Allison Miller

Teaching Philosophy
Spring 2014

Introduction
I will never forget the time that Mr. Wol pulled me aside after class one day. Mr. Wol was
my high school choir director. He was an excellent musician, magnificent teacher, and phenomenal
human being. Mr. Wol always made sure to support us in and out of the classroom. I remember the
time he took two trains to be at a gig to support my close friend in his song-writing endeavors. Mr.
Wol always made his rehearsals and classes exciting, recognizing our individual talents and interests.
He took an individual interest in each one of us.
It was the fall of my sophomore year of high school. I do not remember the exact
circumstances, but Mr. Wol asked to speak to me after rehearsal. He said to me you can do better
than that. I was extremely confused at first. I had always been a good student; my grades were great
and my musicianship was adequate. I had only ever been praised for my good work and skills. Mr.
Wol had seen something in me. He recognized my talents, but knew that I could do better. He told
me that if I tried harder, I could accomplish great things. He told me that I could have a positive
impact on people if I encouraged others. He told me that I could be a great teacher one day. Those
words have stuck with me ever since.
To create a less ugly society
My ultimate goal as a teacher is to try to put more beauty into the world. I believe that the
good we put into the world can make a difference. Paulo Freire describes what he feels to be a
progressive teacher in a speech of his. He explains that a progressive teacher is ...a teacher who has
a progressive vision or understanding of his or her presence in the world, a teacher whose dreams

are fundamentally about rebuilding of society. [A progressive teacher is one] whose dreams are
dreams of changing the reality to create a less ugly society (Wink, 2011). My ultimate goal as a
teacher is to create a less ugly society.
We must have a vision for our own future and the future of our world. It is only then that
we are able to make change. This change comes through our interactions with others. We have a
slight advantage as teachers because we interact with dozens of students on a regular basis.
Interacting with so many people, one might think that a teacher has the power to impact hundreds
of people regularly. However, it is difficult to create a transformative experience for every single
student during every lesson of every day, especially when there are 20 or more students in a music
class lasting sometimes only 40 minutes once a week.
We must focus on our individual interactions with others. The great majority of good
actions are intended not for the benefit of the world, but for that of individuals, of which the good
of the world is made up (Mill, 2002). We must realize that our individual interactions can make a
difference. We might not have the complete focus of every student during every lesson, let alone
inspire each of them to go out and change the world. However, If we have at least one breakthrough
a day, or inspire at least a few of our students in each lesson, then we have made a difference. We
have made a less ugly society. This is an extremely challenging task, especially as a perfectionist. A
lot of times it seems that my lessons have failed in some way; a number of things can feel wrong
about a lesson. However, through critical reflection, I have realized that there are always successes,
no matter how small. There is always some learning happening and always some positive changes
happening. We must focus on the individual interactions, no matter how small.
In order to create a less ugly society, we must also be moral leaders in and out of the
classroom. Deweys thinking, at least to a degree, is shaped by the idea that the teacher is not only
an intellectual in the classroom but also a moral leader in the learning community that emerges in

the classroom (Simpson, Jackson, & Aycock, 2005). Only when we have discovered our own moral
values can we expect to help others develop their own values. For example, if we want our students
to name and question different -isms, we must first name and question them ourselves. There is a
great responsibility that rests on the teachers shoulders. It is important for us all to have a set of
values and principles so we are able to recognize injustice. If we neglect to ask ourselves the
important questions like why is this wrong, then we will never be able to recognize when
something is wrong. More importantly, we wont be able to recognize when we are participating in
hegemony, marginalization, or any one of the -isms. We must set this moral example and ask
ourselves the important questions. Only then can we foster this type of thinking in our classrooms.
Conscientization
In order to create a less ugly society, we must foster critical thinking in our classrooms.
Critical thinking is a skill that can take some time to develop. Before critical thinking is developed
though, people must first realize that their thoughts are valid. Conscientization enables students
and teachers to have confidence in their own knowledge, ability, and experiences. Often people will
say that conscientization is a power we have when we recognize we know that we know (Wink,
2011). This is something that can take a great amount of time to realize. We have to work with
students to help them realize that their thoughts and opinions do matter and that they can be used
to do great things. Conscientization is an important first step. This realization can then be used to
make positive changes in the world.
Once students have gained confidence in their experiences and thoughts, then they can
begin to participate in critical thinking. Critical thinking is not something that can be learned
overnight or done in a single classroom lesson. It is a skill that takes time to develop. However, it is
something that should be lived rather than done. We dont do critical pedagogy; we live it (Wink,
2011). Critical thinking can and should happen as a regular part of each of our lives.

In addition to being a moral model, we can also be a critical thinking model for our students.
We can work together with our students to practice critical pedagogy. Dewey explains that ...we
need to refine our thinking abilities so that we become intellectual artists and practice and encourage
the art of thinking with our students (Simpson et al., 2005). We can partner with our students in
order to practice critical pedagogy together. Freire argues that the task of liberation...lies in
dialogue (Freire, 1993). We can problem pose with our students and learn how to live critical
pedagogy together. Furthermore, we can all be transformed through this interaction.
Conscientization is described as a transformation of the learner and teacher as a result of
interaction between the two of them (Wink, 2011). Conscientization combined with critical
thinking through problem posing can be used to tackle the injustices that we see in our society.
We live it
As Wink explained, critical pedagogy is something that isnt simply done, rather it is
something that is lived (Wink, 2011). In the classroom, we cannot simply write a lesson plan that
teaches critical thinking. We can incorporate critical thinking into our lessons, but critical pedagogy
really goes beyond our curriculum.
If we are going to connect to our students and help them develop critical thinking, we need
to make sure that we are teaching to the whole student. We must ultimately teach our curriculum,
but also consider the students experiences, thoughts, and beliefs about their world. Bockern writes
about the Soul Quotient and why teachers should focus on soul-filled teaching. He explains that this
type of teaching has a holistic view of life, appreciates diversity, can stand against the crowd, is
spontaneous, and seeks answers to why? (Bockern, 2006). I do not believe Bockern intends to be
a critical pedagogue, but this idea certainly aligns with some of the basic elements of critical
pedagogy. Just like critical pedagogy, Bockern explains that he cannot exactly describe soul-filled
teaching, but can recognize it when he sees it. Soul-filled teaching is also something that cannot be

planned, but rather happens spontaneously. It is about taking advantage of the learning moments
that usually take us away from the original lesson plan. He also emphasizes that in order to bring
soul-filled teaching to the classroom, a teacher must find ways to nourish their own spirit
(Bockern, 2006). This applies to critical pedagogy as well; one must live critical pedagogy before they
are able to help others learn to live it as well.
Again, to create a less ugly society
Why does any of this matter? Why are these things important? Ultimately, we do these things
to create a less ugly society. We teach our students to become independent and critical thinkers so
that they are able to grow up and make positive changes in the world. We teach our students to
name the injustices in their world so that they are then able to act and reflect on these problems in
our society. We try to foster conscientization in all of our students so that, combined with critical
thinking, they can become agents of change. We want our students to not just see critical pedagogy
in the classroom but to live it every day so that they can help others also know that they know.
Because the experiences, thoughts, and opinions of each individual not only matter, but can be used
to do amazing things in our world. These amazing things will create a less ugly society.
Conclusion
Since my sophomore year of high school, I have reflected many times on my conversation
with Mr. Wolniakowski. It is undeniable that he was being a great teacher in that moment. However
at the time, I dont think either of us realized that he was being a critical pedagogue. He encouraged
me to take a step back and critically reflect on my thoughts and actions. Since that moment, I have
spent a significant amount of time reflecting on my thoughts, actions, and expectations for myself.
Since then, I have become a better musician, teacher, and person because I have always strived to do
my best. Through reflecting, I have come to realize that I can be an agent of change and make a
difference in this world. He not only changed my life, but helped me realize that I can always change

my own life through critical reflection. I hope that I can give my students the same power that he
gave me.
Wol had to leave my high school several times for personal reasons. He always came back
after weeks or months of mysterious absence. It wasnt until halfway through my senior year that he
left for good. I have been able to contact Wol only once since he left my high school. He was in the
hospital at the time, but he managed to answer my phone call. It was during the March of my
freshman year and I had just realized that I was at the wrong school. Again, he was the one who told
me that I could do better. He helped me realize that I needed to leave school, go home for a year,
and reapply to schools that would make me an excellent musician, teacher, and person. While this
was the scariest decision of my life, it ultimately led me to where I am today. I couldnt be more
thankful.

Works Cited
Bockern, S. V. (2006). Soul-filled teaching and learning. Reclaiming Children and Youth: The Journal of
Strength-Based Interventions, 14(4), 218-222.
Freire, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Continuum International
Publishing Group.
Mill, J. S. (2002). Utilitarianism (2nd ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company,
Incorporated.
Simpson, D. J., Jackson, M. J. B., & Aycock, J. C. (2005). John Dewey and the art of teaching. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Incorporated.
Wink, J. (2011). Critical pedagogy: Notes from the real world (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Incorporated.