My Educational Philosophy

The United States of America promises every child a free appropriate public education (FAPE) which meets each student’s individual needs, allows the student to access curriculum, and provides educational benefit to the student. Typically, FAPE is referenced when discussing students with disabilities; however, I believe every child’s education should be evaluated in FAPE terms. Education is a basic right in the United States; however, some students are appropriated a quality education while other students are provided with a subpar education. Much of the time, minority students are subjected to an insufficient education which only widens the achievement gap the United States sees within its’ schools and communities.

James Coleman’s 1966 report, the Coleman Report, found that “the quality of teachers shows a stronger relationship to pupil achievement” than any other factor when socio-economic status is controlled. Since reading this report, I have dedicated myself to becoming a ‘teacher of quality’ that plans and delivers effective instruction, creates and manages a culturally responsive classroom community, and promotes the achievement of all students. As an aspiring ‘teacher of quality’, I hope to help close the achievement gap by providing every child with a free appropriate public education.

But, what should a FAPE teach every student? Schools can not possibly teach students everything they would ever need to know. What should teachers teach their students? As a teacher, one must prepare their students with ‘habits of mind’ to be life long learners and civically involved. Our democratic society can not exist without an educated electorate. Schools and teachers must teach children how to educate themselves and to make educated decisions. To achieve both of these tasks, students first must possess basic skills and then develop higher-level thinking skills.

As a teacher, I ask myself, will my students be able to read and to comprehend real-life texts? Can my students use writing clearly and effectively to communicate? Will my students correctly solve mathematical problems related to their finances? Will my students possess a comprehensive and a balanced view of history to make informed political decisions? Do my students understand how various scientific systems interact in our world? Are my students awed by our world?

In addition to teaching basic skills, an education should involve higher-level thinking. An education is more than simply strings of facts, algorithms, and tests. A quality education requires students to use higher-level thinking to connect similarities, discover discrepancy, solve problems, and evaluate resolutions all within the context of real life. My instruction and curriculum planning uses an integrated approach. Subjects are not segregated, but, rather, interconnected. I strive to develop my students’ higher-level thinking skills because I am preparing them for a life of learning. I expect my students to ask ‘why’ and ‘how’. Why are things the way they are? How are things influenced by each other? How are things interconnected? These questions should continue past a person’s formal schooling.

My instruction is centered on ensuring my students possess the two above-mentioned set of skills: basic skills and higher-level thinking skills. I use a student-centered, gradual release model in which I model and scaffold thinking, analyzing, and learning. Then, I expect my students to complete the tasks themselves. Along with John Dewey and Jean Piaget, I believe students construct knowledge from their hands-on experiences.