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PhilosophyofTeaching LarryMiller 2013

Introduction
Inatestdrivenclassroom,educationalconnectionsaremadewithagoalinmind: passingtheexam.Studentsoftenstrivetorememberdetailsonlybecausetheycreatea selfperpetuatingfearofwhattheymaybeaskedtoproduceonanexam.Thisparanoiais promotedfromtheearlyyearsofoneseducationIpersonallyremembersittingina kindergartenclassroomfillinginhundredsofinnatelymeaninglesscirclesthatwouldbe usedtomechanicallyassessmyknowledgeofanimals,colors,andotherelementsof younghumanlife. EvenasIgrewintoamorecomplexeducation,thesameprocesswasusedto evaluatemyknowledgeandunderstandingofclassroommaterial,suchaspredictingthe outcomesofchemicalequations.Despitethematerialrelatingtoastrictlyphysical experience,thisknowledgewasstillevaluatedsolelythroughthesamemechanical assessment.Irememberowningashoeboxcompletelydevotedtoholdingslipsofpaper withhundredsoftermsfromeachclass.AnatomyandPhysiologyconsumedthemost volumeIwouldstudyforAnatomytestswiththeseslipsofpaper,withoutanycontextofthe usesofthecells,tissues,andorgansIwasstudying.AslongasIcouldassignanametoa shapeinadiagram,IknewandunderstoodanatomyIhadlearned.

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Thistypeofemptyeducationdidnotceasewiththeseeminglymoreobjective studiesofscience.InEnglishclasses,wewouldmostoftenstudyliteraturebyattemptingto interprettheauthorspurpose.Whilethisisanadvancementfromthepurelyobjective memorizationofAnatomyandPhysiology,itdidnotcreateapersonalconnectionforme. Accordingtothiscourse,ifIunderstoodtheauthorsintent,Iunderstoodthework.Never didwediscussthepersonalpotentialofliteratureorthepossibilityofopeninterpretation. Moreembarrassingly,examinationwasoftenrootedinrecallingminutedetails,suchasthe colorofthecarpetinaparticularsceneortheconditionofamanseyebrow. Later,wewilldiscussaninstanceinwhichastudentsoughtoutaneducatorfor personaladviceandalessonplanwasformedtopotentiallyaidtheentireclassroomin personaldevelopment.Thistypeofreflectiveteachingisthefoundationuponwhichmyown teachingphilosophygrows.

TeachingforHumanDevelopment
Whatdoesitmeantogothroughtheprocessofeducation?Somemaysayitisthe receptionofideasandinformationthatwillincreasethelikelihoodofthestudentschosen success.Forinstance,studentsmaybeguidedtounderstandingtherudimentsofacraft soastoenablethemtopursueacareerinaknownandrespectedfield.However,my philosophyrevolvesaroundtheconceptofhumandevelopment.Myphilosophyisprimarily comprisedoftheprinciplesofhumanisticpsychology,aspresentedbyAbrahamMaslow (AbrahamMaslow),andsocialeducation,aspresentedbyJohnDewey(1897).

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InthewordsofMaslow(1965),Intrinsiclearningistheultimategoalofalleducation Intrinsiclearninginvolvesthoseprocesseswhichcanhelppeoplebecomeallthatthey arecapableofbecoming.Fromthisidea,wecanreasonablyelaborateandclaimthat educationshouldbefocusedoncreatinganawarenessofthenaturalcapabilitiesof humanityamongayoungergeneration.Allcurricularelementsareultimatelychosento enhancetheopportunitiesforthestudenttolivewithinthesurroundingsociety,andIbelieve thattheprocessofeducationshouldapproachtheseelementsfromaconsequentialsocial perspective.Asastudentdevelopsinasocialeducation,his/herunderstandingofmaterial becomesrootedinhumaninteraction.Insteadofsimplylearningrudiments,studentslearn thesocialimplicationsoftheideasandinformationthatwillultimatelyinfluencetheir professionaldecisionslaterinlife.Itisalsoimportanttonotethatthetimelineofeducation shouldbeviewedasatimeofactivegrowth,notmerelyapreparationforthestudents future.

TeacherRoles
Whilediscussingthereconstructionofthegoalsofeducation,itisnecessaryto discusshowthesegoalswillbemet.Thisisnottosaythattoimplementthisphilosophyof humandevelopmentistocompletelyreformeducationitisratheralensthroughwhichto vieweducation.

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Whenviewingeducationinthisway,educatorsshouldtakeintoaccountthe developmentalstatusofeachstudent.Byviewingstudentsasindividuallearners, educatorsareabletomoredirectlyguidethegrowthoftheirstudents.Whileitisimportant tounderstandthecultureofaclassroomasaunit,itismoredirectlyeffectiveto appropriatethelearningenvironmentaccordingtotheobservationofstudentinterestand dilemma. Thethirdoffourprinciplesofhumanisticpsychology,aspresentedbyMaslow (AbrahamMaslow,para.3),statesthatsimplybyexisting,allhumansareworthy. Despiteanynegativeactionoridiosyncrasy,eachstudentisinnatelyworthyoffull educationalattention.Itiscommonlywithinaneducatorsinstincttotargetthosewhoseem mostlikelytosucceedwhentheyleavetheclassroom.However,Ibelievethatitisthe responsibilityofformaleducationtofocusonguidingeachstudenttothepeakoftheirown developmentalcapabilities. AuthorandeducatorBerniceMcCarthy(2012),knownfordevelopingatypeof nomenclaturefordifferenttypesoflearners,knownasthe4MATsystem,writesofthe importancetoappropriateteachingtowardnotonlythepersonalgoalsandneedsofeach individualstudent,buttothestudentsownindividualabilitiesofconnectionand interpretation.Whilethesystemrevolvesaroundtheideaoffourquadrants,withvarying degreesofacting,perceiving,reflecting,andfeeling,McCarthydoesnotintendtosaythat therearefourtypesoflearningorfourtypesoflearners.However,aneducatorisableto analyzestudentsandobservetheconnectionstheymakeandhowtheyarriveattheirown conclusions.Anexemplaryteacherutilizestheseobservationsinthecreationoflessons

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thatmosteffectivelysparkconnectionsamonghis/herindividualstudents. Intheprocessofpromotingpersonalconnectionsamongindividuallearners,itis importantforeducatorstoconsiderthecontextinwhichtheydeliverinformation.Dewey (1897),wrotethat

Theteacherisnotintheschooltoimposecertainideasortoformcertain habitsinthechild,butisthereasamemberofacommunitytoselectthe influenceswhichshallaffectthechildandtoassisthiminproperly respondingtotheseinfluences. JohnDewey(1897.p.78)

Itisherethatwewilldiscussdifferentmodelsofeducation.Dewey(1897),is speakingstronglyagainstbankingeducation,asdescribedbyPauloFreire(1970),and theinterpretationofbankingeducationknownastransmissioneducation,asdescribedby JoanWink(2012).Bothtermsrefertotheprocessofdeliveringinformationtopassive studentsinanobjectivemanner,withlittlecareforthesuccessrateofconnectionbuilding. Inthisnegativeextreme,teachersaremerelytransmittersofinformationthatstudentsare justasabletoreadthemselves.Thesuccessofthestudentisentirelydependentonhisor herowndevicesandselfinduceddrivetowardlearning.Ifinditexceedinglyimportant,for thesakeofthesegreatminds,toclarifythatneitherFreirenorWinkadvocatedforthistype ofeducation.

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BothWink(2012),andFreire(1970),advocateforteachersthatrelyontheir observationandreflectiontoplantheiractivitiesaccordingly.Throughthisprocess, educationmovesfromapassiveprocesstotheactiveprocessofworkingwithstudentsto createindividualconnections.AsDewey(1897)said,Ibelievethateducation,therefore,is aprocessoflivingandnotapreparationforfutureliving.Iholdthisbeliefclosewhen approachingtheideaofeducation,andMaslow(1967),holdsthesamevalueashisfirst principleofhumanisticpsychologyclaimsthatonescurrentstateoflivingisthemost significant.Astudentspresentselfshouldalwaysbeviewedinhigherregardthanahistory ofhis/herpastofpredictionsofhis/herfuture. Studentsdonotbeginlivingwhentheygraduatefromhighschool.Studentsare living,breathinghumanbeingsinanevolvingculture.Theirideasareconstantlyforming andreforminguponthemselvesinanattempttounderstandtheworld.Thisalsoparallels thefourthfundamentalprincipleofMaslows(1967),humanisticpsychology:toattain understandingandpersonalgrowthisthetruegoalofhumanlife.Asisnowevident,these ideasofhumandevelopmentrecurindifferentbranchesofphilosophy,educationaland otherwise. Dewey(1897),alsowrotethateducationshouldbeinnatelysocialforthesakeof providingimportancetootherwiseuselessinformationandideas.Forexample,hewrote,

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Ibelievethatatpresentwelosemuchofthevalueofliteratureandlanguage studiesbecauseofoureliminationofthesocialelement.Languageisalmost alwaystreatedinthebooksofpedagogysimplyastheexpressionofthought. Itistruethatlanguageisalogicalinstrument,butitisfundamentallyandprimarily asocialinstrument.Languageisthedeviceforcommunicationitisthetool throughwhichoneindividualcomestosharetheideasandfeelingsofothers. JohnDewey(1897,p.79)

Throughsociallearning,educatorsarealsoabletoanalyzethecultureofthe studentsandpresentelementsofstudentsoutsidelivesinthecontrolledenvironmentofa classroom(Dewey,1897).Inthisjourney,studentsareabletoworktogetheraswellaswith educatorsinthecreationofasenseofcollectivehumanity.Homeexperiencesareableto beshared,andstudentsareempoweredtogrowfrompressingproblemsandexperiences thattheythemselvesmayneverface.Mostpeople,Iguarantee,areabletorecallatleast oneeventthatnoticeablyaffectedthepersontheyhavebecome.Throughasocial education,studentsareabletosharetheseexperiencesthroughacurriculumandgrow fromoutsidesourcesaswellastheirownpersonallives. Aswellaslearningfromotherstudents,manytypesofliteraturealsoguidestudents inthecreationofselfrealizationandhumandevelopment.Forexample,repertoirefora musicalensemblecanbechosentorelatetohistorical,biblical,orcommonpresentday eventsthatprovideanoutletforsocialgrowth.Thecoventrycarol,whichdirectlytellsthe storyofmothersgrievingoverthelossoftheiryoungchildren,providesanextreme

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perceptionofmotherhoodandmortality.Workslikethiscarolarelikelytostrikearesponse fromstudents,andalthoughrisky,theresultscouldpotentiallyalterastudents understandingofthesehumanqualities. Thisconceptcanbeappliedtomanyotherareasofastandardformaleducation. Mostbranchesofhistory,forexample,arethedirectstudyofhumaninteraction.However, historyisoftenpresentedasaprocessofmemorization.Studentslearn,througha transmissionmodelofeducation,tomakeconnectionswiththegoalofmemorizingdetails foratest.Politicalstudiesandsocialsciencesshouldbejustthat:social.Thereisgreat potentialinthesefieldsforhumandevelopment. Thereisalsocommonlythequestionofwhatisconsideredcommonknowledge. Whyarelittlefactsimportanttoknow?Forexample,ifastudentdoesnotintendtoever traveloutsideoftheirowntown,whyshouldtheyattempttomemorizethecapitalsofallfifty oftheUnitedStates?Toanswerthis,wemustconsiderwhatmakescommonknowledge worthyofbeingconsideredcommonknowledge.Itisnotmerelybecausealargeportionof apopulationisawareofthisinformationIarguethatitisbecausethisknowledgeholds deeperimplication.Inotherwords,thereismoremeaningbehindcommonknowledgethan theinformationwouldsuperficiallysuggest.Socialstandardscreateinvolvedideasaround simplefactsthateachmemberofasocietyisexpectedtounderstand.Forexample,ifan authorsetsastoryinAppalachia,thereaderisexpectedtohaveabriefunderstandingof theland,theweather,thepeople,andtheculture.Ibelievethateducators,byacceptingthe titleofaneducator,becomeresponsibleforencouragingandempoweringstudentsto makethesesocialconnectionswithintheircurriculum.

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Conclusions
Asdiscussedearlier,mostofmyearlyeducationtookplaceinatestdriven environment.However,whenIwassixteenyearsold,IwasinanAmericanLiteratureclass thatoccasionallyincludedfree,catharticwriting.Throughoutthisprocess,afellowstudent ofminerealizedthatshewasinneedofpersonaladvice.Afteraclassthatendedwith silent,streamofconsciousnesswriting,sheapproachedtheteachertodiscussproblems thathadbeensurfacingathome.Thegirlsupposedlyhadexpressedherinterestin anonymouslywritingtotheclasstohelpanyonethatcouldbeinasimilarsituation. Thestudentsconcernaffectedtheteacherandresultedinaquickchangein routine.Thenextday,wewereaskedtospendthefirsthalfoftheallottedclasstimewriting insilenceaboutanypressingissuethatwewouldliketoaddressanonymouslytotheclass. Atthetime,Ididnothavemuchtocontribute.However,thestoriesthatstudentswantedto sharewitheachotherwereincredible. Thegirlthataskedforadvice,asitwaslaterrevealed,wantedtodiscussher mother.Thegirlhadlosthermotherwhenshewassevenyearsold.Duetomanytransfers betweenfamilymembers,thegirlhadlostmanyofherpossessions,includingmost everythingthathadbelongedtohermother.Atthetimeoftheassignment,shewasinthe processofleavingheronlyfamilytolivemoreindependentlywithafriendsfamily.Because shehadbeenforcedtocopewiththelossoffamilyinthepast,makingthischoiceof independencewasexcruciatinglydifficultforher.

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Anenergysweptovertheroomwhenthesestorieswerebeingreadbytheteacher.Not onlywasitthefirsttimeIhadeverseenateacherbecomesoemotionallyvulnerable,itwas alsoperhapsthefirsttimeIhadfeltanemotionalvulnerabilityamongmypeers.Thistypeof humanconnectionwithinaneducationalsettingtrulyplacesvalueontheexperiencesof others,universalhumanity,andsocialgrowth.

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References AbrahamMaslow.(n.d.).FatherofModernManagementPsychology.Retrieved November26,2013,fromhttp://www.abrahammaslow.com/ Dewey,John.(1897)Mypedagogiccreed.SchoolJournal,54,7780.Retrievedfrom http://dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm Freire,Paulo.PedagogyoftheOppressed.NewYork:Continuum,2011.Print. Maslow,A.(1967)Selfactualizationandbeyond.InJ.Bugental(ed.),Challengesof humanisticpsychology.NewYork:McGrawHill. McCarthy,Bernice.Thelearningcycle:the21stcenturyandmillenniallearners:who theyareandhowtoteachthem.Wauconda,IL:AboutLearning,Inc.,2012.Print. Wink,Joan.(2011)Criticalpedagogy:notesfromtherealworld(4thed.).Boston:Pearson