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Hilary Lamb

Teaching Philosophy
I want to do my part to better humanity through my classroom. I want my students to
know that they are able to make a difference. Students should be prepared to solve realworld problems. I will do my best to ensure that my students have a social conscience to
succeed in an ever-changing modern society. The students success and self-awareness is of
the upmost importance in my philosophy of teaching. Students learn best when they
question the world around them and when school is relevant to their lives.
My philosophy includes Progressivism, one part Reconstructionist, and a bit of
Existentialism, all student-centered practices. The most important aspect of studentcentered teaching is the fact that learning takes place within the learner. These philosophies
also focus on contemporary relevance and preparing students for our modern world.
Students are taught how to find and discern found information. Students also learn their
place in society by hands-on learning experiences. Teaching students to be self-aware will
allow students to be more successful by encouraging them to be intrinsically motivated.
The main ingredient in the recipe for my teaching philosophy is Progressivism. This
theory promotes the use of Divergent thinking, which refers to the process of generating
many different ideas about a topic forcing you to look at alternatives. It allows us to expand
our brains and become better problem solvers. It is important for me to teach my future
students to be creative thinkers. As humans, we feel the need for novel, varied and complex
stimulation. Creativity also enables us to communicate ideas and values and come up with
different ways to solve problems. I like Robert E. Frankens definition of creativity, Creativity
is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that
may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves
and others (Franken, 1994).
My goal is to eliminate social inequities. Students will be taught about the critical
issues that todays society faces, for example: racism, sexism, environmental pollution,
substance abuse, violence, homophobia, etc. As a teacher, I should suggest alternative
solutions to these problems and teach the students to analyze them.
As a teacher, I will help students make personal goals. To facilitate this, I will assign
self-reflective exercises, such as making a self-portrait of how they see themselves in their
own community. I want my students to ask themselves, Why am I here, and what is my
purpose?
I also strive to be a culturally competent teacher because our modern world is
becoming more culturally integrated each day. I must be aware of my own biases and
deconstruct them. A culturally competent classroom will allow the students to develop
appreciation for diversity. Also, being culturally competent will build self-confidence in the
students and will open the lines of communication. Art is inherently multicultural. John
Dewey said, Art is the best possible window into another culture (Dewey, 2005).
I plan for my future art classroom to work democratically; cultivating individuality and
encouraging expression. Cynthia Freeland, an art theologian said, Many people still see art
as crucial for addressing basic questions we face as citizens/individuals within our ever-new
and often precarious world situation (Freeland, 2001). My curriculum, although art-based,
will be integrated with all subjects because that is how it is in the real world. My students will
be intellectually informed and emotionally aware of the inequities that surround them. I will
help my students to be able to evaluate researched information, refine their writing and
communication skills. I will help them to be organized and be capable of developing
strategies to solve problems. I will teach my students about their potentials and help them
formulate personal goals. My students will be prepared to interact professionally in the realworld.
Works Cited:

Hilary Lamb
Franken, R. E. (1994). Human motivation. (3 ed.). Pacific Grove, Calif: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co.
Dewey, J. (2005). Art as experience. New York, NY: Perigee.
Freeland, C. (2001). But is it art?. (1 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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