Ashley Druggan

The Purpose of Education

A classroom is more than just a place for children to be taught just enough to meet the
standards, it is a safe place where children are accepted and challenged. Students come from
different cultures and different home lives, but school is a place where a shared community is
built to foster caring, manners, and a good work ethic. Childhood is a unique time in a persons
life where there is so much information to find and interest in educational activities is natural. A
teachers job is to build a foundation that will help students grow into functional people who are
prepared to be challenged and will be successful citizens of the real world one day. In my
classroom, students will be able to use problem solving skills to overcome any challenge as well
as know more than enough information to succeed in standardized tests. Problem solving and
critical thinking skills come from using inquiry based learning in the classroom. Students need to
be comfortable with making mistakes and facing challenges viewed through a growth mindset.
Emphasis on working through challenges is extremely important for not only core subjects, but
also daily life.
Progressivism is influential to my teaching philosophy. This philosophy emphasizes focus
on the child, critical thinking skills, and the teacher acting as a guide. Including life skills into the
classroom, not only content, is important because manners and respect need to be practiced as
much as core subjects. This allows for the students to grow not only as learners, but also as
people. The activities and lessons are presented in open ended or hands on ways, so there are
multiple ways to complete the task and reach the same understanding. Introducing lessons in this
way gives students the opportunity to use their problem solving skills to solve a challenge. Many
STEM activities are focused on this point and encourage sharing ideas and solutions with one

another. I have created lessons for STEM activities in my Technology class which include
material that covers Virginia SOLs in history, math, science, and language arts. An example is a
lesson on creating a pop up card (science) for a Roman technology (history), which requires
roman numerals (math) and will be presented to the class (language arts). Through the creation
of this card, the teacher facilitates but allows students to problem solve on their own. The teacher
acting as a guide is a focus of progressivism. Teachers give students choices so they learn about
what they are interested to know or by activities that make the most sense to that child. Allowing
freedom within the classroom gives students more responsibility for their education, as well as
keeps students engaged in the learning process.
John Dewey was the most influential person in forming progressivism ideas. In the
1920s, people began challenging and evaluating their role in society. Dewey brought this social
reevaluation into the classroom setting. Traditionally, education was taught by the teacher and
students were expected to be sponges that absorbed and memorized information correctly.
Progressivism is centered around fostering the childs problem solving strategies and their
motivation to acquire knowledge. The thought of problem solving and real world application is
critical and encouraged by Dewey and William James, an influential psychologist of the late
seventeenth century. Both agreed with the thought that one must put an idea into practice in
order to determine its meaning, and what follows constitutes the meaning of that idea
Chennault, R. E. (2013). Today, progressivism is seen explicitly in STEM activities which are
promoted and successful across America.
A classroom that is child centered encourages the development of the child emotionally,
socially, and academically. To create this environment, the student must first feel safe in the

school and in the classroom. The student needs to trust their teacher and feel welcome in the
class. In a progressivism, child centered classroom content is the vehicle for creating a well
rounded child. Using content as a way to teach respect, teamwork, and other skills is effective
and lasting. A growth mindset is crucial to the success of this method of teaching. Both the
teacher and the students need to focus on self improvement and best effort as the standard for
doing a good job. The child centered classroom does not focus only on test scores, but views
the students development as a whole.

Curriculum
Inquiry based learning is a productive way to help students develop problem solving
and critical thinking skills and methods. Curriculum is chosen based on content presented as a
question, allowing students to explore knowledge themselves. Core subjects are crucial to
learning, but need to expand to include technology, engineering, and arts. By including a variety
of subjects it allows students to explore their interests. Specifically for history, it is important to
include women and minority histories with what is traditionally taught. The inclusion of these
subjects presented as inquiry based learning will foster the exploring, understanding, and being
challenged. Including diversity into the classroom is an extremely important part of shaping well
rounded students.
Many classrooms include English language learners along with students whose native
language is English. There are many ways to accommodate these students and help them feel
comfortable in the classroom. A teacher must speak slower and enunciate their words. It is very
important to realize that students that are still learning english are able to complete the same
activities as others, but may need extra assistance on vocabulary to talk about the subject. Some

languages dont include the sounds and or letters that are included in English, so students may
need assistance with pronunciation.
Another group of students that teachers need to be sensitive to is students from areas
of poverty. To accommodate their situation, it is important to keep activities focused on the
classroom environment and using classroom materials. Students should receive a packet or books
to work on over the summer so they dont fall behind in their education. Programs such as Head
Start are available in low income areas to assist children in school readiness. By coming to
kindergarten with some understanding of how school works helps students to be mentally ready
for deeper learning. It is crucial to help students from low income areas know that there are
resources at school for counseling and financial assistance, and for the future finding a job or
scholarships for college.

The Nature of the Learner

Students should feel that learning is their own, holding the most responsibility in their
education. This provides the opportunity for students to be proud of their success. That being
said, students need multiple shots to succeed. Test correction for half credit give students
responsibility in choosing to complete those corrections. In my high school, students were given
the opportunity to do test corrections for partial credit. This allowed me to take a second look at
the exam and research the correct answers, which helped me to understand the information. By
being given the opportunity to continue work on the information I was learning helped me gain
information I had not understood the first time.
Students will interact with many different people in the school environment. They
need to learn to show understanding and acceptance of other cultures, religions, occupations, and

what it means to be part of a school community. By understanding the jobs and learning the
names of school staff, it shows respect to the people that allow the school to be successful. It also
gives students a connection that will help them feel comfortable in the school. School pride will
connect these people together and give the school a caring environment.

Effective Classroom Environment

A classroom that is conducive to learning is important to keep students interested and
excited about the content theyre learning. The classroom should be filled with bight colors and
posters with pictures and words on the walls. All of the students desks must have a clear view of
the board. A large rug will be an area for floor learning and morning meeting. Books should be
easily accessible and cover a variety of topics and include different cultures. A box of stuffed
animals should be available for students to read with, which allows developing readers to read
aloud to the animal and get practice with the vocabulary. A dramatic play center is important to
include so students can work with what they learn in class during play time. Materials will be
kept at heights and in locations that are easily accessible to children. With this classroom
environment, students will be encouraged to use their energy to learn, build, create, explore and
discover more about topics they are interested in.
The physical environment is one part of creating a knowledge discovery focused
classroom. The teacher holds the most influential role in the overall vibe of the room, which can
make or break a students engagement in activities. A teachers faith in students affects a students
academic work, so it is necessary that a teachers expectation [is] that all students can succeed
Ryan, Cooper, & Bolick (2016, p.163). The teacher can help develop a sense of unity in the class
by being an example of school pride and classroom pride.

The Role of the Teacher

In the classroom, students need to feel safe, wanted, and smart. This comes across
with the set up of the classroom, but also the attitude of the teacher. A teacher must have an
attitude of growth and patience with children. It is important that the student knows that a teacher
has faith in them that they will understand the content. Teachers need to be flexible with the way
students gain an understanding of content since some methods work for children and others
dont. This flexibility is crucial when the teacher acts as an educational guide.
An effective classroom includes having a support system set up to create a
community. This includes the students, teacher, parents, and school staff. Interactions between
teachers should be collaborative, professional, and productive. Projects, like a science fair or
book reports, that include multiple classes or older students reading in a class to younger students
are examples of teacher collaborations that greatly benefit students. A teachers communication
with parents is necessary for a childs academic success. Teachers must speak to parents in a way
that demonstrates the teacher is knowledgeable about students needs and curriculum content as
well as pedagogy. Meetings face to face as well as emails help form a dialogue between the
teacher and parents. Parents should be encouraged to talk with their children about what they
learn in school. Also, if a parent needs an adjustment in the classroom for their child, they should
feel confident that the adjustment will be in place during the school day. For example if a child
needs the teacher to speak louder because they have a hearing issue, then the parents should feel
they can ask for this adjustment and the teacher will make sure the child can hear the lesson.
Interaction with administrators needs to be clear, professional communication. Administrators

often give advice and comments which a teacher should take with grace and make adjustments
accordingly.
In my classroom I will promote integrity, a good work ethic, self pride, patience,
kindness, and courage. Integrity, a good work ethic, and self pride will emerge through academic
schoolwork. Patience and kindness emerges during social interactions, sharing materials, or
lining up. Courage is often forgotten, but should be emphasized. Many children are afraid to be
wrong or make a mistake, but by demonstrating trial and error is a part of life during activities
and lessons, students will have the courage to try new things. A teachers job is to inspire
children to learn about the world around them and guide the students in the discovery process. A
teacher needs to channel physical energy into energy used to learn by making learning fun,
interesting, and relevant to life.

Ongoing Professional Development

Continued acquisition of knowledge is extremely important in the teaching profession.
New theories and methods are being created that can be very useful to my personal teaching
strategies. I plan to read articles and books that correspond with child development and teaching
philosophies. Attending classes and workshops is vital to give students new and interesting
methods of learning. I will ask parents and students for feedback so I can grow as a teacher. My
goal with ongoing professional development is to become a knowledgeable and creative teacher,
and then continue to explore more new ways to teach! Another interest that I have is writing
grants to receive funding for exciting learning opportunities for my students. The main thing I
need to stop doing to become a successful teacher is thinking students will not understand
content that is challenging. Students can get very difficult concepts if given the chance to learn it.

I need to start gaining knowledge about different cultures. I have experience with diverse
environments, but I do not thoroughly understand the cultures. I must continue being excited
about learning and teaching. My enthusiasm drives me to put in effort that will allow me to be a
dedicated educator.

Works Cited

Chennault, R. E. (2013). Pragmatism and Progressivism in the Educational Thought and

Practices of Booker T. Washington. Philosophical Studies In Education, 44121131.

Ryan, K., Cooper, J. M., Bolick, C. M.& (2016). Those who can, teach. United States of
America: Cengage Learning.