Brad Simon Philosophy of Teaching

Growing up, my parents placed a special importance on

education. Education always superseded everything else in our
household. Their love of education and knowledge had a profound
impact on my life. I learned to put school first, even if it meant putting
extra curricular activities on hold. I love to teach and train others, and
have found many opportunities to do so throughout my life. I love
History, and as an educator I always look for new ways to garner
student interest in the subject.
I plan on using primarily a constructivist-learning environment in
my classroom. One of key tenets of the constructivist learning theory is
prior knowledge. I believe that a prior knowledge based curriculum
greatly enhances the learning process by having students activate
prior knowledge when learning about a subject. This allows students to
connect what theyve learned throughout the years and form a greater
understanding of history. Most students view history as hands off, and
this distances students from having interest in the subject. I believe
that history should be hands on and should be interactive and fun.
Hands on learning allows the students retain information better, and
allows them to think more in depth about the subjects they are
learning. I believe that dialogue and debate hold key place in the
learning process in my classroom, because it allows for thoughts and
discussions that go beyond the surface level. I am aware that not every

student or class learns the same way and will use a differentiated
learning system in my class as well. There will be assessments in my
class, most will not be multiple choice tests, but will be projects and
assignments that challenge students to use critical thinking skills while
doing the projects and assignments. The Student-Teacher relationship
is critical to the learning process. If students cannot trust or respect
their teachers, students cannot learn to their best potential. I believe
that discipline is key to the learning process, as it gives students
standards by which they are to behave. I believe that when discipline
issues arise, the students dignity and integrity must be maintained at
all costs. Students coming into my classroom will leave as well
informed young adults, being able to apply the information and critical
thinking skills to use outside of the class.