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Philosophy of Education
To me the main form of learning in a science classroom should be by inquiry-based
experiments and conclusions. The students can show that learning has occurred by becoming
active participants in the material and not serving as a vessel where I pour information in and
they pour it out on the test. To show that learning has occurred I want the students to become
familiar with the material in a real-world connection. When the students take a test, I want them
to perform with a 70% or higher and are able to explain the concepts in detail. One of the ways
students can show that they are learning is by participating in classroom discussions and not
being afraid to make a mistake or step out of their comfort zone. Technology in recent years has
become a main contributor in the learning process for students. The authors of “The Emerging
Issues and Impacts of Technology in Classroom Learning” discussed that technology can be used
to help a variety of students show more in-depth learning.
The main way I will present lessons to my students is through a variety of formats such
as inquiry-based experiments, lectures and notes, student participation and discussion,
collaborative learning groups, peer tutoring, and by creating an environment where the students
feel safe to get answers wrong and grow in their learning. In the field of science an inquiry-based
experiment is one of the main ways a student should be able to connect the real world to the
material in class. I like the approach of having the students begin a unit by performing the
experiment and then using the information they learned to derive the equations and concepts they
will use. I enjoy seeing the students create active connections from an experiment to the real
world.
In most courses lecture and notes are important, however, as I explained before I do not
believe that the student should just have information poured in and vomited back out for the test.
When I give lectures and notes I have learned that the students can still be actively involved by
trying to call on every one both in person and online in this crazy time of COVID-19.
I believe that all students can contribute to a lesson with a variety of forms and interests. I
find this to be particularly true when we are discussing an experiment in class because I think it
is important that they learn it is okay to draw a wrong conclusion if they support the information.
For example, if a student failed in drawing the correct conclusion it is okay because science
involves failure. Thomas Edison is famous for his quote “I have not failed. I’ve just found
10,000 ways that don’t work”.
I also believe that cooperative learning groups are important because it allows the
students to work together on a shared goal and learn to collaborate with others. I think this is a
lost skill sometimes in the world of technology because it allows the students to passively work
on their own and this is not how the world operates. I believe that part of the schooling process
should be based on preparing the students for life after graduation and this should involve
working with others. I like to provide the students with the opportunity to collaborate with peers
that they might not normally talk to which allows them to learn how to work with others that
they might not get along with.
I will also structure my classes is to allow for peer tutoring. I think that peer tutoring is an
extremely helpful way to have the students master the material because it makes them become
experts in order to explain it to someone else. I believe that the role of the tutee and the tutor
should be shared because everyone has something to offer.
I think it is very important that the students be in a learning environment where they are
not afraid to fail because this is what leads to the most growth. Thomas Edison also explained
that “many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when
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they gave up”. The environment I am trying to provide for the students is one that allows them to
have fun in learning and also to be respected. I believe it is very important the students feel safe
and welcome in the classroom. The main way I wish to achieve this learning environment is
through the use of the Invitational Learning Theory.
Most of my lessons and structure of my classroom is the Invitational Learning Theory of
Purkey. I learned about this theory from the peer reviewed journal called “Teachers’ Perceptions
in Creating an Invitational Learning Environment in Culturally Diverse Foundation Phase
Classrooms”. In this article the authors discussed five powerful P’s (process, people, program,
place, and policies) to get the students to become active participants in their learning.
“Invitational Education (IE) is a theory of practice that aims to create and maintain a human
school environment that intentionally and cordially invites individuals to realize their boundless
potential in all areas of worthwhile human endeavor” (Wali and Popal, 2020).
The main feedback and assessment strategy I will use is always providing it within 36
hours of the assignment completion. I think this is very important for student improvement
because if they do not remember what they did for the assignment or test, the feedback no longer
becomes helpful. I also believe that all assignments, tests, and labs should have feedback and
comments so the student will not instantly see a comment and believe that they failed the task. I
believe learning occurs the most when the students are willing to take risks, however, if they do
not receive timely feedback and helpful comments they will never grow in their learning.
I think it is important to give tests and quizzes, however, I firmly believe that the data
should be used to improve the learning for the students. For example, if I give the students a test
and half of them fail then I know that I need to review the material. If I notice on a test that all of
the students are passing, I can assume that they comprehended the material and that I can move
on to the next unit. I am a firm believer in spiral teaching because in physics everything builds
off of previous material and if a student does not remember a past unit, they will be confused in
the next one.

Citations
Venketsamy, R., Sing, N., & Smart, L. (2020). Teachers’ Perceptions in
Creating an Invitational Learning Environment in Culturally Diverse
Foundation Phase Classrooms. Perspectives in Education, 38(2), 118–137.
https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/pie/article/view/4343.

Wali, A. Z., & Popal, A. W. (2020). The Emerging Issues and Impacts of
Technology in Classroom Learning. International Journal of Emerging
Technologies in Learning, 15, 237–245.
https://online-journals.org/index.php/i-jet/article/view/14175/7645.