American Education Essay, Research Paper

I decided that I wanted to be a teacher when I was at the age of thirteen. I decided this because I always wanted to know what was on the other side of being a student, what it was like to be the teacher teaching, not the student learning. But throughout my education I have learned that learning is a continuous process. Teachers will be students for the rest of their lives. This is one of my philosophies of teaching- that learning will be a process that will go on forever, whether a person becomes a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor, and so on. I want to be the teacher, however, that teaches future teachers, lawyers, and doctors the main fundamentals of life, and give them the opportunity to learn their options that are available to meet their individual, their personal, and their societal needs for today and the future.

I believe that learning environments should be equipped so that all children can learn and where decisions are made that are in the best interest of the children. The educational development of the student is of primary importance, and I, myself, am determined to demonstrate such a role to provide a systematic learning environment that is diverse, that will encourage independent, critical, creative thinking and will also be responsive to society s current and future needs.

As a teacher, I believe my main role is that of a facilitator. I think students should use hands on activities to create their own understandings. I believe my main role in the classroom is to create a secure environment where students are free to explore and challenged to learn.

This will be shown by the projects that I include in my classroom. Students will be encouraged to use creativity and higher order thinking skills in several different ways. I picture the students in my class being involved with selecting the projects that they do, working with the community, and challenging themselves to learn as much as they can.

The way that I assess the students will show that I encourage these things. Students will be graded using rubrics, checklists, and observations, more than traditional methods. I think this method of grading is fair to the students because they are graded on how they perform, not just how they do at the end. The students will then focus more on the process of learning, not just the facts and information.

As a teacher, I believe that time spent in the classroom needs to be focused around the students, not just information. This makes teaching more difficult, but also more rewarding. It has been my limited experience that students learn the most when you let them control their own learning. This is not the same thing as running the class. I want my students to have choices in what they do. Sure, everyone needs to know proper English, but that doesn’t mean there is only one way to do it. I want my students to enjoy the learning so that it is actually meaningful for them.

My ideal classroom will be made up of many diverse learners. In the classroom, I expect it to be very busy, but extremely motivated. The students that are the most original are the ones that interest me the most. I enjoy being challenged by students and turning it around on them to make them learn more.

The curriculum that I plan to use will be the requirements of the district in which I teach incorporated with specific methods that I have learned throughout my educational experience. Since I am applying for Kindergarten, I believe that there are many steps to set the foundations of a child s education. I plan to cover areas such as language development, mathematical development, motor development, perceptual development, social development, and technological development.

I plan to spend up to one hour concentrating on language development each day. I think that using materials such as stories, songs, filmstrips, puppets would be very effective to cover vocabulary words, positional words, as well as grammatical structure and verbal expression. I place emphasis throughout the day on communication between the children and between children and myself when planning and carrying out activities. I also think that I will carry on the tradition of show-and-tell. I believe that it encourages children to express themselves clearly as well as helps them to build confidence when in front of their peers.

For areas considering mathematics, I have found that using resources such as books, songs, stories, rhymes, manipulative materials, games, and computers are essential. Students will work on counting, number concepts, numeral recognition, shape, size, time, and quantity. During my paraprofessional experience, my field-based supervisor used a very effective method using drills. She used worksheets that required the students to repeatedly count pictures and record how many they counted. The students were very successful when they concentrated, although some did not take their time and skipped a picture which made their answer wrong. They learn to count more carefully, and take their time with the rest of their work.

Cognitive areas will be studied informally. I want to spend some time on different units covering integrated topics. I feel that it is important for students at the Kindergarten level to start their connection with morals, manners, and other different fundamental life skills to be included in their curriculum. Animals, families, color and shape, our bodies, food, homes, nursery rhymes, holidays, and seasons are some of the topics that will be used. For instance, my one teacher I observed used songs that involved singing about all of the different colors. The songs were about the colors, and were sung to different melodies such as Farmer in the Dell , Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star , and the Oscar Meier wiener song. These songs taught the students to spell every color. It was so much fun to ask them how to spell words. As well as reading books and singing songs, seeing filmstrips and acting out stories and songs, children would be involved in projects, cooking and art and craft activities relative to the unit being studied.

Motor development will be a substantial area of study at the Kindergarten level. It will be learned informally throughout the entire curriculum. I plan to focus on the activating the students fine muscle development with activities such as drawing, coloring, cutting, pasting, painting, etc. For example, staying within the lines and not scribbling while coloring is a challenge for Kindergartners. Giving them positive feedback and commenting on their work builds their confidence and makes them want to be even better. This helps them to work harder and concentrate on keeping the color inside the lines. Large motor skills are also important. At recess, the students have access to the playground equipment, along with toys and balls to condition their coordination. Perceptional skills will also be combined with motor skills using materials such as puzzles and games. Visual and auditory discrimination develop through use of structured teacher directed activities and student selected activities such as: design cards, cut/match/paste designs, and building blocks.

One of the most important part of the curriculum, I feel at the Kindergarten level, is the social aspect of education. It is so important for students to develop at an early age to learn how to work with others and get along with others. I will always refer back to the Kindergarten class that I observed, especially on this topic. Those students had an extraordinary way of giving each other complements on each others work. They helped each other during activities, and for the most part were able to stay focused. Learning to interact with others is vital and building a good self-esteem is an important factor in the learning process.

Technology is growing every day and the sooner I feel that the sooner I can get my students involved in learning the basics, the more opportunities they will have to succeed in their educational careers. I would like them to have the chance to work with computers; to become familiar with the keyboard, the Internet, etc.

I believe that teaching kids responsibility plays a large role in education. My classroom management will be very organized and respectful. I want my students to be respectful of themselves as well as respectful of others. I feel that the only way that they will gain respect for me is if I treat them with respect. I want to have not rules, but quotations posted on the walls of my classroom that encourage quality behavior and manners. I will go over them with the students and demonstrate with role playing, for instance, the correct way to ask a question.

Children must be affirmed and given the opportunity to share in the responsibility for their own behavior. This is the underlying belief by Linda Albert of the National Educational Service. She sees the main focus of cooperative discipline as: Identifying the goals of a particular misbehavior; intervening at the moment of misbehavior; building student self-esteem for future positive interactions; involving students, colleagues, and parents in the process. Albert also includes the students needs that need to be met. She feels they need: to feel like they belong; to feel capable of completing tasks in a manner that meets the standards of the school; to believe they can connect successfully with teachers and classmates; and to know they contribute in a significant way to the group.

There are many changes that I feel need to be made in schools. Today, students are crawling out of yesterday s straight-edge teaching methods. They are getting their hands on technological devices not only in the classroom, but even more outside the classroom. There are many teachers that have been in the profession for a number of years that are stuck in their ways, and refuse to learn or update their methods or strategies of teaching. They ignore the fact that students are learning more effectively in completely different ways than they used to.

There are many options to look at that contain both pros and cons considering bettering the educational process. I honestly can not establish an accurate opinion on this ongoing issue. I know that I feel that the length of the school year should stay the same according the location and region of the school. In California, some schools run on track schedules, where they will go to school for three months, then have three months off. This works because of the climate of this specific region. Here in South Dakota, we have the summer months off, and classes are in session during the colder months. So, I do not think that every school will ever be able to run on the same program and be successful.

However, there is an urgent need for dramatic improvement in the performance of America’s public schools. The key to improving the schools is the quality of the work that students are provided. To improve the quality of the work students are provided, schools must be organized around students and the work provided to students rather than around adults and the work of teachers. Students are volunteers. Their attendance can be commanded, but their attention must be earned.

The changes required to organize schools around students and student work cannot occur unless school districts and communities have or develop the capacities needed to support change – capacities that are now too often lacking in even the best run school districts. Leadership and leadership development are key components to the creation of district-level capacity to support building-level reform.

One major change that is occurring within schools is how teachers are getting paid. It has been brought to the public s attention that society is playing a game of tug-of-war with the issue of teacher salary. The majority feels that realism in teacher accountability, salary negotiations, and pay increases are necessary for bettering the overall educational process. However, there are some people who feel that there are teachers who should not be teaching and do not deserve a higher salary or a pay increase. I, myself, would like to be paid a salary that reflects the quality of the way I do my job. I do feel that there are teachers in the schools who should not be there, and I plan on being one teacher that should be in the classroom, doing the best I can, and getting paid respectfully. I do realize that in order to establish credibility, I will have to start at the very bottom like everyone else and work my way up. I am willing to do this, and am working with a passion to teach kids how much fun learning can be.

My plans for the future are very traditional. I would very much like to be married by the time I am 26 or 27. Hopefully, I will have had a few years of teaching experience. I want to teach somewhere out-of-state for about 5 years, and them maybe return to South Dakota to teach. I want to have had the opportunity to get out and experience an entirely different teaching atmosphere than what I have been brought up with. I would like to go to Alaska or to the East Coast.

I would like to be involved with children not only in school, but out of school as well. One of my goals I have had since I was around 13 or 14 years old is that I want to start a program or class that teaches children of all ages the importance of self-esteem. I had a hard time with these topics when I was younger, and I always told myself that I wanted to help those that were in need guidance to build themselves up; to recognize their potential that lies underneath peer pressure, and influences that may not be the best.

I believe, that the education process can not be successful unless the student feels worthy of the education that they are receiving. They need to have the motivation to learn both materials they are interested and materials that they may not be interested in. It is essential to be well-rounded in the real world today. I want the opportunity to make an impact on children s lives that will benefit their success and future careers.

I look forward to teaching a diverse group of children. I believe that being in a diverse classroom is just as educational as reading about different cultures. Instead of labeling students, I plan on celebrating their diversity and by positively identifying the pride of different cultures. In my classroom I also plan to break down cultural and racial barriers by heightening sensitivity. I want to increase students’ sense of mastery and belonging by valuing their differences

I also think it will be meaningful to involve students in the learning experience, by increasing their motivation to learn as well as their understanding of the concepts being taught.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that teaching for diversity means teaching to the individual. By taking an interest in students’ experiences, interests, beliefs, and goals, I will take the most important step in making students feel that they can succeed in school. In addition, I recognize that differences between individuals are more significant than differences between groups. The greatest challenge a teacher faces is not tailoring teaching to be sensitive to a whole group, but rather tailoring teaching in a way that will meet the diverse learning styles of each student.

I plan to teach diverse students the same as the not diverse students, but with the additional care that they require. They will be included in each and every activity that they can participate in. I also want my students that are not educationally challenged to learn and understand what the challenged students are all about; I want them to be able to understand their needs, how they can include them, and help them understand why they are different. I think that this would make it a lot easier for the class to cooperate with each other as well as help to gain respect for each other. I want to keep things consistent and use good outcome measures. I believe that every student deserves an equal opportunity to get a successful education. We are all diverse in different ways.

As of right now I only plan on teaching at the levels of early childhood. If I were to switch to teach at the middle level, I would definitely wait until after I ve taught for up to 5 or 10 years. Because of my personal experience as a junior high or middle level student, I vowed to myself to never go back there. I had a difficult time, and I look at it as a very rough age for students. The reason I would want to move to this level if I decided to would be because I would want to help those who were having the troubles that I went through, because it is a long, tough road in front of them. All of the peer pressure, the snotty attitudes, and puberty stage hits hard at those ages, and I am just glad that I made it through myself.

The middle school philosophy addresses the specific needs of the child in transition to adulthood in a unique way, recognizing the rapid changes taking place over the course of a few short years.

I recognize that it is a huge responsibility to guide middle school students through the transitional period of early adolescence. Students enter middle school at a time when they are confronted with physical, social, and emotional changes, which often cause inner conflict. The recognition of these changes is a challenge to provide educational experiences and teaching techniques to meet the special needs of this age group.

I realize that the belief of middle level students in the democratic process is best promoted by setting examples of honest democratic methods. I feel that schools should strive to lead each individual student into a realization of his own worth and a recognition of his strengths and areas of improvement. In the final analysis, I believe that a sound integrated educational program will help the student become a happy, contributing citizen.

The philosophies of elementary and high school levels differ from the philosophy of the middle school level because of the changes that the adolescents are going through at this time in their lives. Teachers and staff need to pay specific and close attention to what kind of progress the middle level students make, because I believe, this level can either make or break students. Developmentally, of course, their needs are much different. Middle schools seek teachers who understand the preadolescent and enjoy the challenge of meeting their needs. These teachers view their service in the middle school as an end in itself. It is no longer a warehouse for young teachers working their way into the high school or a training ground for future high school coaches. Middle level teachers appreciate the uniqueness of the children they serve and actually enjoy being in their presence for seven hours a day. Within the profession it is acknowledged by middle school teachers that it helps to be a little bit crazy to work in the “house of hormones.”

I think that each and every standard is important that lies within the South Dakota Professional Ethics For Teachers. If I were to pick one that I thought was very notable I would pick (9) under 24:08:03:03 Obligations to the profession. It reads: Not knowingly misrepresent their professional qualifications. I would choose this one because I feel it is important for teachers to live up to their professional qualifications and to represent not only themselves, but by their actions represent every other professional.

The South Dakota Code of Ethics is important because it sets standards under which professionals live up to, and when they are followed, professionals build their credibility. They have these ethics to show and prove that under their qualifications, they are dedicated to their jobs and are willing to follow certain guidelines that represent their qualifications.

I have strong opinions about issues such as school choice and home schooling. I do not believe in home schooling because I don t feel it benefits the students or gives them the educational career or experience that they deserve. Students who are home schooled until certain grades, then moved to public schools have not had that years of interactions or developed the bonds with their classmates like students who have attended public, private, or even charter schools since they were old enough to be in school. Much has been made of the advantages of homeschooling. But a balanced view must include a review of the large number of developmental experiences of which the child who is homeschooled is deprived:

Street drugs and alcohol

Physical confrontations, especially those involving knives and guns

Social skills, such as joining a gang.

Fashion trends, such as Raider jackets, Air Jordans, and nose rings.

Bus-riding or car-pooling.

Condom-on-the-cucumber demonstrations.

Pregnancy

Certain academic subjects, such as socialism, globalism, pantheism, and satanism

Acquiring endearing nicknames, such as “LD,” “ADD,” & “Special.”

Ritalin.

You see, homeschooling just doesn’t give kids a real-world view of life. As a teacher, I would provide students in my class a world of opportunities to benefit themselves as a whole class, as well as individuals. I feel that each student grows to be a unique individual if they are brought up through schools. They learn how to work with people, they learn and grow by listening to their peers ideas, and they learn to think more than one-sided.

I think that posting the 10 Commandments in schools is a good idea because I believe that it serves to be an advantage to educate students of the morals and principles in which we, as members of society, are to follow. Kids have consciences too. Seeing the 10 Commandments and Lord’s Prayer posted could easily serve as a reminder and deterrent to some youth who is battling temptation to do what he knows he should not.

I feel that it is important for parents to have an open line of communication with their child’s teachers before problems arise. I plan on communicating with parents on a daily basis. I feel that it is very important for them to be involved in their child s education, knowing what they are learning, and especially how much progress they are making. I plan to communicate with the parents on a daily basis informally by sending daily projects home with the students to show. I want to encourage the students to show their parents so that the parents are aware of how the student is doing. I believe that open parent-teacher communication is especially important if the teacher has an innovative teaching method so that parents understand what is going on in the classroom and why.

I want to communicate with the parents by scheduling regular meetings, including one early in the year before any problems arise, so that parents can let the teacher know their beliefs and concerns. I will share my beliefs and concerns as well listen to the parents beliefs and concerns so that we can try to reinforce each other’s goals. I will make a list of questions before each meeting so I will not forget important topics. I also think it is important for the parent to participate in communication as well by immediately informing me of any problems at home that may be affecting the child. I want to provide the safest, most effective environment for each and every class that I teach. With parents help, it will be much easier to develop a relationship with my students to where this type of environment can work up to its potential.