Every classroom has a specific atmosphere that teachers and students work together to establish and maintain. The teacher’s attitude can impact the environment of the classroom. It is important for educators to understand how their experience in a classroom as a student themselves has influenced their specific philosophy in their classroom.

The earlier parts of my education journey could be described as a roller coaster ride of rigorous teachers who struggled to understand the needs of a student trying to function with inattentive Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). There were times when teachers would yell, punish, and even spank me for being chatty with my neighbor or not sitting in my seat properly.  Needless to say, I was a child who loved learning, excelled in academics, but did not enjoy actually being in a classroom. This led my mother, who was a teacher herself, to the decision that teaching me out of the home would be the best situation for me, personally. After a few years of learning from home, I missed the interaction of my peers and went back to a traditional school right before starting high school. There were a few rough starts but one particular teacher took the time to see me as a person and not just a student. She is a genuinely authentic person who ensured that her students enjoyed every minute in her classroom. Due to typical teenage angst, there was a period of time when I was not turning in my assignments in her class. Instead of jumping to conclusions about my behavior and giving me zeros on all my work, she sat me down and asked me what was going on. I remember being amazed at the fact that she actually cared and this interaction was something that I will never forget. When I completed my undergraduate degree and found myself doing some soul searching, I remember thinking of her and deciding that I would love to have such a positive influence on young people like she had on me. A teacher has the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with their students. Knowing that teaching would provide the opportunity to spend that much time molding and shaping kids in a positive way was a lot of the reason why I decided that it was a career I wanted to pursue.

Based on past experiences in the classroom, my beliefs would be similar to More (2015) when he said that “classrooms should be safe, professional and collaborative, allowing students to feel at ease, to express their views, share experiences, and discuss differences of opinion.” Students should feel comfortable with their teachers. Having the ability to have conversations that feel genuine and authentic provides students with the opportunity to trust the teacher. This fosters an environment where the student is more likely to excel academically. Negative experiences in the classroom have a lasting impact on students. Educators have an ethical responsibility to insure that students are never exposed to disparaging remarks or condescension that could interfere with the learning process (Association of American Educators, 2018).  Sadker & Sadker (1997) provide an educational philosophy survey for aspiring teachers to take in order to understand how their beliefs match up with specific philosophies. According to this survey, my philosophy in the classroom would clearly learn towards Progressivism. This viewpoint matches up with my desire to have a student-centered classroom. As a substitute teacher, I have already witnessed how a democratic process can help the students feel responsible and accountable for their actions. The second philosophy in the survey that stood out to me was the concept of Essentialism. This philosophy talked about the importance of common skills, values, disciplines, and respect for authority to be something that is taught and understood in the classroom. These would certainly be principles I would like to incorporate in future teaching practices.

Classroom management is key to any successful educational program. Knowing your specific philosophy can help with maintaining and managing a successful classroom. Reflecting on past experiences in the classroom can help future educators mold and shape what they would like their own philosophy in their classroom to be. We can learn from past experiences, whether good or bad, and allow those experiences to shape us into the best teachers for our students.

References

Association of American Educators. (2018). Code of Ethics for Educators. Retrieved from https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/about-us/aae-code-of-ethics .

More, E.T. (2015, August 7). My educational philosophy. Retrieved from             https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/philosophy-of-teaching/my-educational-      philosophy/.

Sadker, M.P., & Sadker, D. S. (1997). Teachers, schools and society (4th ed., pp. 403-405.)  NY: McGraw Hill.