The opportunity to educate children is a privilege that requires the utmost patience and time from the educator. Teaching is not a profession to be meddled with lightly. We depend upon teachers to enlighten society’s youth--to make them stronger individuals and stronger citizens. We depend on teachers to endow our youth with the knowledge and skills to tackle the vast world that lies ahead of them. However, there are no “correct” means of accomplishing this task--only theories and philosophies.
I believe that an appropriate education encompasses many factors. My personal pedagogies concerning education relate most closely to progressive theory. I believe that an education should not be entirely inhibited by bureaucratic ideologies and practices. Because a school is a microcosm of our greatly diversified society, students should not be considered intellectually, physically, and psychologically similar. Multiculturalism in the classroom has become more prevalent and will continue to grow with time. Thus, teachers must design methods of reaching each and every child, regardless of race, intelligence, and/or handicap. I believe a teacher is responsible for facilitating learning for all; students should be allowed to develop freely and at their own pace. Students should never feel marginalized or subjugated because of stereotypes and misconceptions.
Like the teacher, the student carries responsibility as well. The student should always be prepared to learn, to experience, and to explore. I believe that students learn best when they collaborate with their peers, in order to justify an argument or to discover an answer to a problem. In concordance with collaboration, I believe students benefit when they are able to express themselves, without penalty or judgment. Since my chosen content area is English, I believe that critical and abstract thinking skills evolve when students collaborate and encounter varying viewpoints and interpretations.
As a teacher, I want to help my students learn how to extrapolate information from any given text, and critically analyze the material for discussion. I desire my students to discover their own voice in writing, without losing any part of their identity. In my classroom, I believe that my students should be able to challenge preordained theories and metaphysical truths. I want my students to take the literature they read, and make intimate connections to their life. By doing the aforementioned, I hope to positively affect the lives of my students, and instill in them a strong appreciation for literature and rhetoric.