In order to have a classroom that is largely revolved around social learning, there must be a mutual respect between everyone in the classroom, including myself. It is necessary that every student develop their listening skills, practice patience, and be willing to share their own experiences and thoughts. I encourage them to ask questions that challenge us to think more critically. I will focus on learning as analyzing, questioning, developing, and building on ideas rather than memorizing what is right and what is wrong. Critical pedagogy requires that everyone must feel as though they are in a safe space where their ideas are welcomed. I will help students learn to be open-minded to other opinions and not be offended when their own ideas are challenged by constructive criticism. Our differences will be acknowledged and even celebrated, but there will be a focus on overall unity, cooperation, and teamwork. We will explore ideas and discover concepts together, as a class, as teammates, and as a community.
I plan to use a number of strategies to implement my philosophies. A fundamental strategy will be to emphasize personal responsibility in the class. This includes a personal responsibility for one’s behavior, one’s possessions, and one’s learning. As a class, we will construct a set of rules that we believe are necessary for an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to learn. This time will be used to discuss our ideas of what each rule means and why rules are necessary for us to function as a group. Every student will sign the “Class Constitution” once they feel we have adequately met their needs as learners in a shared space. As part of the decision-making process, they will feel more personally accountable for adhering to our behavior standards.
After establishing a clear understanding of the rules, I will use table points to monitor how well students are abiding by our mutually agreed upon behavior expectations. Tables can earn points for smooth transitions, excellent behavior, and so forth. At the end of the week, the table that earns the most points will earn a small prize such as a Hershey kiss. Depending on the grade level of students, the prize may be decided on as a class at the beginning of the year. To keep individuals accountable, I will distribute “Dib Dollars” to students for acting as outstanding role models. Students must save the “Dib Dollars” until they have 5; then they can exchange them for a small prize from the treasure box, such as a bookmark, special pencil, or bouncy ball. The table point system and “Dib Dollars” act as short-term incentives but will be used sparingly so students do not to become dependent upon extrinsic rewards. Those are just two examples of ways I will hold students accountable.
However, I will place greater emphasis on the accomplishments of the class as a whole. A marble jar system will be created to promote teamwork and to inspire students to encourage one another. Marbles will be moved from jar A to jar B when I want to acknowledge the class’ efforts. For example, if everyone has done an outstanding job keeping the side chatter to a minimum, or if everyone showed active participation during learning centers, I would move a few marbles to jar B. This takes places over an extended period of time, which teaches the students about persisting and continually working on small tasks every day to reach a higher goal. The end goal will be to move all the marbles from one jar into the other jar in order to receive a class prize, which will be decided on as a group. The students may vote on an activity, such as a cooking lesson or silent reading outside, as their reward. The idea behind a whole-class reward system is to support the idea of the classroom as a unit; we all receive a payoff when we work together and support each other’s learning. It is important that I point out that extrinsic rewards will not be expected each time everyone completes their homework or every time students line up quietly. I always expect quality effort and cooperation. These rewards simply act as surprise “bonuses” as a way to show them I acknowledge and appreciate their actions – students will never know when I will move the marbles or how many I will transfer. Then at the end, we use the class activity as a way to celebrate our accomplishments together.
My ideas are based on the premise that organization and structure are necessary to set the foundation for an effective and dynamic curriculum. I will establish expectations and develop students’ responsibility by involving them in classroom organization, routines, and goal-setting. This enables us to form a smoothly running classroom where we can focus on learning in new and exciting ways that connect to their lives, rather than getting slowed down by disorganization and inefficiency. My teaching philosophy combines the ideas of Piaget and Vygotsky. In my classroom, learning involves personal engagement to the curriculum through several learning modalities. It requires a balance between teacher guidance, individual curiosity, and group collaboration. Through my teaching philosophy, not only will students be involved in taking charge of the physical space in which their learning occurs, but they will also be motivated and active participants in their own learning.
I plan to use a number of strategies to implement my philosophies. A fundamental strategy will be to emphasize personal responsibility in the class. This includes a personal responsibility for one’s behavior, one’s possessions, and one’s learning. As a class, we will construct a set of rules that we believe are necessary for an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to learn. This time will be used to discuss our ideas of what each rule means and why rules are necessary for us to function as a group. Every student will sign the “Class Constitution” once they feel we have adequately met their needs as learners in a shared space. As part of the decision-making process, they will feel more personally accountable for adhering to our behavior standards.
After establishing a clear understanding of the rules, I will use table points to monitor how well students are abiding by our mutually agreed upon behavior expectations. Tables can earn points for smooth transitions, excellent behavior, and so forth. At the end of the week, the table that earns the most points will earn a small prize such as a Hershey kiss. Depending on the grade level of students, the prize may be decided on as a class at the beginning of the year. To keep individuals accountable, I will distribute “Dib Dollars” to students for acting as outstanding role models. Students must save the “Dib Dollars” until they have 5; then they can exchange them for a small prize from the treasure box, such as a bookmark, special pencil, or bouncy ball. The table point system and “Dib Dollars” act as short-term incentives but will be used sparingly so students do not to become dependent upon extrinsic rewards. Those are just two examples of ways I will hold students accountable.
However, I will place greater emphasis on the accomplishments of the class as a whole. A marble jar system will be created to promote teamwork and to inspire students to encourage one another. Marbles will be moved from jar A to jar B when I want to acknowledge the class’ efforts. For example, if everyone has done an outstanding job keeping the side chatter to a minimum, or if everyone showed active participation during learning centers, I would move a few marbles to jar B. This takes places over an extended period of time, which teaches the students about persisting and continually working on small tasks every day to reach a higher goal. The end goal will be to move all the marbles from one jar into the other jar in order to receive a class prize, which will be decided on as a group. The students may vote on an activity, such as a cooking lesson or silent reading outside, as their reward. The idea behind a whole-class reward system is to support the idea of the classroom as a unit; we all receive a payoff when we work together and support each other’s learning. It is important that I point out that extrinsic rewards will not be expected each time everyone completes their homework or every time students line up quietly. I always expect quality effort and cooperation. These rewards simply act as surprise “bonuses” as a way to show them I acknowledge and appreciate their actions – students will never know when I will move the marbles or how many I will transfer. Then at the end, we use the class activity as a way to celebrate our accomplishments together.
My ideas are based on the premise that organization and structure are necessary to set the foundation for an effective and dynamic curriculum. I will establish expectations and develop students’ responsibility by involving them in classroom organization, routines, and goal-setting. This enables us to form a smoothly running classroom where we can focus on learning in new and exciting ways that connect to their lives, rather than getting slowed down by disorganization and inefficiency. My teaching philosophy combines the ideas of Piaget and Vygotsky. In my classroom, learning involves personal engagement to the curriculum through several learning modalities. It requires a balance between teacher guidance, individual curiosity, and group collaboration. Through my teaching philosophy, not only will students be involved in taking charge of the physical space in which their learning occurs, but they will also be motivated and active participants in their own learning.