Philosophy of Education
As a young girl, I would come home from school and pretend to be a teacher. I would sit my younger cousins at small tables and ask them to complete various assignments, such as reading a book or writing the alphabet. We even had lunch in our pretend cafeteria, the dining room, and then we would venture outside for recess. Being a teacher has almost always been a goal of mine. I went through a phase in junior high school where I wanted to become a doctor in order to receive their large salary. One class of biology is all it took for me to realize that my weak stomach could not handle being a doctor. Once, I wanted to become a lawyer for the very same reason; however, after hearing exactly what classes were needed, I quickly changed my mind. I want to become a teacher because of the rewarding experiences, the interacting with young children, and the gaining of new knowledge.
With teaching comes many rewarding experiences. Seeing a child’s face light up when they see that they have received a big “A+” on their assignment can brighten up anyone’s day. During my senior year in high school, I participated in the School to Work Program which allowed me to mentor a first grade teacher for at least three hours a week. At first, I thought that I would sit in the back of the room and watch her teach; but I was wrong. I was basically her teaching assistant for those few hours. She gave me a list of students and had me take one student at a time to have them read a short story or complete a worksheet. The worksheets included math problems, spelling words, and writing. Helping the students with skills that adults take for granted was very rewarding for me. Seeing a child smile because of something I did or said made me so happy. During my last week of mentoring, I was allowed to plan the class’s end of the year party. After all of the planning and a little bit of stress, seeing how much fun the students were having made it all worth it. I know that future teaching will have both pleasant experiences and not so pleasant experiences.
On April 5, 1994, a tragic event that we now know today as the death of Kurt Donald Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, occurred. This sudden and disturbing calamity was since deemed a suicide, but was it really? This topic has become one of the most controversial subjects in the musical industry. After the traumatizing news that Cobain had ended his life transpired, it gained some serious speculation. Theory after theory arose, with the most popular being that Cobain had not passed to suicide, but homicide. After close examination, the evidence leads to one particular person.
... and make the best out of her disorder. Kaye Gibbons, the woman she had become throughout her childhood years, her struggling adulthood, and now, she had wrote amazing novels even when she was bipolar. In this research, one has learned a million facts about Kaye Gibbons. One learned that it is never too late to keep fighting to accomplish your goals and to make miracles happen. Kaye lived a rough life; however, she managed to pick out positives of her disorder. Even though, she went down hill with the painkillers she was prescribed, and prescribed herself, she put them to the side and lived her bipolar eating life the way she should even if there was an obstacle in her way she still goes around it and fought through it because she knew what the right thing to do was. Til this day, Kaye Gibbons is still writing outstanding novels and putting herself out there.
“We’re just musically and rhythmically retarded. We play so hard that we can’t tune our guitars fast enough. People can relate to that.” Kurt Cobain’s thoughts on why his band, Nirvana was such a massive success in an unexpected way. A heroin shooting, guitar strumming musician who sang the barely audible lyrics which spoke so loudly for the angst ridden youth of America had such an important influence on our culture that over twenty years later, the details around his suicide are still heatedly debated. The impact that Cobain had on the world was intense at the time and can still be found today; the music he wrote for Nirvana had influence on the music industry, his unintended voice to angst-ridden society and even the fashion industry cashed in on his style.
When Oprah Winfrey told her 49 million viewers, "It just stopped me cold from eating another burger!" (Tannen) about the Mad cow disease, she wouldn't know it would cost the beef industry $12 million (Deborah Tannen). Texas cattlemen tried to sue Oprah for causing this such massive downfall, but she would win (Deborah Tannen). Oprah Winfrey was once a constantly abused thirteen year old girl. Now she is arguably the most famous African American woman and her talk show is highly regarded as the most talked about show in America. Her show has influenced many to change their lives and help others out. Abraham Lincoln once said, "I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards." (Inspirational Quotes: Achievements). This quote of perseverance could describe her life. Oprah Winfrey's abusive childhood has driven her to make something out of herself and others.
Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration to many all around the world. She did not have a very good home life up until the age of 14. She was abused as a child and did not see her mother very often because she was a housemaid who was gone almost every day all day. Vernon Winfrey, Oprah’s father, was a big service in her life when it came to keeping her in a nonviolent manner. Oprah also had her career going for her when she became Miss Black Tennessee at age 17. When Oprah became Miss Black Tennessee she was offered a radio broadcasting job and a full scholarship to Tennessee. Oprah had quite a few talk shows yet she made the most money off her own show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and now has her individual network called The Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah Winfrey’s influential style greatly impacted those who came after her in the entertainment industry.
Although she was with her mother, she had very little mother and daughter time. She, unfortunately, was neglected and at the age of nine, she began to be sexually abused by many men. After this occurred, Winfrey began to act out. She faked a robbery, stole from her mother, and much more, causing her to go live in Nashville with her father and stepmother. This change saved her life. She lived under the household of her father who had very high expectations of her. She started to excel in high school and won a contest that granted a full scholarship to Tennessee State University after her graduation. She worked at...
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954. (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah had a rough childhood (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). She constantly moved from her mother’s house to her father’s house (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). When Oprah lived with her mother she was raped (Lies, 2011). When Oprah lived with her father, she excelled (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah’s rough childhood and thriving high school and college years definitely influenced her contributions to the world later showing ethical leadership (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”).
"Oprah Winfrey Biography." -- Academy of Achievement. Ed. Hugh Esten. The Catharine B. Reynolds Foundation, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 04 May 2014.
This unimaginable tale, is the course of events upon Pi’s journey in the Pacific ocean after the ship that Pi and his family were aboard crashes, leaving him stranded with a tiger named Richard Parker, an orangutan, a zebra, and a hyena. Pi loses everything he has and starts to question why this is happening to him. This is parallel to the story of Job. Job is left with nothing and is experiencing great suffering and he begins to demand answers from God. Both Pi and Job receive no answers, only being left with their faith and trust. To deal with this great suffering Pi begins to describe odd things which begin to get even more unbelievable and ultimately become utterly unrealistic when he reaches the cannibalistic island. Richard Parker’s companionship serves to help Pi through these events. When the reader first is intoduced to Richard Parker he emerges from the water, making this symbolic of the subconscious. Richard Parker is created to embody Pi’s alter ego. Ironically, each of these other animals that Pi is stranded with comes to symbolize another person. The orangutan represents Pi’s mother, the zebra represents the injured sailor, and the hyena represents the cook. Pi fabricated the people into animals in his mind to cope with the disillusion and trails that came upon him while stranded at the erratic and uncontrollable sea,
I believe that education should be looked as as a desire to acquire all possible knowledge, not as a requirement or something that can be formally examined by standardized tests. There are numerous ways that children learn and I want to be able to encourage as much learning as possible for each child. I believe that using many methods of instruction is the most effective way of teaching to these various ways of learning. These methods include group work, hands-on activities, buddy work, etc. Assessment of children should follow the same idea. When children get the chance to perform on different assessments, they can adequately show their strengths and weaknesses. I do not wish to rely on tests only to assess the students in my class. Some types of assessment that I think should be inlcuded in a classroom are journals, presentations, projects and interviews. I also think that the classroom should be run with the help of the children. By distributing jobs among the children and everyone participating in the classroom, the students will form a sense of togetherness. This will eventually create a community within the classroom. I feel that this community of learners is essential for the students to perform effectively and efficiently. They will feel comfortable in the environment and will not be afraid to take risks or ask questions. The teacher will also be a member of this community and will not be seen as unapproachable or as the only leader.
Although Oprah has experienced excruciating periods of her life, she still has proved that anyone can make a difference no matter what his/her background may be. Oprah is living proof that anything is possible, and dreams do come true. Oprah has proved to people everywhere that true joy in life comes from giving to those who are in need. “I define Joy as a sustained sense of well-being and internal piece – a connection to what matters” (Oprah Winfrey).
One of the most important things to me as a teacher is that I am a leader, for 180 days out of the year students will come in my classroom and look to me to learn. I believe in leadership by example,. I must show up each morning prepared and ready to work, stay after school if necessary and do whatever it takes to get the job done. I will present a professional appearance and be a role model for my students. I will be consistent in my classroom management, discipline and keep my students on task.
Technology affects everyone! Whether positive or negative, we are all affected, how it manifests itself into problems for youth will be studied and debated for years. Balancing technology throughout the educational process and keeping with current trends and uses of technology will affect everyone. Technology has transformed our youth’s daily and social lives. How do we measure the effects of technology on our ability to socialize or have a successful social life? Socializing is not just talking face to face, it’s our ability to interact, learn, and create original thought. Technology hindering today’s youth and their ability to socialize is affecting their capacity to read, write, and communicate. Today’s youth depends on careful considerations for the implementation of technologies. Our youth do not have the capability to convey their emotions through the use of technology, understand sadness, happiness or joy through simple text or emails. Communicating through the use of text, chat, and social network sites is lost using abbreviations and slang, inhibiting the use of the Standard English language. Using computers and hand held devices for relationships, reading, writing, and entertainment, turning them into introverted and socially inept individuals. Current trends resonating from our educational institutions to our workplace can be examples of how technology has altered the way younger people communicate. This tragedy transcends from youth to adulthood affecting the workplace. Social networking sites have begun to take hours away from employers. How do students understand ethical and moral dilemmas unless they are allowed to make mistakes and work through a particular problem? Creative and original thought needs...
Teaching is a daunting task that I do not intend to take lightly. Becoming a teacher has been a dream of mine for several years. I always knew that teaching would be the career for me, especially when I began working in the school system as a substitute secretary. I loved working in the school environment; coming in contact with children everyday made me realize how much I would enjoy teaching a classroom full of students.
Zhao, Y. and Frank, K. A. 2003, “Factors Affecting Technology Uses in Schools: An Ecological Perspective”, American Educational Research Journal, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 807-840, viewed 15 Jan 2014, retrieved from Sage Online Article.