Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay example -- Teacher Education Educa

Teaching Philosophy Statement Most teachers once they begin teaching rarely think about what philosophy they follow, or how they teach. It’s like second nature. A comparison can be drawn from the act of reading. One does not think about how they read, they just read. Teaching is the same. The teacher draws up lesson plans and such, being what they teach, but how to teach the lesson is usually not in the forefront of their thought, especially for experienced teachers. This just comes naturally. The underlying philosophy of how to teach is always present in the teacher’s method however transparent it may become to the teacher over years of instructing. How this process works is like spreading butter on a slice of bread. Philosophy is like the butter knife you use, it can be varied. A spoon, spatula, or even a finger could be used to spread the butter and they all get the job done, just in a different manner. However, the butter and the bread remain constant; they are the teaching materia l and students respectively. The vast majority of teachers do not choose to use one utensil exclusively, they instead use a knife sometimes, a spoon others, or even a finger at need. Most teachers follow a conglomerate of bits and pieces of all the philosophies. This is a very effective approach because all students can learn, regardless of their learning style. The teacher that combines all these methods into a single productive teaching style practices eclecticism. This is my philosophy of the classroom. I believe that all of the philosophies have distinct merits when applied correctly. Also I believe that certain students respond better to certain philosophies of teaching. Jim may disdain all material that he d... ...ehaviorism falls out of importance as the student grows. One major achievement that came from this philosophy is programmed learning. I own a CD-rom study guide for a class that follows the programmed learning study method and it has helped me tremendously on my learning. As a teacher, one must identify their own philosophy and learn how to best utilize it in the classroom. All philosophies are aimed at the best interest of the student. It is the task of the teacher to decide the method by which they wish to accomplish the education of their students. All teachers have to spread the butter on the bread; it is the choice to use the knife, spoon, spatula, or finger that determines our teaching potency. I will choose to use the tools that will spread the butter most evenly and efficiently, for the benefit of the bread, not just by mere favor of a utensil.