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Rogelio Gaeta

LBS 203

Prof. Stacy

12/9/15

Philosophy of Education

To be an educator is to be a sort of a role-model for the students they are there to teach.

Through the years, I would see stories of teachers going above and beyond for their students, not

because they are teachers, but because they are human. While teaching is something must do,

being an involved parent can help and guide students to become upstanding members of society.

Having well educated and literate children can be the best feeling in the world and denying these

children this right to be educated is a huge travesty. A child not being able to read or write is

something everyone must fight against and it's starts at home and school But, the main purpose

of education is to help children become functioning members and participants of a democracy

(Oakes & Lipton, 2002). Having well educated children is an objective that persons such as

myself should strive and fight for.

I feel that the most challenging aspect of teaching that I have seen and experience as a

student is people not asking questions if they got it or not. To have a healthy learning

environment requires a teacher to only know what they are teaching but to also let them know

that asking questions or offer dissenting opinion is welcome and encouraged. Working together

in groups, promoting critical thinking, and offering assistance, and being aware of differences is

a major addition in a good learning environment (Wilson & Peterson, 2006). Also, striving for

social justice is just as important for a positive learning environment to a student learning to be

the best. What needs to be acknowledge to teachers is that each student has their ups and downs.
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Some students that can come to a classroom is those with disabilities like dyslexia or cant even

speak English at all because they recently immigrated from another country. As someone who

comes from a family of immigrants, being able to relate to these students who just came here for

a better life is an important mission for me to pursue. Getting these students to get that equal

access to education requires hard work and dedication from me as a teacher and the community

at large. I would volunteer my time after school to help students lagging behind and, if they are

mature enough, discuss pressing topics affecting society and get to know them a bit more.

Having an effective curriculum would require students to come to class not only prepared

to learn but already learn the prerequisites from the previous grade and apply it to the next grade.

However, this is not the case for some who come to class unprepared and the teacher must take a

step back to get them caught up. To have to do this can reflect badly upon the teacher just as the

student who is lagging behind. That is why I would stress good reading and writing

comprehension. Every student in the class will have to read and write for the rest of their lives

whether they like it or not. So, selecting materials and creating assignments should reflect on

their ability improve their reading and writing. While teaching reading and writing

comprehension is important, teaching them math is just as reading. Teaching, helping and

answering questions can go a long way in a students path of learning. Also, to remember,

having content mastery and striving for social justice in their learning is important in developing

a curriculum for students as well (Hackman, 2005).

To be an effective teacher, one must avoid using tactics from the previous generation to

the next. Bransford et al. (2005) made a list of common practices that effective teachers had

while teaching. Effective teachers had their expectations for students stated clearly, student

works are everywhere: inside and outside of the classroom, did not stand still and moved around
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the class, group works, loads of discussion between student and teacher, and good organization

in the room and the lesson (pg. 6). These common characteristics should be definitely scrutinized

and learned by new teachers if they are planning to be that teacher everyone looks forward to.

New teachers definitely have responsibility to continue to learn and develop professionally. I will

most definitely take any opinion and criticism important and dont lag on improving upon them.

The future of children everywhere depends on a teachers drive to develop and teach effectively.
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Work Cited

Bransford, J., Darling-Hammond, L., and LePage, P. (2005). Introduction. In Darling-Hammond,

L., & Bransford, J. (Eds.). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers

should learn and be able to do (p. 1-39). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Oakes, J., and Lipton, M. (2002). Teaching to Change the World. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill

Peterson, P. L., Wilson, S. M. (2006). Theories of Learning and Teaching What Do They Mean

for Educators? Washington, D.C.: National Education Association

Hackman, H. W. (2005). Equity and Excellence in Education: Five Essential Components for

Social Justice Education (38), 103-109 Univ. of Mass. Amherst School of Education