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4/1/2014 Barclay College

Keaghan Philosophy of Education

My name is Keaghan Ruth Welter. I have studied Christian Elementary Education at Barclay College for the past 3 years. I have worked with children in many different forms. I have been a babysitter, a tutor, a reading and math camp instructor, a leader in various childrens ministry programs, and a mentor. I have always enjoyed working with kids. Many have told me that it is truly a gift that I possess. I believe, Teachers are, they then perfect the Science of instructing. I believe that there are several aspects to teaching that are vital in a classroom. As a Christian Educator in a Christian school some ideas are going to be different than that of a secular classroom teacher. At the same time, a Christian Educator in a secular classroom will be different. As I am not sure as to what exact situation I will be in when I do have a classroom of my own, I thought I would just give a general overview. These points can be but are not limited to: a safe environment Christ-like examples differentiated instruction clear and appropriate expectations grade and age level appropriate curriculum

In first grade, my parents got married. I had to move to a new town and a new school. It was a challenge. However, my teacher, Mrs. Tipton made that transition much easier. This was

Keaghan Philosophy of Education

my first exposure to a teacher that could make such a difference in a childs life, and it was my own. As I continued in my education, I had many teachers who were a negative or a positive influence in not only my scholastic life but also my life outside of school. However, it was not until I went to Mexico on a missions tip when I was 15 that I realized my calling in life. I knew just enough Spanish to banter back and forth with the kids. They found it very entertaining. They taught me words in Spanish and in return I would teach them the English word for that object. It was so exciting! I loved that in those moments there was an equal exchange of knowledge resulting in learning. This is when I felt the initial call to be a teacher in my life. The calling has developed throughout the years into being a love and a passion that has been instilled in my being. I believe that as an educator I can bring creativity and a desire to learn in a positive environment that students can thrive in. I, myself, am a kinesthetic learner. This means that I learn best when I am involved in the activity. I think that because of this it translates into my teaching style. I love to be interactive in stories, activities, and in teaching back and forth with my students. I like to work with manipulatives and interact with one another. I think that because I am a very good go with the flow and cheery type of personality that I create a positive environment where students feel that they can freely express themselves. I believe that I am going to be a good educator who is needed in todays edu cational system. In my student teaching experience, I learned that a safe environment is not only important but it is essential. Learning is just not possible without first me eting the students needs. If a child does not feel physically safe then they will not be able to focus on the task at hand and learning will not be possible. In survival mode, learning does not take place. It is the educators position to take care of the students needs as best as they can. Now that being said, there is
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Keaghan Philosophy of Education

also the need to make sure that the students feel that it is a safe learning environment. By this I mean that they need to know that it is okay to ask questions, to search for answers, to be curious, to read, and to learn without being ridiculed or made to feel that they are less able than others to learn. As a Christian educator we also need to be aware of a childs spiritual wellbeing. I have experienced this in other forms, but not as a classroom teacher. I know that we need to be aware of how they are doing within their walk with Christ as well as if they have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. A safe environment is important to achieve learning and personal development. As Christians we are called to be the light. As a teacher this calling is heightened. We are molding the minds of young people who are not only learning what we are teaching, but watching our every move. We need to be not only an upstanding teacher in the classroom, but our lives outside of the school are also in the light for our students. In my student teaching experience I had a great example of what it was like to be a Christ-like example to students, coworkers, and superiors alike. Miss Ballard gave respect to everyone just the same. She was kind, considerate, caring, patient, gentle, and joyful. There were times of conflict but she showed me what it was like to handle all of these situations the way that Christ would. I believe that it is vital to act as Christ has called us to. It is not any different in my job as it would be in my life. In fact, it is just as important. Just as God created all of us individually to be uniquely us, students are each unique. We are unique in our perspectives of the world, in how we act, walk, talk, and even learn. Students do not learn in the exact same way. As instructors, it is our responsibility to learn not only how

Keaghan Philosophy of Education

our students learn, but how to instruct in a way that bridges the gaps from learning content but also to understanding. In order to do this, I need to understand what the content requirements are in the grade before, where the students are expected to be by the end of the year, and what to prepare them for in the coming year. For students learning, I need to know the different ways possible to teach the content. I believe that instruction should be interactive, engaging, and grade level appropriate. As I stated earlier, all students do not learn in the same way. If a professor were to give a lecture not all of the students would learn what his words were trying to say. However, if that same professor spoke it, had the students interact with an activity and provide supplemental activities a greater percentage would learn the lesson. I believe that as a teacher it is my job to provide the information in as many ways as possible so that all of the students learn. I have been told many times throughout the last year that if a teacher is not in control of their classroom management then it will be chaotic. In chaos, nothing can thrive and the ultimate goal of learning will not be achieved. A good classroom management technique is to provide clear and appropriate expectations. When expectations and procedures are clearly stated the students will know what is expected of them and what they should do. These expectations should be implemented starting the very first day of school. They should be modeled, posted where the children can read them, and stated in a direct manner. When expectations are set they need to be followed through with. These expectations should not be something that is for just a day or a week, but they need to be for the whole year. Procedures should be the same everyday and expectations just as well. The correction of behavior then is to redirect the child to state what the expected procedure is and not directed at the childs self
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Keaghan Philosophy of Education

esteem. With the expectations, there will be consequences. These need to be clearly defined as well. Consequences will be fair, and equal. To have cohesive expectations, equally, the consequences need to be so. All students will have the same expectations and the consequences will be equal. Consequences are not always a bad thing. They can also be consequence for a students good behavior. These consequences will be clearly stated at the time that the expectations are. Expectations set the tone for the classroom. Management styles will vary from teacher to teacher, so expectations need to be set by the teacher prior to the beginning of school. These should line up with the schools policies and expectations as well. Curriculum is defined by the state or national standards. In this transitional time some are moving to CORE curriculum, while other content is decided still by State Standards. This, I believe, is the most challenging aspect of being a classroom teacher. Whatever grade level I am in, I will need to prepare far in advance for teaching. While curriculum is decided upon by the state or at the national level, content is decided upon by the school, the district or even the classroom teacher. Knowing these forwards, backwards, and inside-out will create the content knowledge needed for being an excellent teacher. In my student teaching experience, this was my biggest struggle. In the future, I will be better prepared by knowing what content my students should have already mastered in the grade before, what content they need to learn in that grade level, and what I need to prepare them for in the coming year. Along with grade level appropriate content, I think age level appropriateness is also important. Childrens hearts and minds needed to be guarded to a certain point. As a teacher, I know that it is my job to teach them also about life skills. It needs to be appropriate for their age because I think their

Keaghan Philosophy of Education

innocence needs to be protected. As a teacher some curriculum and content is decided for us, but it is our job to know what that is and how to make it appropriate for their age and grade. I believe that education is vital for todays youth. There needs to be educators who vary in styles, management styles, and willing to be Christ-like examples. I know that I can be just such an educator. I am excited to be placed in a grade level so that I can learn what content and curriculum is appropriate and what I will be teaching using differentiated instruction. Fully realizing that I will develop year to year, season by season, to perfect the gift to instill knowledge and the love of learning in children, I want to be a light to students by having Christ work through me. I have been called to this profession and it is a passion that has been instilled in my being. I am thoroughly excited to begin with this next step in life and I know that this is exactly what I should be doing.