Teaching Philosophy of

Shannon Hageman
Eclecticism is an educational philosophy that encompasses a healthy balance
of all other philosophies. However, just as in life, finding that proper balance can be
a great challenge and something that changes with circumstance. Achieving this
balance is a process to which my own teaching philosophy will adhere. The core of
my philosophy- my purpose and goal for every student- is that they leave my
classroom with not only a better understanding of reading and writing, but also as
better individuals, prepared to contribute their own talents for the common good of
our community.

Part of this betterment requires individual reflection and

meaning, an existential component of my teaching philosophy, as well as purposeful

discussion and reflection on social experience, a social reconstructionism approach.
I plan my lessons with an emphasis on collaboration, effective communication,
critical thinking, self-directed learning, and personal reflection. This deeper learning
will engage student's individual interests, while also implementing the diverse
cultures represented in our room and in the world. By focusing on current events
and the world around us, my students will come to recognize social justice issues
and seek opportunities for change. They will see their influence on the future and
become that voice advocating for the common good.
While my I prefer hands on, active participation from my students, I do still
cling to perennial values, such as the profound lesson of timeless literature classics
and my slight hesitation regarding new technologies. I still believe that there are
times when a lesson requires nothing more than a good old pen and paper. I think
many students, particularly in the small town communities I hope to teach, will
appreciate the traditional and conservative values within the curriculum.

I'm not a fan of standardized testing and I feel my eclectic philosophy shows
that. While my students become deeper learners, they'll nurture a better
understanding of the content and standardized testing will reflect that knowledge
without controlling the lesson plans. Learning is a process and I believe that growth
is most often best assessed with portfolios that encourage a student with tangible
and valid evidence of the progress made. Such assessments do not just come from
me, but from the input of the individual as well as their peers. The skills learned in
such assessment follows the student out of the classroom and into most careers
and future education.
Of all the eclectic attributes to my teaching philosophy, one continuous belief
I have regarding education is that parents are the most important teachers their
children will ever have. As a parent, I understand that communication between
home and school is important to a childs success in education. I want the parents of
my students, regardless of how that role is defined, to know that they are a part of
our classroom as well- I welcome that open communication and hope to engage
their participation at home as well. I plan to do this with online publication sites (like
blogs and websites) and by offering my contact information to parents while
reaching out with lessons that include student/parent collaboration.
As my students grow and progress, so will I. My research in the content area
is ongoing. I try to stay current with today's popular young adult literature while
investigating new ways to teach older classics. While some collaboration happens in
professional learning communities, I've also connected with educators across the
world by means of social media. I enjoy being the teacher as much as I love being a
student and this passion encourages constant development in my content area. My
teaching philosophy will grow and progress as I do, as both a student and a teacher.