About Me, My Philosophy
As a student I grew in immeasurable ways as a result of nurturing teachers who took the time to understand my unique needs and abilities and taught me how to reach my fullest potential by tailoring their lessons to fit me as an individual. As I move from student to teacher, I will teach to encourage lifelong learning using the multiple intelligences and learning styles while giving confidence to each individual student. As an educator with dual certification in special education and elementary education, I will be teaching for the understanding of my students through various methods with the use of several types of hands on, listening, and conversational exercises. It is important to teach in whatever way creates understanding for students. I will teach against the seclusion of all students, move beyond standardized methods, and fight against the idea of having only one way to teach and learn. As a special education teacher, I will show patience and persistence while teaching different ways to go about looking at a subject. In addition, I would like to have time in the school day when I will take the time to address any problems and areas of confusion so that no one will ever be lost.
I want to lead my students to believe that they can accomplish whatever they want if they work for it. This confidence is critical in the education of all students, as it will help lead them towards a brighter path in their education and throughout their lives. I will teach general learning tools and strategies that benefit my students in their test taking abilities. Some of these strategies include analyzing reading by looking for key words, attentive listening, recopying notes, the use of a partner or a small group to talk about the subject matter with, the use of hands on activities such as creating a poster, power point, outline etc.
As an educator I will always do my best to teach my students in different ways than the average student. I will present my students with many options and materials that could help them further understand the content. I will ensure that the proper modifications are given to the correct students. I will collaborate with my students’ other teachers to better assist each individual student with their unique education. I will work in and out of the classroom to develop techniques that would best suit my students’ needs. I will use my educational experience to benefit the special education students of today who have various different learning styles.
I feel that I most identify myself with the philosophy of Behaviorism. I strongly support the Behaviorist idea of the teacher acting as a guide and role model, as well as allowing the child's natural curiosity to direct his or her learning, and promoting respect for all things and all people. Behaviorism has effectively adopted a system of rewards and punishments within the classroom by rewarding desired behaviors and punishing inappropriate ones. The entire rationale of behavior modification is that most behavior is learned. If behaviors can be learned, then they can also be unlearned or relearned.
Behavior that goes unrewarded will be extinguished. Behaviorist learning theory is not only important in achieving desired behavior in mainstream education but in special education classrooms as well. Special education teachers have classroom behavior modification plans to implement for their students. These plans assure success for these students in and out of school. In agreement with behaviorists, I strongly believe that human behavior is determined by environment. With this is mind I feel that a strong and effective classroom management plan is essential for any classroom. Behaviorists believe that reinforcement is crucial when it comes to mastering a skill. This is definitely true for students with learning disabilities. These students need more repetitions and more practice with a skill to master it.
I also strongly support the philosophy of Progressivism. I feel that allowing students a voice in the learning process and assisting them in finding connections between the curriculum and their interests will benefit them. Therefore, allowing students to bring their own stories, experiences, and ideas into the classroom I am providing my students with the opportunity to work together, to learn from each other, and to respect each other’s differences. I strongly support group work and class discussion because no one student is excluded and all students will be able to have the chance to speak and learn with their peers. In agreement with the progressivist theory, I feel that students are able to learn better when they have the opportunity to work out problems for themselves in order to better understand concepts. Especially in areas such as math and science, hands-on projects are necessary in order to help students apply what they are learning. The use of manipulatives in the special education classroom also derives from the progressivist approach of hands on learning.
In agreement to Ayers (2004) I will commit to a path with a direction and rhythm that allows myself to become a student of my students while creating a lively learning community. I will always do my personal best to fulfill my potential as a special education teacher, by teaching to encourage lifelong learning through the use of the multiple intelligences and learning styles, while giving confidence to each individual student. As a special education teacher I will show patience and persistence while teaching different ways to go about looking at a subject. I will put my knowledge of the behaviorist and progressivist theory into play in my classroom, while guiding my students down the path of exceptional education.
I want to lead my students to believe that they can accomplish whatever they want if they work for it. This confidence is critical in the education of all students, as it will help lead them towards a brighter path in their education and throughout their lives. I will teach general learning tools and strategies that benefit my students in their test taking abilities. Some of these strategies include analyzing reading by looking for key words, attentive listening, recopying notes, the use of a partner or a small group to talk about the subject matter with, the use of hands on activities such as creating a poster, power point, outline etc.
As an educator I will always do my best to teach my students in different ways than the average student. I will present my students with many options and materials that could help them further understand the content. I will ensure that the proper modifications are given to the correct students. I will collaborate with my students’ other teachers to better assist each individual student with their unique education. I will work in and out of the classroom to develop techniques that would best suit my students’ needs. I will use my educational experience to benefit the special education students of today who have various different learning styles.
I feel that I most identify myself with the philosophy of Behaviorism. I strongly support the Behaviorist idea of the teacher acting as a guide and role model, as well as allowing the child's natural curiosity to direct his or her learning, and promoting respect for all things and all people. Behaviorism has effectively adopted a system of rewards and punishments within the classroom by rewarding desired behaviors and punishing inappropriate ones. The entire rationale of behavior modification is that most behavior is learned. If behaviors can be learned, then they can also be unlearned or relearned.
Behavior that goes unrewarded will be extinguished. Behaviorist learning theory is not only important in achieving desired behavior in mainstream education but in special education classrooms as well. Special education teachers have classroom behavior modification plans to implement for their students. These plans assure success for these students in and out of school. In agreement with behaviorists, I strongly believe that human behavior is determined by environment. With this is mind I feel that a strong and effective classroom management plan is essential for any classroom. Behaviorists believe that reinforcement is crucial when it comes to mastering a skill. This is definitely true for students with learning disabilities. These students need more repetitions and more practice with a skill to master it.
I also strongly support the philosophy of Progressivism. I feel that allowing students a voice in the learning process and assisting them in finding connections between the curriculum and their interests will benefit them. Therefore, allowing students to bring their own stories, experiences, and ideas into the classroom I am providing my students with the opportunity to work together, to learn from each other, and to respect each other’s differences. I strongly support group work and class discussion because no one student is excluded and all students will be able to have the chance to speak and learn with their peers. In agreement with the progressivist theory, I feel that students are able to learn better when they have the opportunity to work out problems for themselves in order to better understand concepts. Especially in areas such as math and science, hands-on projects are necessary in order to help students apply what they are learning. The use of manipulatives in the special education classroom also derives from the progressivist approach of hands on learning.
In agreement to Ayers (2004) I will commit to a path with a direction and rhythm that allows myself to become a student of my students while creating a lively learning community. I will always do my personal best to fulfill my potential as a special education teacher, by teaching to encourage lifelong learning through the use of the multiple intelligences and learning styles, while giving confidence to each individual student. As a special education teacher I will show patience and persistence while teaching different ways to go about looking at a subject. I will put my knowledge of the behaviorist and progressivist theory into play in my classroom, while guiding my students down the path of exceptional education.
Assessment
Being a special education student in classes growing up I have been assessed several times. As a student growing up I understood that these assessments were put into place for educators to determine how they could better help me in my education. Seeing how much of an impact my special education teachers were on me made me want to become a special educator myself. It was very interesting to learn about the different kinds of assessments that are used to determine a student’s strengths and weaknesses in a given area. When we began discussing assessments and their importance I was able to relate back to my own personal experience and understand that they way we score and write up these assessments will impact the lives of the student being assessed. In class we reviewed their importance and meaning as well as went into detail about what a norm referenced and a criterion test was. In the future I would recommend that more real life examples be discussed in class when explaining the importance and significance of assessment and how assessment is used. Through my education and field experiences i have seen others accommodations and modifications come to life. The process of assessment allows professionals to ensure that each individual student is receiving a proper equal education.
Beliefs about Discipline.
I believe in an accommodating a supportive, safe, fun, educational environment for all students to learn equally, as one class. As a teacher I want my students to feel like they have an equal say in the classroom. As a teacher I want my students from all backgrounds to feel both comfortable coming into my classroom and comfortable approaching me about both academic and non-academic problems which occur in their lives. I chose to become an educator because I think everyone should be able to get an equal education and be educated in ways that accommodate each individual student. I care about the development of students in all aspects of their lives. As an educator I hope to take on the many roles that I wish to fulfill in order to be that model figure, friend, and educator to all students.
I want my class room to be like a democracy where I would be the precedent. As precedent I am still an authority figure who is respected and in charge, but as precedent I would have my students be able to decide for themselves as a whole class while upholding responsibilities. Having a classroom resemble a democracy were students have responsibility and authority allows al individuals to building trust early on in the year. I want my students to have a say in how the classroom will be run, unlike some classrooms where the teacher can be looked at as a dictator of the lessons and the management. I think knowing each student’s strengths and weaknesses is the first step and providing them with constructive feedback only helps them even more and builds a relationship. As a model figure I will make sure that all areas of concern from all students will be addressed in a positive manner. As a teacher I want to do everything I can to support my students in their education I will do my best to tailor each student’s unique learning style to the needs of the classroom, and the curriculum.
When I First started reading through the twelve questions in Wolfgang’s text, I found it very difficult to pick and choose between the choices to find the behavioral technique, in which I would most relate to and use in my future classroom. I found that many of the questions were difficult to answer because I could not picture what age group I might be teaching and using these behavioral techniques towards. The twelve question inventory gave me insights about myself and where my personality and discipline techniques I use would fall under. The scoring key indicates that my school of thought, philosophy, and values are under t the “Confronting-Contracting, with my second choice being “Relationship-Listening, leaving the Rules and Consequences philosophy, be the one that I tend to agree with the least.
I found the results to the scoring to be correct in that they fit my teaching style and personality. When I went to go reflect upon my results I found that my opinions did not change as far as how my classroom would be run. I took the self-assessment for a second time and ended up having the same results. Based on my lack in change of opinion and change of results, I do not feel that a better model would suit my teaching style at this current time. I agree with my results because as a future teacher and a person I do not believe in having such a controlled classroom with concrete set rules. I on the other hand prefer to give students a greater responsibility and a higher respect, hoping that in return I would be given that same respect. I feel that too much enforcement of teacher given rules resembles a dictatorship where I would rather have my classroom resemble a democracy run by the students for the students, with of course, my supervision.
I would have my students create what they think is good appropriate safe rules to have in the classroom. We will also create consequences together on what would happen if these rules we established were to be broken. That way each student knows what is expected of them. I feel that by giving your students a bit more freedom you allow them to get to know you more as a teacher and as a person. I believe that without constrictions students may feel more comfortable to be themselves, ask questions, and present projects in a more comfortable environment.
With the power of less control by the teacher comes the power of more responsibility towards the students. I think responsibility and first hand experiences of cause and effect reactions are a very important thing for students to learn and live by. I agree with my previous results because I feel the same about my previous choices on how I would run my classroom and students behavior.
Having older students impacts the model of discipline that I have chosen. I feel that too much structure in a classroom with older students leads to more acting out behavior. I feel that when teaching younger students there is more of a need for more rules and a specific structure. If I choose to use my model of discipline with a younger classroom I do not feel that I would have as positive of an outcome. My model of discipline falls under the confronting-contracting model, with my second choice being relationship-listening model. I personally feel that this model will work best with older students due to the increase in responsibility and autonomy and lack of “rules set in stone” kind of structure.
My care for each student and desire to get to know each one of my studnets individually can be displayed when I am able to read and comment on their creative writing where I will be able to understand my students’ interests and beliefs. On an academic level, I plan to monitor each student’s progress individually. As of now I am more interested in working with older students in the middle to high school years of age
“The teacher behavior continuum is used to first display the overt and covert (preplanning) for the techniques that the model proposes. Teacher behavior continuum suggests a power continuum of teacher action, moving from the minimum power of looking to the maximum power of acting or physical intervention. This escalation of more powerful techniques on the teacher behavior continuum also reflects a very real attitudinal and philosophical change on the part of the intervening teacher. This attitude change may be characterized by the three defined philosophies of discipline which include: relationship-listening, confronting- contracting, and rules-consequences” (Wolfgang page 3).
As I was reviewing Wolfgang’s text I first thought of the looking and naming portion. When a conversation looks like it is escalating in a negative way I feel the immediate reaction to intervene before the situation escalates any further. Watching students figure out their own problems as they escalate is a weakness of mine that I have to work on in the future. I also find the need to remind myself that students need to learn to solve their own problems. Constant intervening will do nothing to help students in the long run, they need to sort things out amongst themselves to develop the skill set they will need in the future.
A skill set that I find to be a strength is my ability to listen and understand students concerns whether they be academic or not through their perspective. I feel that this is a characteristic that a lot of teachers lack in. Listening and understanding to students concerns is a critical role for teachers to possess. Teachers need to put themselves in the shoes of their students to understand why this behavior is occurring and how to prevent it from occurring. I believe this skill will transfer into my classroom when confronted with conflicts and dealing with behavior management. “The continuum reflects the level of autonomy and control given to the student to change his or her own behavior of the coercive or aversive actions used by the teacher or school officials to get the desired change in student behavior and reestablish order and safety in the educational setting” (Wolfgang, page 3).
I want my class room to be like a democracy where I would be the precedent. As precedent I am still an authority figure who is respected and in charge, but as precedent I would have my students be able to decide for themselves as a whole class while upholding responsibilities. Having a classroom resemble a democracy were students have responsibility and authority allows al individuals to building trust early on in the year. I want my students to have a say in how the classroom will be run, unlike some classrooms where the teacher can be looked at as a dictator of the lessons and the management. I think knowing each student’s strengths and weaknesses is the first step and providing them with constructive feedback only helps them even more and builds a relationship. As a model figure I will make sure that all areas of concern from all students will be addressed in a positive manner. As a teacher I want to do everything I can to support my students in their education I will do my best to tailor each student’s unique learning style to the needs of the classroom, and the curriculum.
When I First started reading through the twelve questions in Wolfgang’s text, I found it very difficult to pick and choose between the choices to find the behavioral technique, in which I would most relate to and use in my future classroom. I found that many of the questions were difficult to answer because I could not picture what age group I might be teaching and using these behavioral techniques towards. The twelve question inventory gave me insights about myself and where my personality and discipline techniques I use would fall under. The scoring key indicates that my school of thought, philosophy, and values are under t the “Confronting-Contracting, with my second choice being “Relationship-Listening, leaving the Rules and Consequences philosophy, be the one that I tend to agree with the least.
I found the results to the scoring to be correct in that they fit my teaching style and personality. When I went to go reflect upon my results I found that my opinions did not change as far as how my classroom would be run. I took the self-assessment for a second time and ended up having the same results. Based on my lack in change of opinion and change of results, I do not feel that a better model would suit my teaching style at this current time. I agree with my results because as a future teacher and a person I do not believe in having such a controlled classroom with concrete set rules. I on the other hand prefer to give students a greater responsibility and a higher respect, hoping that in return I would be given that same respect. I feel that too much enforcement of teacher given rules resembles a dictatorship where I would rather have my classroom resemble a democracy run by the students for the students, with of course, my supervision.
I would have my students create what they think is good appropriate safe rules to have in the classroom. We will also create consequences together on what would happen if these rules we established were to be broken. That way each student knows what is expected of them. I feel that by giving your students a bit more freedom you allow them to get to know you more as a teacher and as a person. I believe that without constrictions students may feel more comfortable to be themselves, ask questions, and present projects in a more comfortable environment.
With the power of less control by the teacher comes the power of more responsibility towards the students. I think responsibility and first hand experiences of cause and effect reactions are a very important thing for students to learn and live by. I agree with my previous results because I feel the same about my previous choices on how I would run my classroom and students behavior.
Having older students impacts the model of discipline that I have chosen. I feel that too much structure in a classroom with older students leads to more acting out behavior. I feel that when teaching younger students there is more of a need for more rules and a specific structure. If I choose to use my model of discipline with a younger classroom I do not feel that I would have as positive of an outcome. My model of discipline falls under the confronting-contracting model, with my second choice being relationship-listening model. I personally feel that this model will work best with older students due to the increase in responsibility and autonomy and lack of “rules set in stone” kind of structure.
My care for each student and desire to get to know each one of my studnets individually can be displayed when I am able to read and comment on their creative writing where I will be able to understand my students’ interests and beliefs. On an academic level, I plan to monitor each student’s progress individually. As of now I am more interested in working with older students in the middle to high school years of age
“The teacher behavior continuum is used to first display the overt and covert (preplanning) for the techniques that the model proposes. Teacher behavior continuum suggests a power continuum of teacher action, moving from the minimum power of looking to the maximum power of acting or physical intervention. This escalation of more powerful techniques on the teacher behavior continuum also reflects a very real attitudinal and philosophical change on the part of the intervening teacher. This attitude change may be characterized by the three defined philosophies of discipline which include: relationship-listening, confronting- contracting, and rules-consequences” (Wolfgang page 3).
As I was reviewing Wolfgang’s text I first thought of the looking and naming portion. When a conversation looks like it is escalating in a negative way I feel the immediate reaction to intervene before the situation escalates any further. Watching students figure out their own problems as they escalate is a weakness of mine that I have to work on in the future. I also find the need to remind myself that students need to learn to solve their own problems. Constant intervening will do nothing to help students in the long run, they need to sort things out amongst themselves to develop the skill set they will need in the future.
A skill set that I find to be a strength is my ability to listen and understand students concerns whether they be academic or not through their perspective. I feel that this is a characteristic that a lot of teachers lack in. Listening and understanding to students concerns is a critical role for teachers to possess. Teachers need to put themselves in the shoes of their students to understand why this behavior is occurring and how to prevent it from occurring. I believe this skill will transfer into my classroom when confronted with conflicts and dealing with behavior management. “The continuum reflects the level of autonomy and control given to the student to change his or her own behavior of the coercive or aversive actions used by the teacher or school officials to get the desired change in student behavior and reestablish order and safety in the educational setting” (Wolfgang, page 3).