philosophy of ed

A few days ago, I discovered an artist who created a drawing every single day of the year as a sort of record of his experiences, questions, and knowledge gained. His art was full of vibrant colors, facial expressions, and words. Some days he drew life-like figures and faces, while other days he doodled and made lists. At the end of the year, he compiled his art into a book. This type of creative reflection is the sort of project I want to have in my classroom.

I believe that the purpose of education is to produce capable, productive, and thinking community members. Children need to be taught literacy and math skills, but they also need to know how to examine the world around them. Schooling should provide children with the three Rs as well as critical thinking and problem solving skills. Additionally, children should feel safe and cared for at school. They should expect to enter their classroom every morning and be greeted by a happy and qualified teacher.

I want to create a classroom environment that stimulates curiosity. I want my students to look at the natural world and ask questions. I want them to hear stories from history and wonder what happened next. I want them to think about events and characters in books long after they have finished reading. I want my students to be curious about their classmates sitting beside them. I believe that it is my job as a teacher to sustain the natural curiosity in children and teach them how to find answers. I am a very curious person myself, and hope that my own love of learning will be infectious.

I want to reward creativity in my class. I want to integrate art, music, and dance into the mandated curriculum. I believe children can learn through music and art and performance as well as through text and lecture. As Assembly member Jackie Goldberg explained in our Cultural Diversity panel, the world of today doesn’t value memorization or rote knowledge. The world of today demands that people be able to be creative problem solvers. When faced with a problem, a student should be taught to think of several solutions and evaluate them based on their ease, cost, potential popularity, etc. Creative thinking is an extremely important skill, and it should be used in school. Integrating multi-media projects into the curriculum, as did the affluent professional schools mentioned in Literacy with an Attitude, nurtures creative thinking.

Most importantly, I believe the classroom is a place where children practice being part of a community. School is where children are socialized, learn principles of justice, and practice being a productive part of society. School is where children should be able to share their culture and history and learn to appreciate the other people in their community. Simple things like classroom decor, job charts, and group rituals can establish a friendly and cooperative atmosphere in which students can thrive. I want to create a classroom culture of celebration, where birthdays, personal achievements, and whole class accomplishments are honored.

A regular creative reflection project can combine my personal values– curiosity, creativity, and community– with the principles of social justice and cognitive learning theory. In addition to giving students a forum to express their thoughts and emotions, the creative reflection also allows them to comment on world events and curricular topics. It also allows them to ask questions about or express dissatisfaction with the status quo– a skill I have come to value from my TEP classes. Reflecting on one’s own experiences is a key principle of cognitive theory. I believe that being able use art and written language will facilitate the reflection process. We are always better off providing more opportunities for children to think.