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My Educational Philosophy
Very simply stated, I believe strongly that the following three principles are a must for any teacher and any classroom environment...
A teacher needs to be passionate about what they are teaching
Passion is an elusive little critter, especially during adolescence. Most kids have passions outside of the classroom that are not the easiest to find inside a curriculum. That is the reason why teachers need to have a love and a passion for their content. I have an interest in history, and I tend to combine that interest with things I am very passionate about, like theatre, music and the outdoors. When I can link those together, I find my interest in history goes through the roof. I am very passionate about history, and it is important that I or any teacher brings that into a classroom setting.
A teacher needs to meet their students halfway
Classroom management is important if teacher sanity is going to remain, but at the same time, I truly feel like a teacher needs to know how to release their authority for the sake of the intellectual process. Nothing shuts down a kid quicker than a teacher whose perspective on things seems closed off and immovable. I want to encourage kids to challenge the material we encounter in the classroom. I want them to challenge me as a teacher, and I want them to feel like they are active participants in the search for tying history together.
A teacher instills character over curriculum
Yes the facts are important. I don't need a reminder on that one. But I'm indebted to the late Randy Pausch who said that the best way we learn is through "head fake learnings." "'Head fake learnings'" are absolutely important. We send our kids out to [things like football] to learn much more important things like teamwork, sportsmanship, perseverance, etc."* If a kid has more confidence in their ability to learn, they'll hang on to the curriculum side of things. If they present as oppose to play parrot, they'll hang onto those facts a longer time. I'm much more interested in having my students build a sense of community and self worth, because those really matter in the long run. Besides, if you can boost those in a student, those facts and figures you are instilling at the same time aren't too far behind.
*Randy Pausch, "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams," CMU.
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