My Philosophy of Education... !

All children have the right to a quality education, and all children deserve to have access

to the same education, and the same resources. Because of the difculty in having many different types of learners in one class, I believe it is vital that teachers attend to the needs of all learners, both struggling and advanced, and adapt instruction so that each student is in fact getting the same quality education. Being able to tailor instruction will provide the student with more options, at which point the chances are greater that the learning experience will provide an appropriate t for many learners (Tomlinson 2005). Of course, tailoring instruction can be a difcult process, and it will not always be possible to give an entire lesson in a variety of formats, suitable to the needs of each type of learner. However, a teacher in a differentiated classroom will be able to provide as many tools as they can to ensure that all students can learn the same objective. ! Teachers in an effective classroom must attend to four basic elements; Whom we teach, students, where we teach, environment, what we teach, content, and how we teach it, instruction (Tomlinson and McTighe 2006). These are critical elements to keep in mind when teaching, because they work together. If a teacher looses sight of one, or becomes too focused on only one, then it could all collapse. For example, putting too much emphasis on content, rather than keeping in mind how the content is being is taught, may lead to the problem of coverage. I believe that along side these four elements, an effective teacher must also include the following: 1. communication, and 2. development. These additional elements can t throughout each of the four posed by McTighe and Tomlinson, for instance; good communication will lead to better instruction. By giving clear examples of the expectations of a project or assignment, so that the student knows exactly what he or she is supposed to do, the student will be more likely to achieve the goal of that assignment. Good communication also comes in the form of consistent feedback, so that students know exactly what they are doing well on, and what and how they might improve. Development is also connected to each of the following, for example; knowing how the student is developing may change what and how a teacher is instructing. It may be time to move from one content area to the next, if a student or group of students are demonstrating mastery in an area. It may be time to step backwards, and reteach if they are not.

Borrowing from the progressive philosophy of John Dewey, incorporating the scientic

method (Sadker 2012) into the day to day experiences of my classroom will help students develop and answer their own meaningful questions. Progressivists generally believe that real learning is contained in the process of questioning and experimentation. I nd this to be true. In my experience, children are full of questions, not just about the content area the class is focused on, but questions about everything. Having answers to these questions is vital for progression in learning, and wanting to learn. I believe focusing on questioning, and exploring will better develop the student as a whole. ! Another progressive philosophy I strongly admire is the process of learning through social interaction. I believe that students can best learn how to problem solve and develop clear communication through group work. I absolutely hated group work growing up, because it challenged me to defend my thoughts and ideas, and to have a voice. Many children will feel anxieties about working with others, but there is a larger thing happening in cooperative learning. Kids are developing content area, but they are also developing social skills as well as interpersonal skills, such as condence. I would include group work into day to day lessons, such as daily leveled reading groups, math groups, and science and social studies groups. ! I believe teachers need to be constantly aware of student needs and interests, as well as strengths and weaknesses, so that we can help them to develop and improve the whole student. Student learning does not stop when a child has received the highest grade on an assignment. Learning never stops, rather it is a continuation throughout life. A teacher should constantly be learning from his or her students, where he or she can improve instruction, communication and differentiation strategies in the classroom. Teachers need to be pushing students just past their comfort level, in terms of learning, and into a level of authentic learning. A good teacher will use differentiation to ensure that there is always more work for students to expand on, as well as tools for students to use to assist them in really understanding concepts and ideas they might struggle with. Most importantly, I believe that children best learn through having the support and guidance of people whom are enthusiastic and dedicated to teaching and helping them. I believe a successful teacher is student centered, and truly believes that each and every student they teach, has the ability to succeed. Dustin Ryan