A teacher's philosophy of education serves as the backbone of their pedogogical beliefs. I subscribe to the idea that the goal of education should encompass more than the teaching of academic subjects. A true education teaches and nurtures the whole child. It is one that allows the student to progress academically, socially, and emotionally. It is imperative that teachers acknowledge and tend to the psychological and emotional needs of individual students.
The classroom environment should be stimulating as well as safe in order to foster the love of learning. Students should not be afraid to make mistakes and should feel as though their ideas and input are valued and are welcomed parts of the learning process. Teachers should encourage students to be active participants in their education and take responsibility for their own learning. This can be done through collaborative learning projects, problem-based learning, discovery learning, and techonology.
Technology is now not only an asset to effective teaching but a necessity. Teachers are required to keep up with students, having to know what they know. Students will be living in a technology driven world so they need to be exposed to various forms of technology and be able to use them adequately. There are multiple ways that technology can be used in today's classroom. More and more schools are being equipped with SmartBoards, electronic whiteboards that connect to the computer. These boards can be written on with special pens, used to view websites, and play games. I have used the SmartBoard to show short movies on the human body from educational websites such as www.kidshealth.org. Interactive websites are also great ways to engage the students' learning by using technology. Two websites, www.playkidsgames.com, and www.kidsdomain.com/games are sites where students can visit during free time or center time to play different types of games in math, science, and social studies. Another great way to use technology is to take the class on an electronic field trip. There is an exceptional trip program to Williamsburg that fifth graders love.
Thus, the teacher should act as a guide for students, challenging them but also creating opportunities for success by implementing various instructional strategies and technology to keep learning exciting and encourage students to become lifetime learners.
