ih Being a Teacher
Being a Teacher i h Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust
Foundations of Teaching for Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 1: What is a teacher? k h i h ? Lecture 1.4: Developing a Philosophy of Education
Asking Important Questions When we ask ourselves questions about important q p basic issues in education, such as: ∗ What does it mean to be a teacher? ∗ What are the most important things that we should teach? ∗ How do we learn? …we are asking ourselves Philosophical questions.
So a Philosophy of Education is?
… a study of general and fundamental a study of general and fundamental problems of education, with questions such as: ∗ What is knowledge? ∗ What is the value of education? ∗ What is reality?
The study of knowledge The philosophical study of knowledge is called p p y g Epistemology. Epistemology in education asks questions about knowledge such as… ∗ What is knowledge? ∗ How do we know what we know? ∗ How did we acquire that knowledge?
The study of values The philosophical study of values is called axiology. i l gy q Axiology in education asks questions about values such as… p p ∗ What is the purpose of education? ∗ What do we value about education? ∗ Should some elements of the curriculum be valued more than others?
The study of reality The philosophical study of reality is called metaphysics Metaphysics in education asks questions about reality such as… ∗ What does it mean to be a teacher? ∗ Is reality only the things we can sense (see or touch)? ∗ Is the physical world a figment of our imagination? ∗ Is it both?
Forming your own Philosophy of Education Some questions you might consider in doing this are: y What do you believe are the purposes of Education? y Should everyone have access to education? y y Should students or teachers direct learning? y What content/skills should be taught at school? y How should schools teach content and skills? y How should learning be measured?
Some things to think about ∗ Who is the best teacher that you have seen? ∗ What skills, qualities or values made this What skills qualities or values made this person a great teacher? ∗ Do any of this teacher Do any of this teacher’s skills s skills, qualities qualities or values appear in your own teaching? What specifically?
Your Teaching Philosophy ∗ Identifies your thinking at a particular time ∗ Gives you a starting point to examine your own teaching practices gp ∗ Allows you to monitor your development as a teacher ∗ Is a personal document that should reflect and represent you as an individual
Questions to consider when developing your teaching philosophy ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
What do I believe about teaching? What do I believe about learning? What motivates me to learn something new? Would that work for my students? Wh t d I What do I expect to be the outcomes of my teaching? t t b th t f t hi g? What is the student‐teacher relationship that I would like to achieve? ∗ How do I know when I have taught successfully? ∗ What elements are part of my most successful teaching achievements? ∗ What values do I want to impart to my students?
A Statement of Teaching Philosophy should be… ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Short Clear Personal Contain the words you really care about Show your strengths Represent your current level of experience and practice ∗ Help you to improve in the future
Some things to do next ∗ Ask your colleagues at school what their philosophy of education is ∗ Write your own one or two page statement of your philosophy of education and teaching ∗ As you go through the rest of this programme, think about the big questions that help you to understand h how you see teaching, learning, relationships, hi l i l i hi assessment and so on. How has your philosophy influenced what you believe about these things?
Foundations of Teaching and Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 1: What is a teacher? k h i h ? Lecture 1.4: Developing a Philosophy of Education
Being a Teacher i h Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust
Foundations of Teaching for Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 1: What is a teacher? k h i h ? Lecture 1.4: Developing a Philosophy of Education
Asking Important Questions When we ask ourselves questions about important q p basic issues in education, such as: ∗ What does it mean to be a teacher? ∗ What are the most important things that we should teach? ∗ How do we learn? …we are asking ourselves Philosophical questions.
So a Philosophy of Education is?
… a study of general and fundamental a study of general and fundamental problems of education, with questions such as: ∗ What is knowledge? ∗ What is the value of education? ∗ What is reality?
The study of knowledge The philosophical study of knowledge is called p p y g Epistemology. Epistemology in education asks questions about knowledge such as… ∗ What is knowledge? ∗ How do we know what we know? ∗ How did we acquire that knowledge?
The study of values The philosophical study of values is called axiology. i l gy q Axiology in education asks questions about values such as… p p ∗ What is the purpose of education? ∗ What do we value about education? ∗ Should some elements of the curriculum be valued more than others?
The study of reality The philosophical study of reality is called metaphysics Metaphysics in education asks questions about reality such as… ∗ What does it mean to be a teacher? ∗ Is reality only the things we can sense (see or touch)? ∗ Is the physical world a figment of our imagination? ∗ Is it both?
Forming your own Philosophy of Education Some questions you might consider in doing this are: y What do you believe are the purposes of Education? y Should everyone have access to education? y y Should students or teachers direct learning? y What content/skills should be taught at school? y How should schools teach content and skills? y How should learning be measured?
Some things to think about ∗ Who is the best teacher that you have seen? ∗ What skills, qualities or values made this What skills qualities or values made this person a great teacher? ∗ Do any of this teacher Do any of this teacher’s skills s skills, qualities qualities or values appear in your own teaching? What specifically?
Your Teaching Philosophy ∗ Identifies your thinking at a particular time ∗ Gives you a starting point to examine your own teaching practices gp ∗ Allows you to monitor your development as a teacher ∗ Is a personal document that should reflect and represent you as an individual
Questions to consider when developing your teaching philosophy ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
What do I believe about teaching? What do I believe about learning? What motivates me to learn something new? Would that work for my students? Wh t d I What do I expect to be the outcomes of my teaching? t t b th t f t hi g? What is the student‐teacher relationship that I would like to achieve? ∗ How do I know when I have taught successfully? ∗ What elements are part of my most successful teaching achievements? ∗ What values do I want to impart to my students?
A Statement of Teaching Philosophy should be… ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Short Clear Personal Contain the words you really care about Show your strengths Represent your current level of experience and practice ∗ Help you to improve in the future
Some things to do next ∗ Ask your colleagues at school what their philosophy of education is ∗ Write your own one or two page statement of your philosophy of education and teaching ∗ As you go through the rest of this programme, think about the big questions that help you to understand h how you see teaching, learning, relationships, hi l i l i hi assessment and so on. How has your philosophy influenced what you believe about these things?
Foundations of Teaching and Learning Course 2: Being a Teacher Week 1: What is a teacher? k h i h ? Lecture 1.4: Developing a Philosophy of Education
Being a Teacher i h Dr Dennis Francis Commonwealth Education Trust
