EDU 100: Issues in Education
Choosing a major is very difficult. In many cases, it determines the activity that a person will do for the rest of his or her life. Students have to consider some important aspects when deciding what the emphasis of their college studies and further career will be.
This is problematic in many respects. In this sense, Koeppel (2004) affirms that the main factor that influences the decision-making on a college major is the age of students. He states that, since young adults are in the midst of self-discovery, making such an important decision puts an incredibly heavy pressure on them. Moreover, college studies represent a huge economic investment. Therefore, students need to be sharp on their final choice, which will influence the rest of their lives.
Personality is another determining aspect in this kind of decision. An individual’s personality traits relate closely to his or her major preferences. People tend to follow their passion when they look for the right choice on studies. However, there are the ones that look for potential job positions and working stability. In my opinion, people should study what they feel comfortable with, regardless of their primary motive. I believe that people can excel in whatever they want and are happy about.
This paper introduces a personal insight of my philosophy of education and the relation it has with the major I have chosen. It also presents my projections to future professional development in that area, as well as the importance of my chosen major to society. At the same time, I will support my comments with trusted sources that have enlightened my opinion and enriched my knowledge.
After a lot of consideration and deep analysis, I have chosen to pursue a career as a preschool teacher in a public school setting. One of the main reasons to decide this is the contact with the wide variety of individual coexisting inside classrooms. Diversity reigns everywhere and the chance to test my teaching and counselor skills will rise up with every experience. Additionally, the kind of setting that public schools offer provide many resources and training opportunities that might not be present at private institutions for education.
A teacher’s job is oriented to helping students achieve the maximum benefit from their skills. Teaching represents being present beyond the classroom, where students become citizens and members of society. In this sense, Harrison & Killion (2007) affirm “Teacher leaders assume a wide range of roles to support school and student success” (p. 1). A good and effective teacher understands that the job does not finish with the teaching component. He or she makes a greater effort to ensure that learners be able to apply what they have learnt during the school day, in their own lives.
Experts assert that teachers have many different roles within a classroom. The teaching component is just the beginning of the whole experience of teaching. Instructors have to accomplish a series of roles, in order to have an accomplishing class. They need to make sure that the techniques are being as effective as planned. Besides, professors have to enforce and promote a healthy interaction among students, as well as training constantly to update their teaching skills.
I feel I would make a good and effective preschool teacher due to my interest in helping individuals develop their potential skills. I have lived a prior experience working with young learners as a substitute teacher. Consequently, I witnessed first-hand excellent classroom techniques and strategies, which I would be excited to implement in my classroom.
In my opinion, the best strategy to be a good teacher is planning engaging real-life situations that make students want to participate and learn. I noticed that young learners react better when they actively participate in creative activities where they need to use their skills. This is contrast to other theories of teaching and learning, in which the student is just a passive receptacle for the teacher’s knowledge.
The foundation to a successful academic career begins in preschool. Klein & Knitzer (2006) state, “getting young children started on the right track is essential to getting them where they need to go” (p. 8). This sentence embodies the big responsibility of a teacher in this stage of education; it constitutes a milestone in individuals’ life. Therefore, it needs to be memorable and efficient.
Empirical studies have found that young children learn faster than teenagers do. Klein & Knitzer (2006) say that children are born with hunger for knowledge, for which learning happens faster during the first five years. Their studies also affirm that children with poor early learning are more likely to fail in higher grades.
This assertion confirms that setting a good base in preschool is imperative to promote further success. In consequence, I feel I have motivation and talent to gather the necessary tools, which will allow me to help equip with all the academic and life skills they need, in order to have a productive academic career. When they are younger, children are more prone to being influenced, so it is important to provide them an appropriate education from the beginning, as it will shape the rest of their lives.
There are several approaches regarding education techniques and strategies. However, they all pursue the same aim, which is to succeed in teaching. These approaches have raised all kinds of controversial opinions and promoted studies to either support or oppose them. At the end, it comes down to what the teachers, institution and learners feel comfortable with and are inclined towards.
My theoretical position on teaching and learning leans towards encouraging students to apply what they have learnt to their own lives. I seek to provide them with how-to and hands-on techniques that may allow them to solve real life situations by themselves. Of course, I plan to grade the difficulty of these situations in accordance to age of students.
My philosophy also includes having a positive attitude and transmitting this positivity to students. Being positive in front of a class will strengthen students’ interaction and values. They will be able to show a more respectful and kind behavior towards their classmates, as well as with respect to their teachers, including me. I will promote the extrapolation of this principle of a better conduct into their lives outside the school. The support of parents will be crucial for this transmission of principles and further application of the expected behavior.
In that same way, teaching requires that instructors use a child’s natural curiosity about the world and channel it into meaningful experiences. Children are eager to experience new things and teachers have to be ready to fulfill that need. This is one of my projections as a professional and committed teacher. I plan to take advantage of the curiosity with which students were born, in order to boost their potential, while fulfilling their needs. For example, engaging students with hands-on experiences will open up their curiosity and push them to ask questions and partake in stimulating discussion. There are many benefits of thinking of students as active participants in the learning process, and it is a concept that I believe is at the heart of my personal teaching philosophy.
Hands-on experiences include things, such as the use of technology and mathematical and scientific tools. Research has consistently shown that the use of technology in the classroom can be a formative tool (Hall, Quinn & Gollnick, 2014). Students feel excited and use their skills in real life situations. Furthermore, using imagination to create stories and perform dramas is a vital part of a child’s development.
On the other hand, teachers must be excited about learning. Continuous training and updating of the teaching techniques will ensure the effectiveness of the classes in the long term. This frequent training also serves to establish a good example for students to follow. A teacher cannot ask his or her students for excellence if she or he is not working to reach excellence. Therefore, revamping their knowledge and seeking for mentoring from veteran teachers is decisive to execute a leading role in the classroom. Teachers’ lessons must reflect their emotion for learning.
Moreover, in order to assist students in reaching their potential, it is my responsibility to know them as individuals. Knowing their cultural background, their prior knowledge and their interests is crucial to determine the techniques, strategies and approaches to teach. Besides that, I am willing to incorporate this knowledge into engaging and meaningful lessons for all my students.
This is important because research shows that there is a positive correlation between high classroom engagement, and attendance and achievement (Jablon & Wilkinson, 2006). A child who has a good attendance rate and achieves academically at school, is a child who could become a well-rounded citizen, a life-long learner, and contributing member of society. This is the purpose and hope of a quality education.
In order to teach pre-school in a public school setting, I would need to obtain certain credentials. First, I would need to complete a four-year course of study (Bachelor’s degree) at a reputable college or university in the field of early childhood education. Next, I would have to obtain the proper certification. For example, I would need to take a teacher preparation program in order to pass the Generalist Core Subjects Early Childhood through Sixth Grade Test. Once I have passed this test, I would then need to complete an online application and summit a set of required documentation, in order to receive the certification from my state agency. These would all be necessary for me to be a legal teacher, and I would probably learn many aspects of teaching in the process.
As a teacher, I need to be a natural leader in the classroom and in the school building. Being a leader implies setting an example that students can follow inside and outside school. However, I need to make sure that students develop independent skills, as well, and that they can relate to other models, too. I have to work with both administrators and fellow colleagues to ensure that my students are achieving both, academic and personal goals, at the highest level possible. I plan to do this by showing a kind, positive, and professional relationship, which will reflect in the relationship between students.
The National Education Association (NEA) has set four standards that guide us to becoming outstanding classroom teachers for the benefit of the students. One especially important standard to my philosophy of teaching is being able to encourage an atmosphere of collaboration that will be the foundation for effective teaching and learning (National Education Association). This is imperative to my philosophy because, without collaboration, we as teachers cannot share the best practices for our students, depriving them from what they deserve. It is necessary that open communication take place so that we can impart the knowledge and wisdom it takes to teach our students in an effective and nourishing manner.
Another standard that is valued and encouraged in my chosen field is the promotion of professional development for the purpose of ongoing improvement (National Education Association). This is important because it is what guides my philosophy. If I expect my students to be lifelong learners, then I must also require it of myself. I must be a role model to my students at all times.
A third standard that is important is the expectation that teachers must continuously improve instruction and student learning (Teacher Leader Model Standards, n.d). This standard ties in with my philosophy. It proves that the only way to accomplish this premise is to communicate with other teachers and students. It will allow me to learn continuously about the latest research on how to make lessons and classroom time more engaging and meaningful.
Finally, a fourth standard that should be inherent to our character is that teachers should always be advocates for the teaching profession and student learning. This standard implies that as teachers, we are to be the voice of the children in our communities. If there are needs in the classroom that students need to fulfill, we must then look into our communities for the needed resources.
For example, if we want to have a Family Math Night or a school carnival, we need to engage the community in order to have volunteers participating in school events. These events are real world, hands-on events that give our students the opportunity to engage in the learning process, and to satiate their natural curiosity. It is our task to build trust in the community and be transparent in terms of what is happening in the classrooms, in order to achieve success for all.
Similarly, it is important to provide students with accurate feedback, ensuring to rise up their self-esteem. An accurate feedback must motivate learners to keep trying until they develop their skills. Likewise, it is important to include parents in the teaching-learning process. Teachers have to promote meeting and activities that involve parents and students, and provide them with accurate feedback as well. The communication must be frequent and respectful. A teacher should feel comfortable to open up to different kind of people throughout the day. This will benefit students, and accelerate their development, at the same time.
Being a teacher is not a profession for everybody. It requires dedicating long hours to work inside and outside the school. It also involves constant training and speaking. A teacher must be able to listen to many people all the time and take what is best of it to apply it to their classes. We, as teachers have to genuinely care for children, as well as interpret what they say and feel, in order to fulfill their needs.
Teaching in preschool is a challenging profession that demands for emotional stability and willingness to serve. She or he has to be ready to learn from everybody and give up the premise that teachers know everything. It is worthy endeavor filled with rewards and trials. I hope to be flexible enough to learn from the troubling aspects and enjoy the positive ones.
My goal is to become a preschool teacher, but my dream is to make an impact in the lives of young children. Studies have shown that children build their own worlds based on the experiences and differing perspectives to which they are exposed (Hohmann & Weikart, 1995). I want to expose them to positive experiences and viewpoints so that they start their academic career on the right path.
References
Hall, G. E., Quinn, L. F., & Gollnick, D. M. (2014). Introduction to teaching: Making a
Difference in Student Learning. Los Angeles: Sage Publishing.
Harrison, C., & Killion, J. (2007). Ten Roles for Teacher Leaders. Educational leadership, 65(1), 74. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept07/vol65/num01/Ten-Roles-for-Teacher-Leaders.aspx
Hohmann, M., &Weikart, D. P. (1995). Educating Young Children: Active Learning Processes for Preschool and Child Care Programs. Early Childhood Counts, 2 (4), 13-41.
Jablon, J. R., & Wilkinson, M. (2006, March). Using Engagement Strategies to Facilitate
Children’s Learning and Success. Retrieved from
https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200603/JablonBTJ.pdf
Klein, L., & Knitzer, J. (2006). Effective Preschool Curricula and Teaching Strategies. Pathways to Early School Success. Issue Brief No. 2. National Center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522728.pdf
Koeppel, D. (2004). Choosing a College Major: For Love or for The Money. The New York Times, 1. Retrieved from http://uicaccounting.org/Readings/Education/Choosing-a-College-Major-For-Love-or-for-the-Money.pdf
National Education Association. Teacher Leader Model Standards. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.nea.org/home/43946.htm
