FS 6: ON BECOMING A TEACHER

EPISODE 1: THE TEACHER AS PERSON IN SOCIETY

Name of FS Student: __________________

Resource Teacher 1: __
Cooperating School: ____________________________________

My Target

At the end of this activity, I should be able to

• Describe own personal qualities that will make one a good teacher
• Identify the personal qualities of an experienced teacher that you have interviewed
and observed
• Compare own personal qualities with those of the observed teacher

My Tool
Am I This Person?
Who am I as a person? Do I have personal qualities that will make me a better teacher
someday? The qualities listed are some of the many attributes but you will add to this
later.

Look into yourself very well and answer each item very honestly. All your answers are
correct, so you do need to worry.

What Are Some Personal Qualities of Good Teachers?

1. Intelligence – ability to make sound decisions, analyze, make judgement, make

solutions, possess higher order thinking skills, and other types of intelligence.
The teacher is intelligent.
2. Compassion – natural quality to empathize, to feel what others feel, to be tolerant
of others. The teacher is compassionate.
3. Emotional Stability – ability to be calm under pressure, cheerful and optimistic,
level headed. The teacher is emotionally stable.
4. Innovativeness – natural tendency to create new things, modify existing ones,
imaginative, finds solutions to problems quickly, makes use of available
materials. The teacher is innovative.
5. Fairness – natural attribute to look at both sides of the issue before making
judgment, gives equal chances for both sides to be heard, removes personal
biases. The teacher is fair.
 6. Self-confidence – natural tendency to feel “I can do it”, works alone, determined
to succeed. The teacher is self-confident.
7. Cooperativeness – natural action to work together with others, willing to share.
The teacher is cooperative.
8. Buoyancy – ability to survive in difficult situation, balances life, optimistic and
cheerful. The teacher is buoyant.
9. Reliability – attribute demonstrated by dependability, sincerity and honesty. The
teacher is reliable.

AM I THIS PERSON?
Bilbao, 2010 (Shortened version, 2014)
Below are indicators of personal qualities which may describe YOU. Place a in a
Box B if the indicator fits you most of the time or an X mark if the description does not fit
you most of the time.

Box A Box B
Personal Attribute Indicator Appropriate Mark

1. I am mentally alert.
2. I very imaginative for new ideas.

3. I like to try out new things.

4. I appreciate other people.

5. I am tolerant of other person.

6. I adjust to different situations.

7. I look at the brighter’ side of life.

8. I don’t consider myself as better than

others.

9. I share privileges with others.

10. I give personal time for the group.

11. I make it a point to do the job well.

 12. I make quick solutions to
problems.

13. I volunteer to do task for others.

14. I work for the group even without

affirmation in return.

15. I am calm in the midst of chaos.

16. I am dependable on a given task.

17. I give equal chance for others to be

heard.

18. I am sure of what I do.

19. I hold my anger even when

provoked.
20. I am punctual in attendance.

PERSONAL QUALITIES OF AN EXPERIENCED TEACHER CHECKLIST

With the use of an interview checklist attached, get the information about the teacher.
Ask permission to observe the teacher in her/his classroom and add other personal
qualities that you have observed which are not included in the checklist.

Identify and label the characteristics/attributes of checked indicators like

Compassion, Intelligence, Fairness, and others as shown in Activity 1. List other
observed attributes in the box to the right. With other attributes that you have added.

Personal Qualities Checked Put Labels of Qualities

those
observed
The experienced teacher:
1. Is mentally alert / Intelligent
2. Is very imaginative / Innovative
3. Tries out new things / Innovative
4. Appreciates other people / Compassionate
5. Tolerates other people / Compassionate
6. Adjust to different situations / Buoyant
7. Looks at the brighter side of life / Buoyant
8. Does not consider self as better than others / Fair

9. Shares privileges with others / Cooperative

10. Gives up personal time for the group / Cooperative
11. Sees to it that he/she does job well / Self-confident
12. Makes quick solutions to problems / Innovative/intelligent
13. Volunteers to do task for others / Cooperative
14. Works for the group even without being / Cooperative
affirmed return
15. Is calm in the midst of chaos / Emotionally Stable
16. Is dependable on a given task / Reliability
17. Gives equal chance for others to be heard / Fair
18. Is sure of what he/she does / Self-confident

19. Holds anger even when provoked / Emotionally Stable

20. Is punctual in attendance / Reliability
My Analysis

1. How do I use my personal qualities to become a good teacher? Write in at least

two (2) paragraphs.

2. How does the experienced teacher, utilize his/her personal qualities to make
him/her a good teacher? Write in at least two (2) paragraphs.

My Reflection / My Insights

EPISODE 2: THE TEACHER’S PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

Name of FS Student: __________________

Resource Teacher : __
Cooperating School: ____________________________________

My Target

At the end of this activity, I should be able to

• Identify one’s philosophy of teaching and education.

• Gather information on the philosophy of education of experienced teachers
• Clarify how these philosophies are being put into practice

My Tools

Below are major educational philosophies, presented in summary form.

Philosophy of Education Basic Features
1. Essentialism Aim: promote intellectual growth of learners for
competence
Teacher’s role: Sole authority in the subject
matter
Focus: Essential skills, 3 Rs
Trends: Back to Basics, cultural literacy,
excellence
2. Perennialism Aim: To educate the rational person, cultivate
intellect
Teacher’s role: Assist learners to think with
reason (critical thinking, HOTS)
Focus: Classical subject, Great Books, Enduring
curriculum
Trends: Use of Great Books: Bible, Koran,
Classical Books
3. Existentialism Aim: Education of the whole being, as unique
individuals
Teacher’s role: help students define who they
are, their essence
Focus: Self-paced, self-directed,
learnercentered
Trends: Individualized learning,
values clarification
4. Progressivism Aim: Provide democratic social living
Teacher’s role: Develop lifelong learners
Focus: Learner-centeredness, interdisciplinary,
outcomes-based
Trends: Humanistic education, contextualized
curriculum, equal opportunities for all.
1. Reconstructionism Aim: Improve and reconstruct society. Education
for change
 Teacher’s role: Agent of change and reform
Focus: Transformation of present to future
landscape
Trends: Global education,
convergence, transformative education
2. Linguistic Philosophy Aim: Develop communication skills in different
languages (Multilingualism)
Teacher’s role: Provide experiential learning to
learn language
Focus: Language and communication
Trends: Mastery of communication skills (verbal,
non-verbal), paraverbal or listening, speaking,
writing, reading and viewing)
3. Behaviorism Aim: Modify and shape learner’s behavior
Teacher’s role: Arrange environmental
conditions to change behavior
Focus: Learners and the learning environment
that act as stimuli
Trends: Education for sustainable development;
ubiquitous classrooms, multi-sensory stimuli
4. Constructivism Aim: Develop intrinsically motivated learners
Teacher’s role: Teaching students to learn, how
to learn
Focus: Experiential Learning
Trends: UNESCO’s Pillars of Education; multiple
perspectives

Know Thy Self: My Philosophy of Education

Use the Survey Instrument found below for yourself and for two teachers in the
school. Read each statement and answer honestly. Select among choices from Agree
Strongly to Disagree Strongly.

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION?

(Based on Sadker and Sadker, 2nd Ed. Bilbao, 2014)
 What is your philosophy of education? To find out, read each of the following statements about the nature of
education. Decide whether you agree or disagree with each of the following numbers to express your response:

Legend:
43 Agree strongly Agree 21 Disagree strongly Disagree

____________ 1. The student learning should be centered around 3Rs only.

____________ 2. The school subjects should focus on the great thinkers of the past.
____________ 3. Many students learn best by engaging in real-world activities than reading.
____________ 4. The students should be permitted to determine their own curriculum.
____________ 5. Subject matter is taught effectively when it is broken down into small parts.
____________ 6. The school subjects should include only essential for all students to know.
____________ 7. Schools above all, should develop students’ abilities to think deeply, analytically,
and creatively than develop social skill or acquire body of knowledge.
____________ 8. Teaching should prepare students for analyzing and solving the types of problems
they will face outside the classroom.
____________ 9. Reality is determined by each individuals’ perceptions. There is no objective and
universal reality.
___________ 10. People are shaped much more by their environment than by the exercise of their
free will.
___________ 11. Students should not be promoted to the next grade until they have read and
mastered certain key material.
___________ 12. An effective education is not aimed at the immediate needs of the students or
society.
___________ 13. The curriculum of a school should be built around the personal experiences and
needs of the students.
___________ 14. Students who do not want to of study much should not be required to do so.
___________ 15. Programmed learning is an effective method of teaching information.
___________ 16. Academic rigor is an essential component of education.
___________ 17. All students, regardless ability, should study more or less the same curriculum.
________18. Art classes should focus primarily on individual expression and creativity.
________ 19. Effective learning is unstructured and informal.
________ 20. Students learn best through reinforcement.
________ 21. Effective schools assign a substantial amount of homework.
________ 22. Education should focus on timeless questions such as “What is beauty?” or “What is
truth?”
________ 23. Since students learn effectively through social interaction, schools should plan for
more social gathering in their curricula.
________ 24. The purpose of the school is to help students understand themselves and find the
meaning of their existence.
________ 25. Frequent objective testing is the best way to determine what students know.
________ 26. Countries must become more competitive economically, hence schools must bolster
their academic requirements for more competition.
 ________ 27. Students must be taught primarily for its own sake, rather than to help them into their
careers.
________ 28. Schools must place more emphasis on teaching about concerns of minorities and
women.
________ 29. Each person has free will to develop as he or she sees fit.
________ 30. Reward students well for learning so they will remember and be able to apply what
they learned, even if they were not able to understand why the information is worth knowing.
________ 31. Philippine schools should attempt to instill traditional Filipino values in students.
________ 32. Teacher-guided discovery of profound truths is a key method of teaching students.
________ 33. Students should be active participants in the learning process.
________ 34. There are no external standards of beauty. Beauty is what an individual decides it to
be.
________ 35. We can place a lot of faith in our schools and teachers to determine which student
behaviors are acceptable and which are not
________ 36. Schools must provide students with a firm grasp of basic facts regarding the books,
people, and events.
________ 37. Philosophy is ultimately a practical subject to study like computer science.
________ 38. Teachers must stress to the students the relevance of what they are learning to their
lives outside and inside the classroom.
________ 39. It is more important for a student to develop a positive self-concept than to learn
specific concepts.
________ 40. Learning is more effective when students are given frequent tests to determine what
they have learned.

Essentialism Perennialism Progressivism Existentialism Behaviorism

Item S T1 T Item S T T Item S T1 T Item S T T2 Item S T T2

2 1 2 2 1 1

1 2 4 3 2 3 4 2 3 2 4 3 4 3 4 4 5 4 4 3

11
 16

21

26

31

36

Total

Legend: S – Self ; T1 – Teacher 1; T2 – Teacher 2

My Analysis

Based on the information taken, answer the following questions:

Rank your total raw scores for each category. Do the same for Teacher 1 and Teacher
2.

1. What Philosophy is most dominant for you? Which

is least dominant?

2. For Teacher 1, which is the most dominant? Least

dominant?

3. For Teacher 2, what Philosophy has gained the

highest score?
This is the most dominant philosophy of the teacher. What has the lowest score?

My Reflections

1. Have you discovered your Philosophy of Education? How do you feel after
knowing it? Is your philosophy or firm belief of education reflected in what you are
doing as a teacher?
2. In your observations, does an experienced teacher practiced what they believe in
(philosophy of education) in actual teaching? If yes, describe the
instance/episode. If no, what could be the reason?