From the time I was a little kid I was the one who always pretended to play school. Everyone that I forced to be my pretend students could never understand why I always wanted to play this “game” for hours on end. Through figuring out what grade level I wanted to teach to observing multiple classrooms I’ve come to learn how delicate a child’s mind really is. For me teaching is so much more than getting the summer’s off and all the holiday breaks. To me it is about watching the joy of my future students grasping a new concept. I can’t wait to watch my students grow and blossom because of the things that they learn not only in my classroom but outside of it was well. The way that my future goals can be accomplished is through progressivism’s approach to education.
The progressivism’s approach is an education philosophy that emphasizes democracy, student’s needs, and uses practical activities geared toward the student’s level. For students to excel we need to focus on making concepts that they will enjoy and want to engage in. Going to school and getting an education should not be something that most dread. Two philosophers, John Dewey and Nel Noddings implemented the progressivism’s approach in different ways. Noddings herself was all about the caring approach while Dewey was all about learning through doing. By focusing on these philosopher’s concepts, I will be able to create a positive classroom environment. By helping the students learn from their previous problems with a hands on approach they will continue their learning, but also know I am there to support them through their journey.
As the teacher my role will be to give a caring hand when my students need it. I will present them with the skill and tools they need for certain lessons. The students will have control of the end result because I really like the hands on approach. I do not want to present lessons to them by just standing in front of the classroom, I want to encourage them to work together. As for the students I will encourage them to interact with one another. Encouraging them to do this will help them develop cooperation skills, building tolerance for different points of view, as well as social virtues. By doing this the students will gain valuable knowledge for the future. I want to teach them skills for the real world, but also have the lesson focused around my students. Social interaction is very important because we all have to do it in our everyday life’s.
Watching the joy of my future students grasping a new concept is something I can’t wait to experience. Because the things that they will learn in my classroom will help better prepare them for adulthood. Every educator has a different idea of what their classroom will like, but for to accomplish my future goals as a teacher I will use the progressivism approach.
