Personal Educational Philosophy
During my teaching practice, I have understood that effective teaching is based on two essential ideologies, which include self-education and student-centered teaching. Self-education suggests that students should act as a result of understanding rather than following forceful rules and regulations. Teachers should, therefore, resonate with students and portray the rationale of their advocacy along with the adversities that accompany undesirable actions.
As a result, they will accomplish their academics roles willingly since they understand why they should take those responsibilities. Students-centered philosophy argues that the primary concern of teaching is students’ welfare and progress. It contends that other aspects, which include teachers’ conveniences, should only be considered to ensure that the students advance academically. All class arrangements, routines, and administrational logistics must be oriented to the welfare of students’ academic needs and wants.
Classroom Arrangement
Classroom arrangement involves the arrangement of students’ seats, learning materials, and teachers’ equipment, among other things. In light of arranging the future classroom, seats will be arranged in three columns where each column will have sixteen students (Lock & Babkie, 2006). Columns will be arranged in such a manner that each student has one desk mate so that the column has eight rows, as shown in figure 1. The teacher’s desk will coincide directly with the central column. The columns will be separated by small paths where the teacher and students can pass during the class session (Lock & Babkie, 2006).
A white blackboard, which will be used for manual writing as well as projection, will be fixed on the front wall such that students can comfortably follow illustrations. A permanent projector will be positioned at the roof, ensuring that it projects information on the white blackboard.
This arrangement connects to my teaching philosophy since it is oriented to fulfilling the students’ academic needs. In my philosophy, I always advocate for systems that aim at providing satisfactory service to the students. In this light, I give students individual consideration rather than a collective one. The paths, which are found between the columns, enable teachers to move and interact with students to assess their progress at a personal level. This individual consideration helps them to obtain individualized records on the academic status of the students, which could be sent to their parents. It is, therefore, oriented to the academic status of the students implying that it is essentially connected to the aspects of student-centered philosophy.
Lastly, decorations are very important in a class of the environment. In this case, I could decorate the walls using attractive wall charts, which include scientific flow charts, mathematical formulas, and animal pictures for preschool pupils. A classic calendar and a wall clock will be hanging in front of the class so that students are updated on time and the class is decorated. Additionally, the walls will be decorated using colorful boards that have motivational messages for the learners.
Routines
One of the most important aspects of managing a classroom is creating a students’ culture so that their behavior is predictable and controllable. When they have predictable behavior, the teacher can monitor and control them easily. This culture is created by developing daily routines for the class.
Regarding the routines, students will take a roll call daily where their attendance will be recorded as they enter the classroom. It ensures that the presence of students is monitored so that parents can get an accurate report concerning students’ class attendance. Additionally, students will have morning prayers before starting classes to inculcate spiritual growth, purport love, and brotherhood, among other values.
Then, the perfect read the timetable describing how students are expected to utilize their time and respond to bells. It ensures that all students are conversant with the expected schedule and avoid confusion since some students ignore the written timetable. Any student who needs to visit the nurse during class time must personally notify the teacher in the morning. In case students experience a prompt health problem, the prefect should assist them to seek for teacher’s attention and assistance. In this case, the students will be given a leave-out sheet bearing their names as well as the admission numbers.
Students will submit their homework personally within the deadline, ensuring that it is marked in their presence. However, some instances will require them to submit homework through the class prefect. Late homework will not be marked, implying that such students will lose all the marks for the assignment. This ensures that students are academically diligent and conscious about time management. (Lock & Babkie, 2006). For those who finish their homework before the deadline, they will enjoy bonus marks, which will be considered when choosing the best student for the prize-giving ceremony.
Classroom Management Approach
In line with my philosophy, which essentially purports self-education, I could use self-discipline as my classroom management approach. This approach is inspired by the students’ capability to evaluate their behavior and solve their problems according to their objectives (Lock & Babkie, 2006). It argues that students can learn how to take responsibility without relying on others for direction. It implies that students should act willingly according to rationales rather than responding to forceful rules and punishments (Lock & Babkie, 2006).
Further, it asserts that the teacher should create a good student-teacher relationship to create an environment that allows them to resonate sensibly. The teacher should uphold students’ dignity and intellectual capability that enable them to understand their behaviors and correct faults (Lock & Babkie, 2006).
This approach has been used in higher education curriculum where students receive little guidance from their lecturers. Lectures offer guidance only and leave students to make decisions concerning time management, academic commitment, and moral behaviors, among other things. As a result of this freedom, students do not develop a lot of resistance towards teachers. Instead, they concentrate on the rationale of lectures’ guidance and act accordingly.
On the other hand, the instructional approach evokes resistance among students since human beings tend to oppose instructions before they adjust to them. Besides resulting in a wastage of time, it creates a lot of conflict between students and teachers, leading to a poor learning environment. I, therefore, prefer self-discipline to other approaches, which include instructional design and desisting approach.
Rules
Although self-discipline is built on students’ capability to control their behavior, classrooms need rules that are generated on basis of self-discipline to help in coordinating the students. In this case, I will discuss with students the importance of collective rules. Then, I shall facilitate a rulemaking session where students will be included in the process of making their own rules. This will ensure that students are a part of controlling each other so that the rules do not appear to be forceful. In this process, the class will deliberate on five major aspects of classroom management, which include punctuality, homework, noise-making, class attendance, and grooming. These rules will be typed, printed on white paper, and hanged in front of the class for all students to read them.
Consequences
Whereas I appreciate that consequences and punishments are not the main managerial yardsticks, I believe that consequences deter offensive students from misbehaving. As a result, students who do not observe punctuality persistently will be sent home for two days so that their parents can participate in correcting their misconduct. Students who submit their assignments late will be deducted marks leading to low grades. For noise making and class disruption, the offenders will wash the classroom for the whole week while the other students are leaving school. These measures will deter students from committing these offenses.
Motivation, Incentives, and Reinforcement
Teachers use various techniques when motivating students during class sessions to realize good results. In this case, they give rewards to impress hardworking students and inspire others to improve. However, my philosophy of motivation argues against these motivational techniques. These techniques are referred to as the hygienic motivational techniques whose incentive is temporary. They are not real factors of motivation that lead to realistic academic success.
My philosophy of self-education argues that students should be motivated by the real factors of motivation, which include academic progress, achievement, recognition, and responsibility, among other factors. For example, a student should be inspired by the urge to achieve a better grade than the previous one. This essence of progress is a true academic motivator as compared to gifts that are awarded at the end of the term. I will, therefore, offer motivational talks to students showing the importance of education, academic excellence, responsibility, and professionalism. Consequently, students will strive to achieve and advance academically since they know the benefits.
Communication with Parents
Communicating with parents about students’ progress is extremely important. I will, therefore, correct parents’ phone contacts and postal addresses that can be used to inform them about their children’s academic status. Additionally, I will organize frequent academic clinics where parents, teachers, and their children meet to discuss academic issues. During the clinics, students meet individually with their parents and teachers, where the teacher explains the student’s progress in presence of the parents.
It is inspired by my teaching philosophy that advocates for individualized consideration. It is also in line with an article which is referred to as Parent Involvement in Elementary School Children. One of the most essential ideologies that the article describes is that parents must be concerned with the behavior of their children (Lee & Bowen, 2006). The authors suggest that educational management is too serious to be left to the teachers only. Further, they contend that we should apply a team approach when managing and molding students’ behaviors (Lee & Bowen, 2006).
References
Lee, J., & Bowen, N. (2006). Parent Involvement in Elementary School Children. American Educational Research Journal, 43(2), 193-218.
Lock, R., & Babkie, A. (2006). Be Proactive In Managing Classroom Behavior. Intervention in School and Clinic, 41(3), 184-187.