RUNNING HEAD: Personal Philosophy

Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Ben Wa !ins "olora#o $ a e Universi y

Personal Philosophy A&s rac

$ee!ing o fin# a personal philosophy can &e a #iffic'l an# conf'sing roa#( )any a#'l s are s ill 'ns're of heir personal philosophy an# *i hin ha s a e+en , -goals +ay no &e ver&ali.e#, #irec ion is of en 'nclear, an# ac ions fre/'en ly are inconsis en *i h &eliefs an# val'es-( 01inn, p( 234 Developing a personal philosophy for he fiel# of e#'ca ion is i+por an &eca'se -in every phase of life, people &elieve cer ain hings a&o' he ac ivi ies hey perfor+-( 01inn, p( 224 Believing hese hings crea es a passion in an in#ivi#'al an# gives he+ +oral gro'n# o s an# 'pon( E#'ca ors *ho are in 'ne *i h heir personal philosophies +ay &e +ore so'n# ins r'c ors si+ply &eca'se hey !no* *ha hey are rying o acco+plish in a progra+ an# hey !no* ho* o i+ple+en a c'rric'l'+ in or#er o +os effec ive for a large varie y of people(

Personal Philosophy Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Wha is a personal philosophy6 Wha are he a#van ages an# #isa#van ages of *ri ing one6 1inn asser s ha as -a#'l e#'ca ors &egin o e7a+ine heir o*n &eliefs in rela ion o he prac ice of e#'ca ion8 here are fre/'en #iscrepancies &e *een *ha people say hey &elieve an# *ha hey ac 'ally &elieve-( 0p( 2%4 When his #iscon in'i y

is no of a +alicio's na 're, i +'s &e con en#e# ha +any a#'l e#'ca ors are conf'se# a&o' he na 're of heir fiel# an# ho* i rela es o heir +oral co#e( As his 'nfor 'na e acci#en occ'rs e#'ca ors -*ho a e+p o pro+o e social change are, h's, conf'se# a&o' *ha hey are rying o #o-( 01inn, p(254 Wi h all of he #isa#van ages of no recogni.ing a personal philosophy, i is har# o i+agine *hy e#'ca ors #o no #evelop hese helpf'l s ra egies early( 9ne reasoning +ay &e &eca'se -generally, a#'l s have for+'la e# so+e life philosophy *hich lies heir in erpre a ion of he *orl# an# heir ac ions *i hin i -(01inn, p( 234 When his life philosophy is acco+plishe#, he goal of crea ing an e#'ca ional philosophy +ay &e perceive# as having &een achieve#( Ho*ever, 1inn o' lines he para+e ers ha +a!e an e#'ca ion philosophy #ifferen fro+ a personal philosophy, an# her ar icle see!s o clarify philosophical orien a ions so ha o her e#'ca ors +ay #iscover heir na 're an# &eco+e +ore effec ive ins r'c ors( When #elving in o he no ion of a personal philosophy, i is helpf'l o 'n#ers an# no :'s *ha philosophy is, &' also o 'n#ers an# *hich para+e ers are 'ni/'e o par ic'lar philosophies( In his vein, 1inn reco++en#s he Philosophy of A#'l E#'ca ion Inven ory 0PAEI4 ; as a +eans o -&egin he process of philosophical in/'iry an# reflec ion- 0p( <%4 for a#'l e#'ca ion ins r'c ors( The PAEI es i#en ifies philosophies of a#'l e#'ca ion an# ran!s in#ivi#'als rela ive o he scoring hey receive

Personal Philosophy as an o' co+e of he assess+en ( There are < philosophies in he PAEI an# he are:

=i&eral Ar s A#'l E#'ca ion, Behavioral A#'l E#'ca ion, Progressive A#'l E#'ca ion, H'+anis ic A#'l E#'ca ion, an# Ra#ical A#'l E#'ca ion( -)os e#'ca ors have a clear pri+ary philosophical orien a ion, or share *o ha are s ronger han o hers(- 01inn, p(>24 Accor#ing o he /'es ioning +e ho#s 'ni/'e o he PAEI, I share *o e#'ca ion philosophies ha are s ronger han o hers, =i&eral an# Behavioral( Ini ially I *as shoc!e#, &eca'se I hin! of +yself +ore a!in o he H'+anis ic approach *here he in en ion is o -enhance in#ivi#'al self?#evelop+en ? *hich +ay or +ay no +ee anyone else@s e7pec a ions or s an#ar#s-( 01inn, p( >24 I feel as ho'gh fro+ +y years e7ploring he fiel# of environ+en al e#'ca ion, I *o'l# have a very s rong philosophy ha leans o*ar#s he H'+anis ic approach *here in#ivi#'al +a!e heir o*n #iscoveries an# here is no se o&:ec ive asi#e fro+ sharing na 're an# crea ing a sense of *on#er( Ho*ever, af er hin!ing a&o' he ro' e ha +y career is a!ing, i is no *on#er ha I a+ c'rren ly ensconce# in he =i&eralABehavioral +o#el( Presen ly I a+ a secon#ary science eacher a a school ha serves #isa#van age# yo' h( 9'r socioecono+ic #e+ographic is one of pover y an# inconsis ency in he lives of o'r s '#en s( Beca'se of his, o'r school foc'ses on &ehavior consis ency in he classroo+ an# s ric eacher?cen ere# ins r'c ional g'i#elines( This +o#el ha I have accep e# an# &o'gh in o is one ha is parallel *i h +y s ronges philosophy, Behavioral, in ha as an ins r'c or I a+ here o -ens're co+pliance *i h e7pec a ions or s an#ar#s-( 01inn, p( >24 I feel as ho'gh he res'l s ha I receive# fro+ a!ing he PAEI are in line *i h +y &eliefs a he presen i+e( In eres ingly, i appears ha I have also change# +y philosophy over i+e( In he pas , #'ring +y environ+en al e#'ca ion #ays, I *as

Personal Philosophy #efini ely +ore in line *i h he H'+anis ic approach( I *o'l# cons an ly see! o share ne* an# infl'en ial concep s an# infor+a ion *i h he a'#ience I *as engaging, &' achieving he o&:ec ive of a propose# progra+ *as a &y?pro#'c of self?#iscovery an# in eres level( No*, I can see *here +y philosophy has s*i che# *i h he +ore rigoro's se ing of a #isa#van age# school sys e+ an# I a+ *or!ing *i hin a philosophical fra+e*or! ha &es fi s he c'rren +o#el ha I have o a#here o( This &rings 'p so+e

<

in eres ing /'es ions for he f' 're( I *o'l# li!e o ge &ac! o *or!ing *i h yo'ng?a#'l s an# a#'l s in an o' #oor e#'ca ion se ing, or even eaching a he co++'ni y college level( Will +y philosophy con in'e o change as I progress hro'gh +y career( Will +y philosophy con in'e o &e plia&le as I enco'n er #iverse a'#iences *i h *ho+ I +'s engage6

Personal Philosophy References:

1inn, =()( 0%3324( E7ploring o'r Philosophical 9rien a ion( In )( Gal&ria h 0E#(4, Adult Learning Methods, A Guide for Effective Instruction 0pp( 5C4( )ala&ar, D=: Ereiger P'&lishing "o(