education system and that it
is my job to ensure that my students are prepared to meet the needs and challenges of the 21st century. Either
a student or an educator I have been in the education system for over 29 years, 5 as a teacher. I believe I have had many
experiences that have prepared me to be the best educator that I can be. I model my basic beliefs in education after my elementary
school principal, in which he explained to me one day that education is the key to success and that a person has to work hard
to reach their goals. Moreover, he explained the importance of having short-term and long-term goals, and the attainment of
these goals would not come without dedication, a strong work ethic and sacrifice. As an educator, I hope to pass on these
experiences and knowledge to my own students on a daily basis.
Education Philosophy
Overall,
I have centered my own philosophy after a belief in constructivism and some of the principles handed down by Dewey. Dewey was a philosopher and he was considered
to the foremost educator of the 19th century. He believed that school should be highly active, engaging and experiential.
In addition, Dewey’s “idea was that children came to school to do things and live in a community which gave them
real, guided experiences which fostered their capacity to contribute to society” (2005). Moreover, Dewey believed that
students should be involved in “real-world” tasks. My classroom is set up to promote learning utilizing these
“real-word” tasks. I also believe in meeting the needs of all students and have centered a lot of my teaching
on Howard Gardner’s belief in multiple intelligences. In the education world there are also several different learning
styles that I think are very important and have influenced the way that I teach. I am a very hands-on person and I try to
incorporate this into my classroom.
According to Funderstanding (1998-2001),
I would be labeled a concrete and abstract perceiver, which means that I like to “absorb information through direct
experience, by doing, acting, sensing, and feeling.” I have also found that many of my students are very visual-spatial
and interpersonal, which according to Howard Gardner, means that my students like to “visualize objects” and communicate
with others (Funderstanding (1998-2001). To meet the needs of all of my students I feel that it is very important that we
teach using a multitude of teaching techniques and strategies. Some students learn best through traditional stand and deliver
methods, but other students thrive in a more hands-on authentic and project-based learning environment. I believe that all
children are capable of learning and that it is my job to actively engage my students in the classroom.
Ethics and Education
As
a professionally, I have not been challenged ethically nor do I anticipate being challenged ethically. I believe I have taken
the necessary steps to protect myself in this regard and I have always tried to treat the colleagues and the students that
I work with respect and complete professionalism. I believe I have worked hard to get to the place I am at and my family has
certainly sacrificed a lot to get me here. On the other hand, it is impossible to predict the future and if I was to be challenged
ethically, I would follow the advice that my elementary school principal once told me; treat everyone around with you with
respect and be truthful. He also explained that in life we all make mistakes, but to not learn from those mistakes is the
real mistake. We will all be tested as educators and definitely as administrators and I hope that when people think of me
as an administrator, respect, honesty, integrity and dedication comes to mind. Ethics is very important when it comes to education
because we are dealing with the lives of children. Our community and our parents have entrusted us as educators to prepare
our students to meet and overcome the needs of the 21st century and be model citizens. Educators should live the
life in which they preach and should hold themselves accountable for the education they are providing.
All
children are different and ethically, we should ensure that all of our students have the same opportunity for success in the
classroom. I currently teach
8th Grade social studies in Pleasants County Middle School (PCMS) located in Belmont, West Virginia. Overall our
school is located in a rural area of the country, but since it s fairly close to Parkersburg, WV and a short two hour drive
from Pittsburgh, Columbus or Charleston, it is not as rural or isolated like some other places in West Virginia. The overwhelming
majority of students in my school are considered poor and over 50% receive free or reduced lunch. If you asked their parents
the majority of them would blame the government or some other external source as the cause for their plight. It is not that
they are lazy or they are not smart, but this area of the country does not have the economics to support large populations.
According to Weisenbeck (2007) “jobs in rural areas are not as diverse and pay less in rural areas” because most
economic development “in rural areas can be impeded by many factors” like “low population, lack of infrastructure,
dependence upon on one employment sector, fewer resources, and lower levels of educational advancement”. This is one
major reason why people from this who attend college end up moving to a different location. Given the overall diversity of
the students that I work with, I believe in differentiating instruction and engaging students in appropriate manners that
gives my students the best opportunity for success. I believe this is my job and this is one job requirement that I take very
seriously.
Conclusion
The public school system’s main job is to educate and prepare students
to meet the needs of the 21st century. I believe that in the classroom, it is my job to give my students the experience
and tools to meet these challenges. As an educator I have a unique opportunity to make a direct impact on the future of our
country and this future begins with the students in our classrooms. Through a hands-on, student-centered learning environment
I hope to engage my students in authentic real-world learning that actively engages the student and prepares them to be good
citizens of the world. As professional educator I take this role very seriously and I am fully committed to my profession
and to the students that I teach. The community and the students that I serve deserve the best and I strive to meet their
needs.
Funderstanding. (1998-2001). Retrieved September 8, 2008, from http://www.funderstanding.com/multiple_intelligence.cfm
Neill,
James (2005). John Dewey: Philosophy of Education.
Retrieved on October 1, 2008 from http://wilderdom.com/experiential/JohnDeweyPhilosophyEducation.html
Wesienbeck,
B. (2007). Rural Poverty: Facts & Myths. Retrieved on October 20, 2008 from http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/conference/ftp08files/Bomar_Institute%20HO/rural%20poverty%20myths%20and%20factsdraft%202.pdf
