A PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
In my opinion, the school's goals should begin with providing students the necessary knowledge and experiences to help contribute to our society. The school needs to make its best effort to keep the students interested in what they are doing so they don't get bored and lose interest in what they are working to accomplish. Numerous extracurricular activities should be provided so that the student's can get involved with their school in many different ways. Somehow, school needs to become a place that kids look forward to coming to every day, not a place they dread and don't want to be at.
I am in favor of vocational studies and general education courses, when it comes to the subjects that need to be taught in school. I think the major subjects such as English and science, as well as subjects such as typing, need to be taught in the classroom setting. The students will gain valuable knowledge, and in some classes hands-on experience, that they can use to their benefit when they get out of school. Also, these students have the opportunity to explore many skills that would allow them to have several skills in the work force instead of a limited amount once they graduate from school. A vocational study would allow the students that were not leaning toward a college degree an opportunity to pursue a career of there choice and it would give them a head start on the career of there choice so that they could become a benefit toward society.
In terms of classroom management, I believe the teacher should lay down the law and make sure the students understand he or she is in control when it comes to running the class. However, the students have the freedom to make suggestions or initiate discussions. There needs to be a class rule such as raising your hand and being called on to speak so that the student's don't start making suggestions or different discussions, in which case the class can lose control and get off track. If I feel the student's are discussing something worthwhile to the class, or they make a suggestion about doing something in class that I find acceptable, then I will be open to letting the class lead and following them from their.
In terms of achievement, I think that is measured based on the class. In classes such as English, the student should be able to write organized essays or talk in proper sentences. In classes like Home Economics, the students learn by baking a cake or making a pair of shorts from cloth. Some of the classes however will require the students to learn and prove there knowledge with oral and written assessments instead of hands on knowledge. I believe all students have the ability to learn in some way and although not all students will learn at the same rate it will be my responsibility as an educator to learn how to reach and evaluate the greatest number of students. Each student will learn different and it will be my job as a teacher to become eclectic in my teaching and assessment.