Philosophy+of+Education


 * Philosophy of Education **

My philosophy of education seeks to address the two vital parts of my profession, the "who" and the "what." As a teacher, I know that none of our efforts would be needed if not for our students, particularly the educational support system (faculty and administration) that serves them. This part of my philosophy of education is decidedly humanistic:
 * Who constitute my target audience? In addressing them, I expect to remain conscious of the culture of the school, of the community that it serves, and of the individual students and faculty members themselves.
 * What are the academic needs of this audience? What does the curriculum require, how can they best learn or teach it, where are they now (at whatever point in the school year), and where do I want them to be when my task is done (at the end of the year)?
 * Apart from generalizations about how students learn, or about how teachers teach, what are the particular characteristics of these people that I need to be aware of in reaching them with my subject matter? What are my particular strengths with these people, and what are my weaknesses?

The place where a humanistic approach either pays off or doesn't is in a particular instant in time when one student (or teacher), who has a name, a voice, a face, and a full day's ration of joys and sorrows, shares that instant with me, who also has a name, a voice, a face, and my own triumphs and defeats.

At such times I set for myself the goal that I fully address his or her issue in a way that affirms his or her human dignity, and perhaps expand on the basic question with a few suggestions regarding the logical extension of his or her work. If I have succeeded, I instantly know it: if I have failed, I know that immediately, too.

My commitment to this approach comes from my own personal background and life experiences, and this is perhaps why I tend to notice my successes and failures and reflect on them.

There is another aspect of my profession, though, that is somewhat different from what the normal classroom teacher faces. That has to do with maintaining a clear focus on the technology of information management, which is developing at a dizzying pace. In order to serve my students, I need to remember several important points:
 * There is no such thing as mastering an accumulated body of knowledge that has taken a millennia to develop. What is happening this year in Information Sciences is likely to make obsolete what happened four, three, ore even two years ago. Paradoxically, just staying abreast of latest events requires as much time and study as a classically-prepared teacher with a traditional subject spends.
 * With students, there is no such thing as "Excellent," "Good," "Average," or "Below Average" with this skill set. Either a student learns during the year the latest information-handling knowledge appropriate for his or her grade level, and thus is even with fellow students in all developed countries - or he doesn't, and finishes the year at what may turn out to be a permanent disadvantage.
 * Whereas a student who is unmotivated in mathematics or science may focus instead on the humanities or social sciences and find a rewarding careers, information management is a skill that influences success in all career fields. An unmotivated student here is handicapped no matter what his interests.

For these reasons, my educational philosophy is somewhat dualistic, one part is always in tension with the other. As a friendly, upbeat person who is genuinely interested in my students as individuals, I tend to place great value on praise when the student succeeds, and on encouragement and sometimes consolation when he or she needs help. This is not only an important teaching skill, but it reflects my own personality, and is easy for me to practice.

On the other hand, my field -- Literacy, Media Proficiency,and Information Management, is unforgiving to those who cannot or will not remain at the cutting edge. With youngster preparing for productive careers in a working environment where accelerated change is the rule, not the exception, there is a sense of urgency in how I approach my duties.

"So much to teach, so little time."