Although every teacher has their own reasoning as to why they wanted to become a teacher whether it be developing the minds and actions of the next wave of students or attempting to have a direct influence on students’ lives. Teachers should additionally understand what makes a strong and healthy classroom and what makes a great teacher regarding interacting with the students, as well as making connections between teaching and learning.
Every teacher will have a variety of characteristics that represent their teaching style and how they operate in the classroom. Previously, I have learned that I offer the perspectives of apprenticeship and nurturing in the classroom. The perspective of apprenticeship has allowed me the understanding that my approach will be revolved around being knowledgeable and experienced with the lesson. At the elementary level, my philosophy will allow me to grasp what the students can do on their own and offer guidance and direction when necessary so they can engage in insightful learning and develop their minds.
Furthermore, the perspective of nurturing is important within my teaching philosophy because students should be confident to learn, as well as become more motivated and productive learners knowing that fear of failure or embarrassment of wrong answers is extinct within my classroom. From my previous schooling experiences, having lower self-confidence in yourself and your work can damper a student’s overall ability to perform and interact within the classroom. Rather, I hope to encourage students to the efforts on work and contributing in lessons to promote a classroom atmosphere where there is care and trust between the students and teacher. Through feedback, students will be offered encouragement and support to develop their capabilities and be offered avenues for further improvement.
These perspectives relate to the philosophy of idealism I hope to implement within the classroom. An idealistic teacher is said to be, “An example for the student. Knowledge is seen as something that is transferred from the teacher to the student either verbally or written. This implies that lecturing and direct instruction are key methodologies” (Darrin, 2021). I hope to implement an approach like idealism into my future classroom because instead of making the student feel like they failed themselves and myself, rather I’d hope to understand the potential of the student and find an encouraging outlet to open the mind and help them succeed within the classroom. Personally, I wish teachers held similar approaches when I was in grade school and high school as I remember my peers and even myself holding back from public speaking because we were afraid of the worse in front of our classmates. Using the method of idealism in education will allow students to become more comfortable around their peers and teachers, as well as break a barrier for the shy and confused students to express themselves.