Definition Essay on Determination and Its Importance in Teaching

Peter Sinclaire once wrote: “Determination, patience and courage are the only things needed to improve any situation”. Determination is something people are driven by without realizing it. It is to strive to do something to make a positive difference in someone’s life. In the book ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Teachers: 101 Stories about How You Make a Difference’, Amy Newmark and Alex Kajitini present the idea that anyone, with determination, can make a difference in the lives of students.

When people are truly determined enough, they can make a difference in someone’s life, or even save someone’s life. ‘Saving Daniel’ was a story about a young boy who was slowly dying due to kidney failure. The students and teacher in his class would sing and dance to keep his morale up. While there were times the teacher wanted to quit teaching, she was reminded that she must stay to help Daniel in his fight. Susan Traugh writes, “I’d go home drained, exhausted, and ready to give up. Except, there was Daniel. I couldn’t give up on Daniel. None of us could” (Newmark and Kajitani, 17). This teacher gives her students a goal for them to work towards until they have met it. She was determined to help make a difference in her students’ lives. Further on in the book, a story named ‘Puppy Therapy’ can contribute to this theme as well. The story is about a teacher who is struggling to get one particular student to be enthusiastic about school. All of her other students could not wait to arrive every day and were ecstatic to come back the next. Jeremy was different though; he had severe learning disabilities and poor social skills. Jeanne Kraus writes: “The kids loved our unique classroom style, and it worked – they were motivated and enthusiastic. Then, one year I was assigned a particularly unreachable student. Jeremy had been born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which probably accounted for his severe learning disabilities” (Newmark, Kajitani, 129). On many occasions, she tried to reach out to Jeremy, but nothing worked until she brought in her puppy. When she did so, Jeremy finally showed some enthusiasm. This particular story shows how the teacher was determined to get all of her students engaged, even if it took a long time. The first and second stories, along with many others in the book, revolve around the big idea that determination can make a difference in the lives of students.

In the end, determination is a trait that can lead to successful teaching. While all teachers might not teach with the same passion, they all have their own motivation and determination. When a teacher is determined, they have the opportunity to teach kids valuable lessons that can improve their education and life overall. In every situation, a teacher always has the opportunity to use his or her determination to impact the lives of students.

Work Cited

  1. Newmark, Amy, and Alex Kajitani. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Teachers: 101 Stories about How You Make a Difference. Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, 2017.

Three Schools of Thought in the Context of the Educational Process

In this essay, I am going to examine three main schools of thought, namely – cognitive, behaviorist and humanistic – in the context of the educational process, and decide which of them seems best for the learning circumstances.

Cognitive School of Thought

Cognitive school of thought refers to how someone learn which is through mental processes, mainly on how people think, understand, remember and most probably apply it in their daily basis. So, scientists had estimated what goes on in an individual’s head through two vital ideas which is information processing and mental learning.

Information processing means an individual learn something, keep it in their mental, and then recover that information when needed or when they have to use it for their learning. First of all, short-term memory is a storage where the certain amount of information learner gained will be restored for few seconds, and then if they keep on thinking about it, it will be sent to their long-term memory to be kept forever. Long-term memory is where learner store the information that gained from short-term memory for quite a longer time. If the information does not used by them to any extent, it might be neglected permanently.

Attention is something that is very hard to attain from the students when educators are teaching. As an educator, they have to be creative and slightly open-minded in order to acquire student’s attention. Moreover, meaningful learning is about the relationship between the information learners already knew and new information they will be learning. New information can be obtained from the latest outcome which will be compared with the information we already knew.

Behaviorist School of Thought

Behaviorism refers to studies justified by surrounding causes rather than internal forces. Behaviorist tend to teach an individual based on outer stimuli, outer problems, and outer forces. There are five work thinkers who classified behaviorist school of thought who are Thorndike (connectionism), Pavlov and Watson (classical conditioning), Skinner (operant conditioning), Bandura (observable learning and modelling), and Gagne (hierarchical conditioning).

Classical conditioning is when two stimuli are linked together to produce a new learned response in a person or animal. Operant conditioning, referred as instrumental conditioning, is a way of learning through rewards or punishments in their behavior. Classical conditioning is involuntary and automatic responses, whereas operant conditioning is voluntary and operates on environment. The educator has control over the students to implement what is right and wrong in their brain.

Humanistic School of Thought

Humanistic school of thought is based on the learner’s free will, self-potential, and private extensions. It is based on students’ interests and requirements when learning something. Learners should be allowed to study on their own will and choose their learning courses from their own perspective rather than being ordered by parents or guardians. An educator should have an eye on every learner’s activities so they can keep on achieving in their upcoming achievements.

Thinkers like Carl Rogers, Rollo May, Alfred Adler, and Abraham Maslow had been classified that every learner have their own rights to choose their own educating path to achieve and supported by the help of educators. Learning does not only mean intellectual, whereas it is also focus on teaching someone or making them to obtain knowledge. Every student must be accepted as they are and not being judged for who they are in education. As a human being, each and every soul has their own liberty to pursue their studies. A learner can easily obtain knowledge when they are in a good environment physically and mentally.

Impacts of Each School of Thought

Speaking of the cognitive school of thought, its impact would be to enhance comprehension. Learners can develop a deeper understanding of the material and its application to the studies. It also boosts the confidence to have the ability to handle challenges at school and improves problem solving skills that makes it easier to learn new things within short period. The impact of behaviorist school of thought is that it allows the learner to react in a predictable way under certain conditions. Not only that, it does not consider the feelings or emotions of someone and does not explain all learning as it only explains about external forces and environment. And finally, the impact of humanistic school of thought is the freedom to learn anything an individual like rather than being ordered to learn something they hate. It also considers emotional states and how they impact on learning, and sometimes students will have different knowledge from each other if they choose what they want to learn.

Conclusion

In conclusion, after reviewing the three schools of thought regarding the educational process, I can conclude that the best school of thought is when the teacher teaches through the formal conditions of schooling, so it is better to use the cognitive school of thought. In my opinion, the best school of thought is when an educator is teaching via formal learning circumstances in school, it is better to use cognitive school of thought. It is because the students will easily understand what the teacher is trying to convey. Not only that, students can voice out their point of view without any obstacles from external forces, they can also build their self-confidence by the cognitive school of thought, as they can finally speak up their opinion in front of other people, which leads to boosting their confidence level.

Informative Essay on Cartoons as a Great Teaching Tool

Science and technology are changing rapidly today, and people have sought to keep pace with these changes. The students expected in these rapid and mass processes are implicit and passive, and no student can respond quickly with the shortest stride. On the other hand, the purpose of education is to actively participate in classes, present alternatives that can solve problems, and train students who can think critically. Under these circumstances, new education and training approaches have become important in our education system. It is important for students to discover the fun and enjoyable aspects of the lesson, actively participate in the lesson, create an environment for discussion, and use visual materials that can provide students with more meaningful learning. One of these tools is also a cartoon. Cartoons are a tool for attracting students’ attention, ensuring continuity of attention, reducing tension and test anxiety, and facilitating a more comfortable learning environment.

‘Cartoon’ is defined as a humorous drawing of a specific depiction of humor art that can be created by taking the essence of the drawing and promoting the technical possibilities of visual arts. Cartoons are an effective tool used to teach and advise fun. Cartoons are easy for children to recognize. In the process of making cartoons meaningful, students first focus on the lines of the cartoon, consider all the details, set up connections, make comments, and keep in mind the contrast and relevance with the target. Therefore, students think creatively and critically, and cartoons improve students’ critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and also express themselves, think freely, and convey their thoughts and feelings verbally and in writing. Let’s imagine what you can do. In addition, manga makes the case possible from various aspects while smiling for students (Black, 2003). One of the main purposes of manga is not only to make students laugh in the process but also to make it as they wish. Manga generally has a critical perspective. The topics discussed in the work are required to be reviewed from a critical point of view by the reader. The meaning of the course in teaching cartoons suitable for that subject is effective and memorable. This is an alternative to educational systems based on memorization training accompanied by bleeding wounds. In the meantime, the class develops a fun, intellectual realm of the mind. This will increase your ability to comment on a topic. A teacher who knows comics and can do her best to save today’s youth from nasty comics that contain only elements of humor. Instead, it provides point lines to provide visibility, motivate students, and create opportunities for discussion. The use of comics in today’s education is not well-liked. However, no tool can make education just as interesting as cartoons. Therefore, cartoon visual materials motivate students and provide opportunities for discussion. Communication with comics is simple and uncomplicated. This is remarkable and surprising. It will be a memorable part. The warmth and charm of the cartoon, and the comfort of laughter and smiles make it easier to take advantage of relaxation and easily bring the desired message into your memory. When a student takes a lesson using cartoons, the student is, in particular, better understanding the knowledge of the topic. The cartoon contains important messages generated by looking at the details and simplifying the details to define the case. Therefore, the function of comics that solidifies the foundation that students teach and reminds increases the effectiveness of educational comics. In that sense, manga has a great meaning in education.

The importance of the benefits gained from cartoons in the process of education and the benefits gained from cartoons can be summarized as follows. Students want entertainment during class. Cartoons use a language of humor and have the power to achieve it. This language of learning humor guides students to learn. This allows students to participate more in the lesson without getting bored and provides a fun dimension to the lesson. A positive classroom environment, created with a smile, is more useful than a narrated lesson. It is effective for learning the skills and abilities of students. Teachers can ask questions about the cartoons they drew in class to get students interested and learn the topic. Students will also review the comics they have drawn to develop oral and writing skills. Cartoons are important in that students form relationships between themes and help learners develop problem-solving skills. Manga students have different perspectives and will bring a wealth of ideas. Therefore, it is easier to capture the details of the information. Children have very limited time to concentrate. I’m tired of it as soon as the student’s attention is distracted during class time. You can concentrate on the lesson for a long time without getting bored by teaching the subjects in the manga. At the same time, becoming fond of the course will be an important contribution. Cartoons play an important role in keeping students engaged in class for a long time. Introductory knowledge is effective in refocusing your attention on a given class time. This situation is to keep them. Cartoons make a positive contribution to the development of students’ thinking and comprehension skills. Therefore, they play a role in the formation of a readiness audience, since the set goals are effective in teaching them well. Cartoons are effective for communication with students. This will make it easier for students to remember messages related to their goals. It can be said that the approach of humor is attractive while planning communication with students. Communication with comics is an easy, uncomplicated way.

Evaluation Essay on Art in a Classroom

In the next session, the role of the teacher will involve facilitating discussions surrounding the trip that took place. In doing so, children can share their ideas of particular artworks or processes using art and design terminology which would, in turn, fulfill one of the NC aims (2013). The discussion will also allow children to be critical and gain a deeper understanding of the multiple perspectives that the arts promote (Eisner, 2002). Toward the end of the discussion, children will be introduced to the artist Jennifer Collier and will have the opportunity to discuss and explore her work.

Following the discussion session, children will be given the opportunity to explore different materials in relation to the project. This exploration will be set up with multiple stations across the room, allowing children to explore all the different processes rather than choosing one and solely using that. The stations will also support classroom and resource management. The choice to incorporate stations is inspired by Ogier, who suggests that the environment in which a space is set up to foster children’s creativity will allow children to explore freely (2017, p. 38).

The stations will be; a paper ruffling station, using both double-sided tape and PVA glue to create these (See sketchbook for examples of this approach), an embroidery station using paper and thread, a station with sewing machines (this could be swapped out for an additional embroidery station if the school does not have access to sewing machines), and a station that explores a range of other found materials that could be used for applique. The materials that children will be exploring will mainly be different types of paper, however, some found materials such as bin bags and plastic bottle lids could be explored in relation to the project. This would shine a light on the recycling element of the project, which can be further explored in either science or PSHE lessons, therefore, creating effective cross-curricular links (Barnes, 2018). Furthermore, the use of found materials will reduce the pressure on schools to source lots of materials as the class could bring in suitable recycling materials from home for their project.

Modeling will be provided at each station through verbalizing my thought process and asking children for their ideas as I go. This will give children first-hand experience of how to complete the process whilst supporting them in fulfilling the NC requirements of mastering their artistic skill (DfE, 2013). Some may argue that this will promote a restrictive approach as the modeling would be showing a ‘correct’ way of achieving the process, which in doing so, could restrict children’s creativity as they are only following the teacher’s process to achieve a predetermined outcome (Ogier, 2017). However, there will be some children, perhaps those with SEN, who will not know where to start when given materials, and this could cause anxiety. Furthermore, modeling is essential for the sewing machine station as there is an additional health and safety element to consider. Therefore, the session will aim to find a balance between free exploration and controlled modeling.

At this point, children won’t have seen any examples of what their project will look like or is aiming to achieve. This is intentional as it will allow for a more natural exploration and development of ideas instead of showing them an example as that could lead to children wanting to replicate this. Furthermore, this approach will hopefully combat the sentiment that children feel anxious about their ability in art (Key and Stilman, 2009) between the ages of 9-11 as per Lowenfeld’s stages of artistic development (1987). The self-awareness amongst this age group is important to consider when teaching art to KS2, and this disengagement with Art was evident during my time on placement with a year 6 class. Therefore, the decision to have a mixture of a modeling and exploratory-based approach has been taken as it will hopefully relieve these pressures and will, in turn, provide all children with the opportunity to be creative (National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education, 1999)

After these initial exploration sessions, children will be shown what their final product could look like and will begin to develop designs for their badge or brooch in their sketchbooks to explore what they would like to achieve throughout the project. It is at this point where design and craft will overlap and children will have the freedom to explore the project in their own way by creating initial designs prior to the making process.

Relating back to teachers’ anxieties surrounding Art and Design, assessment could cause some to avoid giving time to the subject due to its subjective nature. This project will use the 8 studio habits of mind suggested by Hetland et al (2013) to ensure there are attainable goals that children can achieve without disrupting individual creativity and requiring children’s work to fit into a single category.

The decision to have a project that is craft based was made to ensure that children can explore a range of different processes rather than just drawing. Art and Design is more diverse than this. With schools being engaged in catch-up programs due to the pandemic, it is important, now more than ever, to reintroduce more craft-based learning in Art classrooms. Craft allows for more than just creating an end product, it also supports children’s communication and collaborative skills which have been drastically hindered by COVID lockdowns (Crafts Council and NSEAD, 2021). Furthermore, this project will allow children to explore new mediums and gain enjoyment from taking part in Art and Design lessons whilst contributing to a bigger picture of sustainability.

Why I Want to Be a Teacher Essay

Why do You Want to Be a Teacher?

My Interest in Teaching

Schools are set up for providing young people the opportunity to receive an education (Young people and school, 2013). Teachers are taking an important role in the schooling system, as the decisions that they made regarding their teaching forms can affect different consequences of students’ learning, identity formations, and positionings (Comber, 2006). This essay will describe my three schooling experiences, which happened in the Writing class, Maths class, and Textile class, followed by my feelings and consequences of these experiences. Moreover, I will analyze the reasons that these experiences influenced me to interest in education and teaching.

Schooling Experience One

My most remarkable schooling experience is the third grade’s writing class. I thought I was not talented at writing as I always received low marks before third grade. However, things changed after I met Mrs. An. She noticed my anxiety about writing and talked with me about how she struggled with writing at my age, and it is never too late to improve her writing skills. Mrs. An encouraged me to be confident to include my feelings in writing homework, and she wrote positive feedback for every piece of my writing. Her advice and high expectations of me motivated me and I started to put a lot of effort into writing. Mrs. An was not only teaching me how to write better but also made me enjoy writing and keep it as a habit. Unlike other teachers, she did not only give us topics that we were interested to write, but also shared her own writings in classes. At the end of the year, I became the best writer in the class.

Instead of blaming my bad performance in writing based on my previous low marks, Mrs. An chose to avoid deficit thinking and repositioned me. According to Comber (2006), from the teacher’s perspective, Mrs. An’s interpretive work brought a powerful improvement in my literacy learning. Based on my participation in writing activities, she chose to talk with me personally and provide useful feedback (Comber, 2006). I felt I’d been cared for by her during the conversation as she shared her personal stories (Noddings, 1995). I changed my attitude toward writing activities because my teacher highly believed in my potential and motivated me with her caring personality (Comber, 2006). Moreover, from the student’s perspective, I felt a sense of belonging, while she involved care in the curriculum and this feeling made me trust her, and keen to build my knowledge of writing.

According to Self-determination theory (SDT), students’ level of performance, mental well-being, and self-management can be improved by teachers’ support of their autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009). My sense of competence has been built with Mrs. An’s feedback. By reading her feedback, I understand my improvement in writing and the weakness that I can work on in the next step. Her discursive work made my sense of relatedness become stronger, as I felt I can always trust her (Comber, 2006). The improving marks of my writing and positive words from my teacher built up my confidence, as a result, I was interested in writing, and believed in myself that I can write as well as others. In addition, the high ambitions inside me built up my sense of autonomy. Moreover, the balance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness that was supported by Mrs. An highly motivated me and helped me perform better in academics.

Schooling Experience Two

When I was in sixth grade, I always achieved high and gained a lot of certificates of academic. My teachers expected me to become an ‘ideal student’, and I tried to work as hard as possible to become one of them. One day, my Maths teacher asked me to answer one question on the blackboard, but I didn’t know how to solve it, he was really angry and said how disappointed that my Maths grade is worse compared to the last exam. His words straight hurt my self-esteem, and I nearly cried during the class. During the ten minutes break, my friend asked me to draw cartoons with her as she knows this is the way to make me release the pressures. I started drawing and my Maths teacher saw it. He became angrier than before. He told me that he thought I’m better than this, and he cannot believe that I used my time on a useless thing rather than working hard to improve my grades. I felt ashamed of myself and felt scared that I won’t be the ideal student in the classroom. I became less interested in Maths as I was so scared of that teacher, and I never did well on Maths after that day again.

Based on the dominant culture, I believed teachers are always right, and I should always listen to them as they stand for authority. Nonetheless, when I reviewed this experience, I recognise how bad the effect can negative discourse bring on students. According to Comber (2006), children’s literacy learning can become better through teachers’ discursive work. My Maths teacher didn’t pay attention to his words, as he didn’t understand what mattered to me. In the Asian culture, most teachers believe that their strict characteristics can make students achieve better, and I understand that he was trying to use the talk to wake me up as he had high expectations of me. However, as the Maths teacher didn’t think carefully about his word, the way that he showed his caring became pressure on me. Moreover, teachers should care about how “the child” is represented, as if teachers think that children live in an innocent colorful bubble, it allows them to think the decision that they made does not affect students.

My Maths teacher was only focused on the scores that he expected me to get in the exams, the drawing skill that I had wasn’t valued from his perspective. Schools only value particular knowledge (Young people and school, 2013). In the dominant culture, teaching students to produce good exam scores becomes teachers’ central mission (Noddings, 1995). As drawing class wasn’t counted for final exams, it became less valued in the curriculum. However, teacher education should not be limited to the transportation of certain knowledge (Comber, 2006).

Schooling Experience Three

I choose to study Textile in the final year of High school. I was studying overseas in a small city. I was nervous to share my thoughts in class because of my limitation in English. I struggled as I found out that designing a garment is not as easy as I thought. In the first two weeks, I isolated myself from others. My textile teacher, Ms. Robson, was patient to show me around the room, explain the class content in detail to me, and encouraged me to talk with peers by setting up share lunch group meetings. During the discussion process, I felt a sense of relatedness, the feeling encouraged me to become more confident. I started to involve the traditional Chinese patterns in the garment as they can represent my identity. On the presentation day, I was worried as I thought Ms. Robson was not interested in these special patterns. However, she told me that she appreciated that I chose to introduce my culture as a part of this design, and this is the best idea that she saw in this assessment. At that moment, I felt my thought and my culture has been valued by her, I started to fearlessly use more cultural elements in my design, and I felt I belong as a part of this class. My garment was chosen for a design competition and I won the second prize in the whole South Island in the end.

My third experience was similar to my writing class experience. Through Ms. Robson’s relational work, I started to feel not only reconnecting with the teacher but also with other students in the class (Comber, 2006). Without her caring and engagement, I will never complete my garment at the end of high school. She put students in the center of study. The way she showed her interest in my knowledge and cultural background made me feel a sense of belonging. Moreover, she not only patiently guide me in access to the dominant culture, but also let me remain my self’s cultural experiences (Comber, 2006).

The sense of relatedness that Ms. Robson created inside the classroom made me surprised. Under the minimum competition and comparisons class, I felt comfortable exchanging my ideas with peers (Katz & Assor, 2007). We all tried our best to make the garment without anxiety and extreme pressure. The warm and supportive atmosphere of the Textile class intrinsically motivated me to achieve higher. Moreover, the open-minded and multi-cultural welcoming class atmosphere made me bravely share my knowledge and links old and new knowledge together (Young people and school, 2013).

My Interests in Education

The three experiences of schooling made me interested in education, as I realise how powerful teachers’ responses can make a difference of children’s lives and chances (Young people and school, 2013). Mrs. An and Ms. Robson showed me how a teacher can design their curriculum to close the achievement gap between different groups in the classroom (Young people and school, 2013). As a student, I significantly understand what teachers do can really affect students’ success, academic achievement, and participation in school (Young people and school, 2013). I was inspired by them and aimed to become a future teacher like them. Moreover, as I benefited from these schooling experiences, I hope I will be able to bring a positive influence on other students, to make young people achieve their goals under the schooling system.

The negative consequences of Maths class experience were also a reason that engaged me to become a teacher in the future. The bad memory of this schooling experience reminds me, that in today’s schooling system, we still have a lot of space to improve the moral decision-making of teaching, as this is the aspect that teachers and schools used to be less concerned about (Comber, 2006). On the other hand, students are not only received certain knowledge from school but also are shaped by schools to become ‘normal’, ‘well-behaved’ citizens of the country. Being a teacher in the future, I can try my best to avoid the hidden curriculum and make more students not only access the dominant culture but make sure their virtual school bags are maximumly valued in my class. Being a part of the educational institution, I will be able to make children understand that it is ok if they are not interested in certain knowledge, but it is important to understand how caring can change our life (Noddings, 1995). Even though I understand that education does not only happen inside educational institutions, we cannot doubt that schools are a tool to lead students to success in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my three significant schooling experiences encouraged me to become interested in education. I am full of ambitions to become a teacher who can bring a positive influence on children by caring for them and putting them in the center of study.

Becoming a Teacher Essay

Motivation is considered one of the main factors in the decisions people make in their lives and it plays a vital role when choosing a career, specifically teaching. Sinclair (2008) created a study that helps us to get a better view of why pre-teachers are entering the field and what motivates them. It requires passion, selflessness, love for children, and a lot of patience. As a teacher, you need to be able to take your learners from the known to the unknown. As a great teacher, your focus should be to serve learners to the best of your ability and fulfill their needs to learn in terms of quality and competency. Teaching is a wonderful lifelong career but there are also various challenges facing teachers. It is very important to take into account both extrinsic and intrinsic factors as well as the challenges that may come with being a teacher.

This profession is very high in demand, as the demand for learning and training increases so does the demand for teachers. Becoming a teacher will get you the best job satisfaction that very few will experience. The best part of it is building positive relationships with the children in your class and watching them grow while they grasp new knowledge and apply it in their studies. Other than parents, teachers have the biggest impact on children’s lives because they tend to apply everything they’ve learned in class through their teachers in their everyday lives. The results you’ll see from your learners as the year progresses are guaranteed to send you home with a sense of pride and joy.

However, as highly regarded and important as the teaching profession is, there are many active challenges still faced by teachers today. Teachers have increasingly become fearful of their lives because of the rising cases of learners who attack their teachers. They find themselves having to deal with learners from violent backgrounds and gang-based societies. Schools have inadvertently become territories prone to crime and violence and this represents a threat to the achievement of educational goals. Some of the violent incidents include stabbings, fatal shootings, assaults, bullying, and the list continues.

Moreover, learners at under-resourced schools in South Africa face significant psychosocial challenges (Spaull, 2013) that negatively affect both their wellness and that of the teachers, ultimately resulting in a lower quality of teaching and learning (Modisaotsile, 2012). According to Modisaotsile (2012), the transition from a segregated apartheid education system, where resources were inequitably allocated according to race, to an inclusive education system has been fraught with challenges. Matsitsa (2011) and Motshekga (2010) argue that South African school teachers are inadequately prepared to support learners within such contexts. Donald et al., (2010) further support the latter that the teachers only have basic concepts of educational psychology and community development as part of their preservice training.

South Africa’s history of apartheid has created vast inequalities within its society (Engelbrecht, 2006). The South African department of education has been working very hard for the last two decades since the end of Apartheid to redress the educational inequalities of the past. In terms of education, the Bill of Rights states that “all learners have a right to basic education,” (Republic of South Africa, 1996, p. 29). Teachers must bridge the gap of educational imbalances and teach to the best of their ability to deliver good quality teaching and learning while putting the learners’ interests and needs in learning first. They can do so by applying different teaching methods and techniques to create a conducive classroom learning environment keeping in mind that the progression of the learner is the main priority. Great teachers do not teach for the benefit of getting rewards or recognition even though it is very important for their hard work to be recognized but because they want to see their students succeed in their studies.

More importantly, teachers need to collaborate and communicate with parents or caregivers to gather information about any difficulties or barriers learners may be experiencing as parents and caregivers to constitute a valuable source of information regarding learners and their abilities and need to be involved in any interventions (De Jager, 2013; Department of Basic Education, 2014

; Donald et al., 2006). Once a learner has been identified as having a barrier or disability it is the responsibility of the teacher to function as the case manager and ensure the learner receives the support and interventions to ensure the appropriate intervention programs are implemented to aid them.

Furthermore, there are responsibilities that the teacher needs to adhere to in their every day and according to the school protocols. Once you step into the classroom without any planning the day will be chaotic. It is crucial to make a lesson plan of all the work that you need to cover, as well as objectives for the intended lessons and the time frame should also be taken into consideration. Teachers need to come to school well planned as planning is one of the most important aspects of a teacher. Learner engagement is also important so that they can feel like part of the lesson and they are also aware of what you’re teaching about.

Co-existing with other teachers at your school is also very essential as being able to work as a team to complete certain tasks. Failure to do so can cause conflict among yourselves it will end up everyone doing what pleases them. Corporation and ethical behavior should be a priority. Controlling the learners is sometimes strenuous having to learn outlandish behavior of learners and how to maneuver them can be fraught, you have to take your time to get to know your learners. Schools have management that adheres that every teacher has needed documentation that should be compelled to record all the progress of the learners and academic marks, you need to record every progress achieved by your learners and remarks you should always be on the lookout. You should keep track of any little progress transpiring.

Teacher evaluation is the formal process a school uses to review and rate teachers’ performance and effectiveness in the classroom, samples of learners work with teachers to record lesson plans hence it is salient that you plan, coordinate, and act ethically. The purpose of teacher evaluation is personal and professional growth that leads to improved performance. Remarks from them should motivate you as the teachers as you should be reporting about the learner’s academic progress should it be to the parents or the principal, you should always keep positive comportment.

References

  1. De Jager, T. (2013). Guidelines to assist the implementation of differentiated learning activities in South African secondary schools. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 17(1), 80-94.
  2. Department of Basic Education. (2014). Policy on Screening, Identification, Assessment, and Support. Department of Basic Education: Pretoria, South Africa
  3. Donald, D., Lazarus, S., & Lolwana, P. (2010). Educational psychology in social context: Ecosystemic applications in southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Oxford
  4. Masitsa, M. (2011). Exploring safety in township secondary schools in the Free State province. South African Journal of Education, 31(2), 163-174.Engelbrecht, P. (2006). Implementation of inclusive education in South Africa after ten years of Democracy. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 3(3), 253-246.
  5. Modisaotsile, B. M. (2012). The failing standard of basic education in South Africa. Africa Institute of South Africa, Policy Brief 72, (1-7)
  6. Motshekga, A. (2010, February). Enhancing the Culture of learning and teaching in our schools for better education outcomes. Address by the Minister of Basic Education, Mrs. Angie Motshekga, MP, to The National Council of Provinces on the occasion of the debate on the President’s State of the Nation Address. Retrieved from http://www.gov.za/address-minister-basic-education-mrs-angie-motshekga-mp-national-council-provinces-occasion-debate
  7. Republic of South Africa (1996). Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Pretoria: Government Printer.
  8. Sinclair, Catherine. ‘Initial and Changing Student Teacher Motivation and Commitment To Teaching.’ Asia-Pacific Journal Of Teacher Education 36.2 (2008), 79-104.

Essay on My Educational Philosophy

The center quote I chose to represent my teaching philosophy is “Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve” (Roger Lewin). This shows my belief that learning is not centered around testing and statistics, but rather the heart and mind of each student. If I were to word my educational philosophy into a poetic statement like the many quotes I found, it would be that “I want to reach each child for who they truly are, teach them to truly learn, and help them to be truly happy”. Because of my high hopes for teaching, I found it difficult to choose only one quote. Others that I felt were important were, for example, one by Buckminster Fuller who said “There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly”, describing how each student has a beautiful potential that only they can reach, and it is the job of the teacher to support them along the way. Finally, there are two Chinese proverbs I found to be especially important. One states “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time”, and the other says “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand”. Again, these both explain how teaching and learning is a process centered around the student.

I believe the purpose of education should be to prepare students for adult life with not only the knowledge but also the skills, both academic and otherwise, that they need to succeed. Specifically, I want each student to have the base set of knowledge and academic skills ‘required’ in our society, but I also want them to be able to connect with and understand others around them, especially those who are different from them. Empathy, on the part of both the student and the teacher, is incredibly important. Respect is first and foremost in the classroom. While it is important to have high-achieving students, each one will be different and as I teacher I hope to cater to their separate and unique wants and needs as much as possible and necessary. I believe that teaching should not be an authoritative dictatorship. The teacher is still learning just as much as the students are, and while the maturity and authority that comes from their education and position make them worthy of respect, I believe that students should not be taught to blindly follow that authority. While it is often taught that one must ‘respect their elders’, one must also remember that students are human beings deserving of just as much attention and respect as the teacher or any others in authority, and it is important for the classroom hierarchy and environment to reflect this. As such, I do believe that teaching should be student-centered. They come to school to learn and grow in many ways, not just be tested and filed away as numbers. Classes must work as a cohesive unit, helping students to develop social skills among their peers, but the teacher must also take time to recognize each student individually, especially at lower or younger levels of education. The teaching methods employed should involve auditory, visual, and tactile learners, combining both social and independent work. While this balance may be hard to achieve, it is up to the teacher to understand their students’ needs and work to accommodate them. For example, a lecture would involve written work like notes, intelligent commentary from the teacher, visual aids to go along with what is presented, and any chance for discussion possible. Remember, the goal is to help students truly learn the material, not just memorize the answers. Every student needs an opportunity to share their voice, but not a requirement to do so, as, again, each student is different and expresses themselves in different ways. Once participation is required, it may seem to be a chore or another box to check for certain students. Each student should also feel represented and secure in their identities. Whether this is their culture, race, religion, gender, or anything else that makes them who they are, each student needs an equal opportunity to relate to the material being taught and the activities completed. Not every student is the same, and their uniqueness should be celebrated, not forced to blend in.

In order to accomplish such lofty goals and seemingly unrealistic expectations for education, teachers should be kind, caring, and understanding individuals who truly believe in and enjoy what they do. It is difficult to devote so much time and mental effort to teaching, especially when so much emphasis is put on truly knowing and reaching each child. However, with the proper training and experience, teachers who are willing to go the extra mile and commit to their students will find that the students are not the only ones who are learning new things. When we as teachers open our hearts and minds to the countless possibilities the next generations have to offer, we will never stop learning and growing in our respect for the youth of our world.

Disclosure of Educational Philosophies

Education. It is one of the most powerful tools in the world that has provided constant proof that it can be used to achieve greatness. By looking at it from different perspectives can highlight the weaknesses in what we already know and then improve upon it. This leading us to the different methodologies and philosophies surrounding it. In examining educational philosophy, it is found to be a system of individual beliefs about education and the teaching roles involved within it. These beliefs encompass everything related to education and being an educator. In this essay, the focus will be on the teaching philosophy that bests suit my teaching belief. This teaching philosophy will be identified by taking the survey titled ‘Examining Your Beliefs’. Additionally, the philosophy scored most on will be thoroughly explained by defining it and the various terms in it. Subsequently, addressing what the beliefs are about the classroom, the role of a teacher, the role of the student, and the involvement of the parent.

According to the survey, it indicated that my educational philosophy is more skewed toward social reconstructionism, with a score of 19. My second highest score was for perennialism, which is 17. This concludes that my teaching philosophy is social reconstructionism.

Social reconstructionism was formed on the basis of a belief that the social problems in our communities should be addressed and fixed by educators (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016). These social problems entail poverty, lack of water and resources, homelessness, bullying, irresponsible sexual behavior, the health and safety of the environment, and drug abuse. A social reconstructionist believes that schools and teachers should address these problems and take a vital role in improving society (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016). Additionally, this would bring about the ideology of education being the vehicle of socialistic improvements.

According to Kahn and Kellner (2007), the reconstruction of education plays an important role in negotiating the intricacies of everyday life, labor and culture, as modern life becomes complex and dangerous. Additionally, the reconstructionist learning can promote cooperation, democracy and positive social ideals, improve communication, esteem and politicized learning (Kahn & Kellner, 2007). This philosophy portrays a different method as opposed to contemporary education, which seems to follow a more progressivism approach.

According to Kooli et al. (2019), the reconstructionist philosophy disagreed highly with education being learner-centered as the progressivism philosophy follows. Additionally, the reconstructionist found their ideology wrong as their approach emphasized the needs of the middle class – which does not care for the entire society. Therefore, the view of their belief of promoting societal education which will address intrinsic problems that arise within various communities. The society-centered education can thus provide a wider education-net which could uplift societies better. Subsequently, this philosophy encouraged the system of new strategies and policies for which education can be reconstructed, whereby improving the human condition to overcome oppressive states (Kooli et al., 2019).

The reconstructionist philosophy does relate to another important concept of social justice as well. Social justice is a movement in education that places great emphasis on rights and equity within societies (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016). It focuses on human rights, fairness, and equality of opportunities available to the community (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016). Additionally, it focuses on the equality of all groups of people and opposes discriminatory treatments. These discriminatory treatments are on the basis of race, social and economic class, gender, sexual orientations, or capabilities. Subsequently, it translates into the instructional practices that make success and equal opportunity for all (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016).

Education in the contemporary world in public institutions is based on worksheet and assessments. The mark allocation and obtained is all that learners have become which basically creates the inability for it to be applied into the real world. If we take a look at how some curriculums are structured; it leaves almost no room for a student to grow their talents and skills. Education should be engaging and should provide a basis for societal improvement – as the means of knowledge should subsequently be power. However, societies and schools vary across the globe and as such creates the disparities. Therefore, I agree with the reconstructionism approach as it can minimize the disparities amongst communities which will provide a better outcome.

According to the reconstructionism approach, it creates a safe-zone for students to grow and become the images they imagine themselves to be. This is done through teachers giving a platform for students to listen and dissect Martin Luther King’s famous speech of ‘I Have a Dream’ (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016). Additionally, by adding subjects to the curriculum like life skills or life orientation which promotes justice and tolerance to different discriminatory treatments in society.

As an educator your obligations are to educate; thus, it should include uplifting the society with your teaching. There is substantial evidence linking social-emotional competence to learning outcomes, which creates a noticeable increase in the prevalence of children’s social-emotional problems in a school setting (Garner, P.; Mahatmya, D.; Brown, E. & Vesely, C., 2014). Thus, leading to more societal issues or bullying. By implementation of curriculums and teaching that promotes societal improvement – it can curb these problem areas effectively.

According to Dann (2012), ‘Education for Transformation’ should be considered in accordance with a context of rationality that recognizes the emotions as cognitive and part of rationality itself. Subsequently, schools are consequently highly effective settings for teaching social and emotional skills. The students should, therefore, be treated like they are meaningful to their society and that their diversity is a positive quality. It is important for parents to be as involved in the learner’s education as the teacher – as this could promote further societal improvement. Thus, schools should always try and engage with the parents and involve them as much as possible within the school; which can create a better societal spread of the reconstructionist philosophy.

According to Kauchak and Eggen (2016), teachers and educational institutions serve as the change agents and can promote a more tolerant and compassionate society. Subsequently, by involving the learners and their parents in activities that promote this compassion and tolerance will provide a positive societal outcome. Freire emphasize that the modern-day school setting solidifies the basis for inequalities to continue (Kauchak & Eggen, 2016). Therefore, the role of the teacher, educational institution, parent, and the learner is important together – rather than separately.

In conclusion, there are many educational philosophies such as perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, existentialism, and social reconstructionism. It is also evident that each of these philosophies has different views on what education should be. However, there is an increasing interest worldwide for education to promote the importance of values, behaviors and skills that encourage mutual respect and peaceful coexistence (Kooli et al., 2019). This newly found importance to improving tolerance that can promote a utopian society supports that the social reconstructionist theory could be the key to the overhaul of education globally.

How Teacher Is Benefited by Learning Educational Philosophy? Essay

Philosophy is the basic nature of knowledge, real life and is the study of existence, especially as a teaching discipline. Philosophy is the study of people and the world by thinking and asking questions. Philosophy is an art and science. Its important general approach to such issues when considered is the formal approach and philosophy is different from other ways of solving by and the ‘philosophy’ of a particular person in ordinary discourse may refer to their beliefs about things. The definition of philosophy is a study of the motives of humanity with real life. In, it we explore ideas about human nature related to the reality in which we live. To survive as a guide, the issues it addresses are basic and comprehensive, and a philosophy is a structure that relies on reality. It is one’s holistic view of the world. It contains an understanding of the nature of the existential man and his role in the world. Philosophy is the basement of knowledge. It is the nerve to put ideas together and understand.

Philosophy, it is obtained from two Greek words. Philo’s way is ‘love’. Sophie’s way is ‘wisdom’. Therefore, it means the ‘love of wisdom’. Pythagoras is said to have been the first man to call himself a philosopher; In fact, the world owes him the term philosopher. When Leon, the tyrant of Pilate, asked him who he was, he said, “a philosopher” he also compared the philosopher to the spectator in ancient games. Before that the sages called themselves a sage, which meant those who knew. Pythagoras was humbler. He coined the word philosopher, which he is defined as someone trying to find. According to him, the world can classify women and men into three groups. First, those who love pleasure, secondly, function lovers, and thirdly, lovers of wisdom.

Nature of philosophy is the logical analysis of language and the elucidation of the meaning of words and notions course this is actually a function of philosophy, almost all philosophers have used methods of analysis and have sought to clarify the meaning and use of the colloquial. Some philosophers see this as the major task of philosophy, and some say it is the only legal function of philosophy. We can see that there is some emphasis on philosophy. As such, learning philosophical research enables us to think carefully and clearly about important things. In learning philosophy, we gain an understanding of how to step back from our everyday thinking and calculate the serious, overwhelming question that carries our objective. Presence in philosophical study is not about learning what to believe, but how to think. Learning philosophy lends itself to your logical powers, worthy of identifying yourself by assessing your strengths and weaknesses in any given situation. It sharpens your ability to make your own strong arguments and it motivates you to work within the boundaries of order and think flexibly and creatively about issues that do not present viable compounds. Because philosophy is a body of knowledge, it develops your ability to think and work independently. Philosophy of education it is very important. Because every important decision about philosophy enters the curriculum, teaching, instruction and testing. The methods a teacher chooses to use in a classroom and materials reflect philosophy. In short, do the choices reflect philosophy? Own philosophy in education, it is out there it affects our behavior and attitudes in the classroom and schools.

The philosophy of education in creating a career in teaching plays an important role. First, intellectual education recognition for understanding the field and for the ideas that often compete in that field. Second, it empowers them to better understand the intellectual discussions that the lessons they teach need. Third, education recognizes teachers for understanding the extent and limitations of factual research in education gives. It is the subjective structure of specific education systems relationships between those research and intellectual issues in the process. Pedagogues (teachers) are advisors and mentors in promoting independent thinking among students and they play an active role. However, to do this as a teacher you must have a teaching philosophy of your own students will always be looking at their teacher and as a result, you need ideas that motivate them. Education if you are a teacher. There are some specific reasons to study philosophy. Some benefits for teachers in learning philosophy there are, learning philosophy improve rational and critical skills. Skills acquired by philosophical majors can be useful in teaching education. Ability to solve problems and analyze. Ability to reason logically. Ability to evaluate proposed solutions clearly speak and write. Ability to go into details, authors learn about questions. How to categorize, sort and facilitate questions. Different how good questions are valuable questions. Teachers are affected by philosophy. Teachers intellectually, spiritually, and morally beneficial. Our general intellectual vocabulary authors learn about those themselves. They by learning about questions. Learning questions frees us from the prerequisite. It helps to think freely, thus, promotes stability, self-government and individuality.

Our perspective on waste it expands is learn in that there is a significant intellectual and spiritual connection between different places and times. They see the experience as a common and rich humanity. Learning philosophy for teachers imparts important rational skills: reasoning, evaluating objections and counter-models, discovering principles, and creating creative thinking skills. Come up with their own ideas and develop them through discussion, it gives communication skills. Being able to put their thoughts into words and express them clearly to others, which gives them social skills to take turns and be respectful and supportive of others’ opinion.

Authors have enormous magnetism, a line of talent and generous charisma. Students need to be competent and good at what they do to ensure they are lucky. Teachers all differ in educational and learning philosophies. When the teacher took up the philosophy of education, I agreed with the philosophies of romanticism. I think the importance of learning should be mainly focused on students. The classroom should be a creative learning environment for children to come to everyday. Students should have a love for the round and about their teacher education students. Not only in their minds, they also consider themselves particularly powerful, providing a version for change. We also need to teach them that being lucky is of good importance. It connects with the essential philosophies of education. Students gain an important content comprehension is the line of immense magnetic potential and generous attraction have authors. Whether students are lucky to make sure they are efficient must be nice too. Aspirants all differ in educational and learning principles.

While taking teacher philosophy in education and learning principles education and romanticism. I think the woods’ emphasis is important. The classroom should be a creative learning environment for children to come to every day. Students should have a love for learning and their teacher. Education is about students. Not only in their minds, but they consider themselves particularly powerful. Provides commitment to change. We also need to teach them that being lucky is important. It connects with essential philosophies of education. I believe that students should learn important content comprehension. Teachers should use a proven action teaching program for the job. I think so. I think progressive philosophy is also valuable. Circulate events and work with each other though. I believe that students should learn Important content comprehension teachers should not only see students filling out the details they have; instead, teachers need to create a learning environment in which students can develop their own understanding. At school, I have always loved teachers, I have been associated and stuck with them, and I get so much knowledge from them. Learning is very unnecessary in a positive learning environment.

The teacher will ensure that their classroom is a positive learning environment. The teacher will teach their students to be of good importance and to be good students. Teachers teach their students what they want to use effective teaching techniques to ensure learning. Teacher will make certain their classroom is a positive learning environment. Teacher will teach their students to have good significance and to be good students. Teacher will use efficacious teaching strategies to make certain their students are learning what they need to be. So, teachers should study philosophy because it will be very helpful for to teach their students very well.

In conclusion, what is the value of philosophy and why teachers study philosophy must or unnecessary. Because it is very necessary to consider this question, under the influence of science or under practical matters for many men controversy over matters where philosophy is innocent but useless triviality, hair-splitting differences and the impossibility of any know. Philosophy helps people to understand the world and how people act. However, some say that philosophy is harmful. Thinks, because philosophy is independent. Encourages thinking, beliefs of others are often questioned. Psychology a century ago and only half as effective. Because of this, philosophy was divided. It revolves around a new kind of science.

Essentialism as My Educational Philosophy

I wasted 4 years of my life learning hard core math just to not use it in the real world. Growing up I was raised in a house hold of 3 children and being the oldest impacted me a lot. Always to know right from wrong was basic instructions given from my mother. I attended homestead senior high school where I learned 5 different math courses including algebra I, algebra II, geometry, financial algebra and so on. To later on in life learn that all I needed was basic mathematics to survive in reality. Enough about me, while acquiring a dual enrollment class I learned something new about myself after completing a survey of the different educational philosophies, I recognized my educational philosophy belief was essentialism.

Essentialism is based off of traditional academic subjects. Math, reading, science and social studies. I honestly believe that students should only know the basics in life, having students learn about extra tactics is a waste of time. According to the author of ‘Essentialism in Education’, “the focus of coursework in essentialism is to teach the essentials of life. It teaches how to survive, how to be productive, and how to live as proper members of the society. It includes subjects such as the study of the natural and surrounding environment, basic natural laws, and disciplines that encourage students to live a happy life. It also instills patriotism within students and uses traditional approaches to develop character of students. Essentialism firmly believes that basic subjects should be taught and impractical subjects should not be part of the curriculum. The purpose of schools in essentialism is to teach the culture’s traditions and past to students. It also provides knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a technological and democratic society” (2015). In other words, students should only learn what is required for a standard living environment. Learning how to succeed and prosper in life should be the only essentials being taught throughout high school. If a student decides to teach a hard-core subject, that is why we have college.

I want to be the teacher of peer counseling. Who teaches students straight to the point. So, they can know what it is and what it is not. Including helping each other out to get a better understanding in life. I will create lesson plans that focus more on the basics of life. PowerPoint and PowerNotes are ways to help the students get a better realization. PowerPoint will pin pad the notes giving a decent explanation on the lecture being taught. Another way to implement in the class room is by giving assessments based off what the students have learned. It’s the original system of education. The learning process is easy if students fail the assessments the instructor will have a brief understanding that the student is not conveying in the learning environmental.

References

  1. http://www.eddirect.com/resources/education/essentialism-in-education
  2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_implementation