Fodor 1

Philosophy of the classroom

When someone becomes a teacher they need to come up with there own rules and
philosophies for the classroom. The best way to come up with a philosophy I think is to
make a list of how you want your classroom to run. What kind of things you will expect
from students. In my classroom I will be using the progressivism, behaviorism, and
constructivism philosophies.
The first I will be implementing into the classroom is progressivism. When
bringing this philosophy in my classroom I would do group experiments. I divide the
class into groups and give them different scenarios and let them discuss it in there groups.
Then one person from each group could give an answer as to what they come up with.
When each group lists there ideas it gives the rest of the groups another point of view. It
helps students see things in different perspectives, which in turn will help them develop
and be more flexible as the become adults. At pbworks.com it says that a progressivism
teacher serves as a guide and works beyond the individual in the classroom. A teacher
should not just worry about bookwork; they should go out of the box and help a student
to become successful.
The next philosophy I will put into my classroom is behaviorism. If a student does
something good in the classroom they are rewarded, either with a positive feedback or an
A on a paper. Even at times a student will get a bigger reward. If a student had positive
reinforcement they will want to become good students. Then when they become adults
they will be successful. Helping a student be successful is one of the biggest things I want
to be able to do. I want to be able to see a student in years to come and they have a
family, a home, and a good job. That is part of being successful. It is said that

Fodor 2
behaviorists believe if a teacher provides positive reinforcement, or rewards, a student
will learn to behave that way on their own (slue.edu). In my classroom I want to be able
to reward the entire class for working hard, so I will do a star reward. If working hard I
will give them a star to put their name on and put in a jar. After a certain length of time if
the goal of stars is met then the class will get some sort of reward.
The last philosophy that I will put into my classroom is constructivism. Children
should be able to think for themselves. They shouldnt be told how to think or what to
say. The main rule in my classroom will be you can do anything you like as long as it
doesnt cause a problem. If it causes a problem, then I will let you know. If you cant fix
that problem them I will fix it for you. And me fixing the problem will depend on the
person and what the situation is, so every fix might be different. Students at the high
school level are learning to be adults, so they should be treated like an adult to a certain
point. Let the students make decisions for themselves and if they make a mistake then
they will learn from their mistakes.
In conclusion, every classroom should have a set of philosophies to go by. In my
classroom I will be using the progressivism, behaviorism, and constructivism
philosophies.

Work Cited
Dewey, John. Albany.edu. 2013. Web
Siue.edu. 2013. Web

Fodor 3
Crowder College, Foundations of Education. Pearson Custom. Pg 113-119.