A personal philosophy of education statement usually addresses multiple aspects of teaching, such as desired learning outcomes, instructional techniques, and ways students will be assessed (“Teaching Methods,” n.d.). As I develop my personal philosophy of education, I find myself reflecting on what the goals of education should truly be. I look at what teaching methods have been the most successful for both myself and my students over the last 20 years of my teaching career and what are my preferred educative practices. This is employing the inductive method (Knight, 2008). Understanding my role in educating children is important to developing my philosophy. Working with preschool age students, I believe in facilitating learning through hands-on
…show more content…
There are many pros and cons to having a standardized curriculum. It has been argued that it has resulted in an over testing of students and assessing the quality of teachers by the test scores of their students (Strauss, 2013). “Most researchers agree that this methodology is fundamentally flawed, that it is inaccurate, unreliable, and unstable, that the highest ratings will go to teachers with the most affluent students and the lowest ratings will go to teachers of English learners (Strauss, 2013, par. 13). It seems as though schools have become obsessed with standardized tests and their scores. Students, schools, and teachers are being ranked and judged simply based on testing scores which fail to take so many other factors into consideration. In New York State, only 30% of students passed the tests (“Common Core Standards,” n.d.). Of these, only 3% of English language learners, 5% of students with disabilities, and less than 20% of African American and Hispanic students passed (“Common Core Standards,” n.d.). If teachers find legitimate problems with any of the Common Core standards, there is no one to contact in order to fix the problem (“Common Core State Standards,” n.d.). Although it is good to have standards, these standards should not be so rigid that teachers have no flexibility to meet the needs …show more content…
Education is and will continue to be one of the primary means to address inequity (Lynch, 2001). Despite numerous efforts among educators nationwide to provide students with opportunities to learn, disparities in education continue to exist (Lynch, 2011). Due to inequitable funding, the education system is failing students as schools that serve low-income students receive less money to pay for resources and quality teachers than those in nearby affluent schools (Resmovits, 2011). Schools in these areas should also provide students health and nutrition programs, parenting classes, and recreational activities to help them be more successful. It is critical for veteran teachers to have ongoing and regular opportunities to learn from each other (Koonce, 2016). Ongoing professional development keeps teachers up-to-date on new research on how children learn, emerging technology tools for the classroom, new curriculum resources, and more (“Why Is Teacher Development Important?,” 2008). The best professional development is ongoing, hands-on, collaborative, and connected to and derived from working with students and understanding their culture (“Why Is Teacher Development Important?,” 2008.). It is essential that teachers work together to find what children need to learn and discuss creative ways to present
There are many pros and cons to having a standardized curriculum. It has been argued that it has resulted in an over testing of students and assessing the quality of teachers by the test scores of their students (Strauss, 2013). “Most researchers agree that this methodology is fundamentally flawed, that it is inaccurate, unreliable, and unstable, that the highest ratings will go to teachers with the most affluent students and the lowest ratings will go to teachers of English learners (Strauss, 2013, par. 13). It seems as though schools have become obsessed with standardized tests and their scores. Students, schools, and teachers are being ranked and judged simply based on testing scores which fail to take so many other factors into consideration. In New York State, only 30% of students passed the tests (“Common Core Standards,” n.d.). Of these, only 3% of English language learners, 5% of students with disabilities, and less than 20% of African American and Hispanic students passed (“Common Core Standards,” n.d.). If teachers find legitimate problems with any of the Common Core standards, there is no one to contact in order to fix the problem (“Common Core State Standards,” n.d.). Although it is good to have standards, these standards should not be so rigid that teachers have no flexibility to meet the needs …show more content…
Education is and will continue to be one of the primary means to address inequity (Lynch, 2001). Despite numerous efforts among educators nationwide to provide students with opportunities to learn, disparities in education continue to exist (Lynch, 2011). Due to inequitable funding, the education system is failing students as schools that serve low-income students receive less money to pay for resources and quality teachers than those in nearby affluent schools (Resmovits, 2011). Schools in these areas should also provide students health and nutrition programs, parenting classes, and recreational activities to help them be more successful. It is critical for veteran teachers to have ongoing and regular opportunities to learn from each other (Koonce, 2016). Ongoing professional development keeps teachers up-to-date on new research on how children learn, emerging technology tools for the classroom, new curriculum resources, and more (“Why Is Teacher Development Important?,” 2008). The best professional development is ongoing, hands-on, collaborative, and connected to and derived from working with students and understanding their culture (“Why Is Teacher Development Important?,” 2008.). It is essential that teachers work together to find what children need to learn and discuss creative ways to present