Educational Philosophy

My Philosophy for Teaching History Helen Casey Huffty Stephen F. Austin University

Educational Philosophy

Abstract This paper gives a brief description of my personal educational philosophy. My philosophy is primarily Social Reconstructivism with a hint of Romanticism, which are student-centered teaching styles. My philosophy is based around the philosophical idea of the dynamic unity of reality in which all things are interconnected. My philosophy is also based off of constructivism and Socrates method of inquiry. My philosophy is more concerned with the intellectual, social and ethical development of the student rather than the memorization of facts.

Educational Philosophy

My Philosophy for Teaching History My educational philosophy has been influenced by my experiences in education as well as by my own personal beliefs and values. I was raised in the academic world and surrounded by several different educational philosophies, for that reason I find it difficult to categorize my own so narrowly. History is my field and my passion, and I have a strong desire to inspire others to become involved in discovering and making history (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 2-3). As a child I was interested in ancient history and the teachings of Socrates heavily influenced me. His method of inquiry, breaking down a larger concept into several questions to analyze, is the ideal teaching method for history (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 288). It is important for history students to understand the art of philosophy and to practice metaphysical, epistemological, axiological and logical thinking. By incorporating these physiological methods into my curriculum my students will understand what is real, how we understand knowledge, the nature of our values and the importance of reason (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 286-288). One important aspect in the college world of a historian is service, or understanding and fulfilling the historians role and responsibility to their community. As a history tea cher I understand the importance of the relationships between individuals and their surrounding environments. I am drawn to Rousseaus ideas that are the roots of Romanticism. Rousseau states that a childs learning begins with his exploration of the world which parallels with Socrates educational values (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 300). As a Romanticist I value the development of the individuals intellect and character in order to create a better society, as todays youths are the foundations of tomorrows world. With this in mind, I declare my true

Educational Philosophy

educational philosophy as a product of Progressivism: Social Reconstructivism. Reconstructivism is a student-centered inquiry based learning philosophy which encourages students and schools to reconstruct a more just society. This philosophy emphasizes the importance of addressing social problems, especially controversial issues, and encourages honesty between the students and teacher in the name of producing culturally aware critical thinkers of tomorrow (Cohen, 1999). I am very discouraged by and concerned about the direction our society has gone, and hope to make the patterns of the past relatable to modern history for my students and fellow teachers. Above all things are my responsibilities to my students. Children are empty treasure chests, and their worth is dictated by what is put into them. My responsibilities to my students are to provide a safe, respectful and warm environment in which they are free from judgment to explore their own personal philosophies and understand that they are expected to work at their full potential to sharpen their intellect and character. As a Reconstructivist and future history educator I will use history to teach my students how to look objectively at the big picture while embracing the diversity of the human race to generate an understanding of human nature and the nature of civilization. To do so, students will be taught to look beyond who, what, where, and when and will explore higher level questions such as how, and why (Ross & Adams, 2010, pg. 23). I plan to use specific events in history to illustrate broad universal truths (such as the dynamic unity of reality) to develop students rationality, ethics, and intellect. A reflective journal will be required from each student, where they will analyze what they have learned daily and discuss with the class each week. Sitting stagnantly in a desk swallowing information for 8 hours a day is not healthy. Students get distracted,

Educational Philosophy

uncomfortable, tired, or just need a new approach to a subject (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 68). Lectures are a necessity in a history class, but will be accompanied by several collaborative and hands on activities; for example, outdoor reading days, role-playing historical reenactment days, or a few days out of the month modern history discussion days. (I also plan to avoid the textbooks as much as possible.) A students academic environment should not teach students to conform to the masses, but should teach them to use their unique knowledge and traits to improve their environment. I will coordinate mass groupings of all history classes for students to come together from different learning environments to enhance the students development of social skills and understanding of diversity (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 145). The school should be composed of reflective, culturally responsive teachers who work with the community to develop selfmotivated, social, critical thinking agents of change for society (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 33). It is important for schools to be composed of reflective teachers who not only provide the students with knowledge, but that routinely analyze their class and lessons to discover the most effective ways to teach (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 163). As a future teacher I have the responsibility of developing relationships with my community and the parents of my students. Parents and students of my class will be aware of my conduct and academic expectations, and will be updated monthly on the progression of my curriculum and student performances. It is critical for me to encourage the parents to attend these few meetings per year and to give parents the chance to be actively engaged in the intellectual development of their children. Parental involvement and support will cultivate the students desire to grow culturally, intellectually and ethically (Ryan & Cooper, 2013, pg. 359).

Educational Philosophy

References Ryan, K., & Cooper, J. M. (2013). Those Who Can, Teach (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Ross, D.D. & Adams, A. (2010). Secrets of Successful Teaching: Lessons From Award Winning Teachers, 2008 and 2009. Gainesville, FL: Lastinger Center Clearinghouse. Cohen, LeoNora M. (1999). Educational Philosophies. Philosophical Perspectives in Education (Part 3). Retrieved from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html