Philosophy of Education

Isabelle Sparr
 I believe that the end goal of education is the cultivation of well-informed citizens who can
contribute to the greater community. Through the stories of the past, students can connect themselves to
the story of humanity, learning about their present situation and how to avoid the conflicts that plagued
our ancestors. This requires not just the intake of information, but debate and discussion in which students
must decide for themselves how to use the information they learn.

To properly foster this deeper sense of reflection, I as a teacher must move beyond general
information sharing and prioritize relationships with students. An effective teacher must know their
students, seeking to understand their lives, interests, and struggles. From there a teacher can intentionally
employ differentiation in a way that connects with every student in their classroom. I believe that
effective teaching can only happen when a teacher prioritizes understanding and personal connection with
the students and the information they are seeking to convey. If a student does not see the relevance of the
content, they will not try to understand the information, let alone let their thinking be shaped by it.
Especially in the realm of history, I must be able to connect the information to the lives of my students, or
the story will just become facts that need to be memorized for a test. To work with students and foster
these connections, a teacher must be flexible, ready to adjust to the needs of the students to meet them
where they are, both during instruction and assessment.

To best facilitate learning and application of content, I believe that group discovery and
discussion is imperative. In this model, I act as a facilitator, leading discussion, asking questions, and
supplying additional information to better form understanding. The students themselves are active
participants in the classroom, working in groups to research or apply content already discussed. I believe
that students, to connect with information, cannot only “absorb” it, but must actively work with it.
Actively building on research through group discussion or activities will push students into areas of
higher order thinking, allowing for deeper insight. These activities will also bring in a new level of
participation from students, who can contribute to their group using their personal strengths and find help
from others with their weaknesses. I believe that through this method students will better understand the
information as well as cultivate collaborative skills necessary for their future participation in the
community. This model does not take away from the need for direct instruction and independent learning
skills. While direct instruction and independent learning are good bases to build up understanding,
students must work out this information in a way that allows for pondering and correction. To effectively
facilitate this collaboration, I as the teacher must directly address behavior in the classroom. This starts by
knowing the students well enough to group them in a way that produces learning, not pure chaos, or
deafening silence. Rules must also explicitly be taught and agreed upon by the class as early as possible.
The rules must be visually present for reference and referred to often. Respect for self and others will also
be emphasized, as collaboration only works when everyone is receptive to others.

Overall, education is most effective when discoveries can be made alongside others. To facilitate
this, I as the teacher must intentionally get to know each of my students to best gauge their strengths and
needs. From there I can build cooperative groups that will work together productively. In the end, these
groups will allow for students to further develop their strengths while working with, not against, their
weaknesses.