Beruflich Dokumente
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Nicole Murley
Madonna University
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 2
and Alfie Kohn. In contrast to the lecture style, teacher-centered, “traditional” approach to
education, characterized by repetitive drills and rote memorization, progressives like Dewey
believe that American schools should reflect the democratic society in which it is housed
(Boisvert, 1997). Dewey modeled his philosophy after the traditions of farmhouse education, in
which “a Sharing in family work helps occasion habits such as cooperation, industry, and
dependability. It also provides an initial context within which problems need to be solved by
research and experimentation” (Boisvert, 1997. p. 96). According to Kohn (2008), the
The central tenet to my philosophy is the firm belief that every student can and should
this a reality. In a poll of nearly 900 students enrolled in California community colleges, the
Student Support (Re)defined study found that, in order to be successful, students need to be
directed, with a goal in mind and a plan to achieve it; focused on their end goal; nurtured by
someone who wants them to succeed; engaged, actively participating in class and
contribute meaningfully to their community (Booth, Cooper, Karandjeff, Purnell, Schiorring, &
Willett, 2013). I believe the progressive values strongly align with the needs students indicated in
this survey. Therefore, I will use what I have learned from progressive philosophers to attend to
my students as complete individuals, to engage them in the classroom, and to create a supportive
In order to ensure that all of my students are successful, I believe I need to focus on
more than academic achievement, as educators are responsible for fostering development in the
whole child (Kohn, 2008). I firmly believe this extends not only to character education, but also
to physical and health education. Students learn healthy (or unhealthy) habits early that they will
carry with them the rest of their lives. As a teacher, I want to model healthy behaviors for my
promote active learning. This practice will benefit my students’ cognitive development as much
as their physical development. While we know that physical inactivity leads to health
complications, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, studies have shown that “physically active
children outperform their less active peers in the classroom” (Hillman, 2014, p. 3). Movement-
based lessons promote experiential learning, which has been proven to stimulate brain
development. Further, experiences guide the brain’s pruning process of strengthening important
neural pathways and eliminating those that are rarely used (Hillman, 2014). I strongly believe
that students learn by doing rather than sitting still and trying to absorb information passively.
This is why I want students to be actively exploring critical questions, constructing ideas, and
immersed in extracurricular activities to further develop physically and socially. Some of the
most important parts of my education took place outside of the classroom. I was introduced to
athletics at a young age, and I played a variety of sports each year. My parents always
encouraged me to live an active lifestyle. In middle and high school, sports became an essential
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY 4
part of school life. Through participation in school athletics I was able to make friends and learn
extra-curricular activities. I also pursued service leadership positions, in which I was able to
pursue both academic and personal interests on a deeper level. Finally, a few of my teachers were
also my coaches or club advisors, and they served as highly influential mentors when I was
encourage my students to take on as many opportunities as possible. I can also offer extra
elementary schools, teaching science lessons based on what they are learning in class. I can
assess their knowledge accumulated over the year by hosting a science fair, encouraging students
opportunities so that my students can explore careers within the discipline. I will need to network
with professionals in the area and with local elementary schools to provide these experiences for
my students, but the extra work will be well worth the reward.
successfully. Collaboration is another important aspect of the progressive philosophy, and for
good reason. Collaborative learning is shown to lead to the development of higher-order thinking
and leadership skills (Cornell University, 2015). Students become more confident working with
others, they become more responsible, and they take an active role in the learning process
students for the future. As they grow, my students will need to handle difficult problems in
relationships, in their careers, and in their daily lives, and they will need communication and
Instructor for the chemistry courses at Madonna University. Often, when I ask students to work
together, they sit together but complete their work independently. When I used more structured
activities, such as a “think pair share” method, some students remained passive, waiting for a
student to share their work on the board for them to copy for each problem. I know that
collaboration is important, but in my classroom I will need to deliberately teach students how to
communicate, delegate roles, and contribute to the group if I am to be successful. I will also need
to structure these learning activities so that students are held accountable both individually and as
a group.
In conclusion, I believe that above all else, I need to support my students as they grow
into successful young people in every way that I can. If my students believe that I care for them,
and that they have the ability to succeed, then they will be able to flourish academically and
personally. I need to work with my students to create a learning community in which students
feel confident and capable enough to think critically and collaboratively. The only way that I will
convince my students that success is possible, nothing can stop them from achieving their
References
Boisvert, R. D. (1997). John Dewey. Albany, NY, USA: State University of New York Press.
Booth, K., Cooper, D., Karandjeff, K., Purnell, R., Schiorring, E., & Willett, T. (2013). What
students say they need to succeed: key themes from a study of student support. From
Student Support (Re)defined: What students say they need to succeed. The Research &
Hillman, C. H. (2014). An introduction to the relation of physical activity to cognitive and brain
health, and scholastic achievement. Monographs Of The Society For Research In Child
Kohn, A. (2008). Progressive education: Why it’s hard to beat, but also hard to find.
http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/progressive-education/
Cornell University (2015). Collaborative learning: group work [Internet]. Retrieved from
http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/collaborative-learning.html