My Philosophical Approach to teaching and Classroom Management
My teaching philosophy is heavily influenced by progressivist and Existentialist teaching philosophies. I believe that students need to think deeply and critically to make meaning of the information and world around them, ultimately I am committed to the individual making meaning out of life and living authentically to that meaning. I also believe that the world is in a constant state of rapid change, and that new ideas need to be brought in and considered so that each of us can figure out for ourselves where we want the planet to go. As far as this effects my classroom management plan on the first level of community this is demonstrated by having the students help develop the classroom expectations so that they have some input in determining what our classroom should look like and can follow the rules that they established. I also require that the students work together to create meaning via a workshop model. In the first level this is addressed because it allows students to give back to their peers via the feedback they give them. I am putting the responsibility onto the shoulders of the students to give their peers honest and open feedback. Also each student must make the choice to use the feedback or to ignore the information and forge on. Either way students have to determine for themselves which is the best route to go. On the second level of the pyramid, recovery, the focus is on the student as an individual who is going through the learning process on their own particular journey. Whether it is addressing that students position, talking to them privately, or making sure my discipline is respectful it is all centered around the idea of the student as an individual who needs to make meaning out of their experiences. Progressivism also puts an emphasis on learning through experience which is a major part of level three, Life Skills, where I ask my students to use the strategies in my class so that they can recall and use them at will later in life. Strategies like the "Meta-moment" or the Conflict Transformation will enable my students to better understand their motivations and the motivations of others. While the focus on workshopping and working collaboratively will give my students plenty of experience working with peers, resolving (or transforming) conflict, and talking with a supervisor. All of these are valuable skills in today's world. Finally levels four and five fit right into the ideas of Existentialist teaching. These levels ask for more targeted and individual support for students who are in need, this completely aligns with the idea of each individual having to make meaning out of the world around them. So any support I can give these students is a blessing.