Personal Beliefs About Teaching

Abstract
While there is only so much a teacher and a school system can do for a student, the school systems and employees within the same should do all that they can to inform and prepare students for adult life, the workplace and their place in society. There is so much to see in the news and other media that is very discouraging and disheartening. While at least some of that is emblematic of the “if it bleeds, it leads” mentality, there are some practices and ideologies that need to change and evolve. To at least help put education on a better path, the author of this philosophy and plan will focus on several important aspects and ideas. These would include that everyone is worthy of dignity and respect, that our differences are a source of strength and inspiration, that bullying behavior is never acceptable, that all of us need to be informed and prepared when it comes to the world we live in and that society should not be allowed to dictate what people “should” or are “allowed” to do, such as gender role expectations and so forth.
Teaching Philosophy
As was partially indicated in the abstract, there is a lot of emphasis and burden placed on the school system when it comes to what children learn, how they learn it and surmounting the changes that come along while doing all of the above. However, there are some clear limitations and barriers that exist when it comes to teaching students. Some of those barriers are quite firm and they exist for a reason. For example, the public school system is generally barred, and rightly so, from instilling or enforcing any given religion (James & Benson, 2014). That is something that is the duty and right of the parents to do or not do, depending on their beliefs and values. However, some areas are a little more opaque and nebulous. For example, while teachers are generally considered part of the state, they are thus restricted, implicitly or explicitly, from doing certain things. When it comes to students, the lines are a little blurrier, as they are not employees of the school system. That all being said, it is indeed the duty of the school system to teach several important subjects such as English/language, mathematics, civics and so forth. Regardless of the power and rights of the school system, it must be understood that there is influence, good or bad, that is extended to the students when they are outside of the classroom. Whether it is the parents, other family, friends, neighborhood or other things, all those things have a direct and profound influence on what can happen in the class room. This includes whether the parents are engaged and interested in the learning of their children, whether the child is in poverty, whether the child lives in a high-crime area and other social issues such as police interaction, race, ethnicity and so forth. Regardless of the individual circumstances, there needs to be a teacher and administrator focus on maximizing learning and maximizing safety. When it comes to the latter, there is limited latitude. However, if abuse, danger or safety are issues, the school system plays an important part. Even if it just involves a handoff or a notification to the police or social service agencies, there are times where the school should (or must) intervene and assist beyond the normal scope of the teaching environment. Regardless of any of that, the teacher and administrators can control the learning environment. They must do so in the right and proper ways. Even so, doing what is possible when it comes to exterior factors and influence is certainly not irrelevant. Good or bad, it does influence the learning and future of the student.
Philosophy of School & Learning
It was established earlier that there are a few major prongs to the learning philosophy of the author of this summary. There are three prongs in total. Those would be learning the proper things, ensuring that every student is safe and ensuring that every student is on equal footing in terms of status and prominence. Ensuring that the proper things are learned sounds like an easy thing, at least to some people. However, it is not quite as simple as some might think. There can be disagreements about what should be taught. There can also be disagreements about what should be taught about what is chosen. For example, it is common to explain that Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas when he happened upon the Caribbean. However, what is commonly discussed a lot less is what he did to the indigenous people of the Caribbean when he got there, which included enslaving and mistreating them. Even “Founding Fathers” like George Washington are often assailed since he owned slaves during his life. Of course, there is also the “stars and bars” and the debate about Civil War monuments. With all of that, there should be a teacher focus on the events that happened per the historical record. There should be a strong avoidance of wading into the political ramifications and issues involved. Failing to heed this warning will enrage parents once they hear that that their students are being taught something that they disagree with. Even worse is that some of these sorts of accusations are exaggerated and made to be over the top. The author of this plan knows full well that some people are just uncivil and unfair when it comes to ideas and concepts that they disagree with or do not understand. Therefore, having a fully reviewed, approved and logical lesson plan for controversial topics is very important (Lotherington, 2017).
The safety prong was largely explained in the introduction. However, there are some points that should be added to this. One thing that the author of this response knows full well is that teachers and administrators are commonly mandated reporters. Meaning, they are not allowed to disregard evidence of likely or possible abuse when it manifests. At the same time, it is important to not be reactionary and over the top. A bruise or a cut might due parental abuse. It could also be a clumsy mistake on the part of the child. Following best practices and the law is important because compliance with the law should not be optional and the safety of the children should be of paramount importance.
Ensuring equal footing and equality would be typified by not allowing bullying, making sure that students do not feel shy or intimidated for being different and so forth. When it comes to this point, there will be some situations and students where special care does need to be taken. For example, an Arab student who starts school in a mostly white high school is going to be a challenge. This is perfect example of what the author meant by parents and other exterior situations creating problems and challenges in the school system. An elementary-age Arab student would not have been alive when 9/11 happened, for example. However, his parents were certainly alive and so were the parents and family of the other students at the school. That should, obviously, have anything to do with how that hypothetical Arab student is treated. However, to act like it does not or will not happen is naivete. As such, there should be an immediate and swift intervention when any student acts improperly when it comes to that Arab student. Banter related to Hispanics considering the current immigration debate would be another example (Ward, 2017).
Instructional Practice
Translating the ideas from above to the actual practice of teaching is something that is very challenging in some instances. Reasons for this vary including how students learn best, the propensity of students to self-form into cliques and groups, stronger students dominating the interaction with the teacher, shier students keeping away from the same interaction, cultural and/or racial issues and so forth. These happen to be the same issues that the author of this plan will speak about in further detail.
It is known relatively well that different people learn better (or more poorly) depending on the method being used. For example, some people thrive in social/group settings while others are better off on their own, or at least they think so. The way that the author of this plan would address this would be to mix and match the teaching styles that are used as the classes go on. Rather than just standing at a lectern or an overhead and lecturing the class, there will instead be a variety of methods used that all instill the same learning points, lessons and takeaways. When it comes to dominant/passive students, the author will make it a point to get and keep everyone in the class involved. Rather than allowing the boldness or sheepishness of students to dictate who participates more and who does not, the author will instead call on all students and otherwise get them involved in a proportional way. When it comes to students gravitating towards their own desired groups and cliques, the author will instead mix and match who is in what group rather than simply allowing the students to form their own groups. In general terms, there will be a focus on socializing and grouping of children so that they do not remain only in their space. This is not to say that there will be no individual or solo work. Indeed, students need to have their own mind and identity and solo work is the best way to foster that. However, humans are social creatures and inhibiting the socializing of children in an artificial or extensive way, unconsciously or on purpose, can be counterproductive or even harmful (Hernandez-Bravo, Cardona-Molto & Hernandez-Bravo, 2017).
Addressing the issue of race and culture is a little more delicate. However, it something that cannot and should not be ignored. There are a few considerations and issues that are in play. For example, the hypothetical Arab student mentioned before is going to be in a precarious position. Indeed, there will be few (if any) other Arab students at the school, in all likelihood. The same sort of circumstance would apply to several other groups such as those people from r India, most other places in Europe and Latin America. Even people that come from Western Europe are going to face some sort of culture shock. Even if such a person already speaks English, they are going to face challenges. Regardless of the groups in question, there needs to be a balance struck between not favoring any race or culture. There should be absolutely no sense of cultural primacy, regardless of the cultural or race in question. Instead, there should be cultural humility. This would be the pride in what makes one important, but not at the expense or anyone else. Someone that was born in America should not hold themselves as superior or “better” than a Hispanic child and the same thing is true in reverse (Brown, Vesely & Dallman, 2016).
Regardless of the good intentions that exist among the students or the school employees, there will be those that do not remain cultural humble or free from bullying or incendiary behavior. There will be at least some children where this behavior is not shut down by the parents at home and thus it will manifest when the child is at school. One key part of practice is that such behavior should not exist in any way, shape or form. When it arises, it should be stopped immediately. There should be no yelling or open confrontation. However, the behavior cannot be allowed to persist. Whether it is speaking to the student in the hall, speaking to the parents or other disciplinary/intervention types, that behavior must not be tolerated. This should apply to any other place in the school other than the classroom. Threats, any physical assaults and any racist/bigoted behavior should be dealt with firmly. The same applies to children who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This will be less of an issue with younger children, but it could arise in elementary school settings. It would be much more of an issue to identify and track in middle schools and high schools. Injecting sexuality, especially with young children, into lessons is probably not a wise thing to do. However, the example children and adults in stories can be varied in terms of ethnicity and nationality so as to gain the attention of people from those groups. For example, using the name “Abdul” might be encouraging to an Arab student. Using “Julio” or “Maria” would be culturally relevant to a Latino student. This should not be done excessively. However, using only white/American names is not something that should be allowed to permeate lesson plans. Even if the textbooks do not do this, the teachers and administrators should. This is an easy and low-key way to recognize the diversity of the country and the world without being obvious or overt about it (Guala & Boero, 2017).
The “why” behind the anti-bullying and anti-bigot strategy noted above is straightforward. Allowing that behavior to promulgate and go unchecked anywhere on school grounds is a non-starter. Children who do not get it implored upon them that such behavior is not permissible in a civil society will be much more likely to grow up and still be doing such things when they are adults. Concurrent to that, debate and discussions in the classroom setting should be civil, regulated by a good facilitator and otherwise free from the bullying and other anti-social behavior that is noted above. That being said, there should be a general avoidance of topics that are quite likely to create uncomfortable discussions such as religion, the “stars and bars” flag and other such topics. Other than an objective summary and review of such things, discussion of those topics should generally be kept to a minimum. This is all important because the learning environment should be positive, it should be free from bullying an intimidation, there should be the idea that all peoples are equal and so forth (Teasley & Nevarez, 2016).
The roles of the teacher and learner are simple. The role of the teacher is to teach. The role of the learner is to learn. Rarely, those positions can sometimes be transposed. However, the norm that is desired and needed is obvious. One thing that the author of this plan and philosophy will be sure to remember is that there is an important line in the sand to draw between the teachers and the students. Unless there is an exterior familial (or other very close) relationship, there should be little to no interaction between students and teachers in non-school environments. It is one thing for a parent/child and teacher to incidentally bump into each other at the grocery store. It is something else entirely if there are events and patterns beyond that. For example, it would rarely be remotely acceptable for a child to be at the home of a teacher. This is not to say that there is obviously untoward or unethical going on. However, appearances of impropriety can go a long away and thus should be avoided at all costs (Ray, Huffman, Christian & Wilson, 2016).
The author of this document would compare teachers to mental health professionals when it comes to the above Indeed, there should be a warm bond and rapport between the learner and the teacher. However, there are clear limits that should be placed on that bond. This would include what is discussed, what should not be discussed, where/when teachers and students should be interacting and so forth. There are certainly going to be some situations where these rules and structures might be hard to follow. However, it is for the best in most cases. Generally speaking, there are other people and agencies and that could and should get involved if there is something outside of the school paradigm that needs to be looked at and addressed. The passion and drive that brings people to teaching surely makes this sometimes gut-wrenching and difficult. However, discretion and alignment with the law and rules is a must (Thunman & Persson, 2017).
Diversity
Many of the important parts of the author’s diversity focus have already been discussed. However, there is one important points that should be added. One additional item to mention is the fact that not all students have a strong command of the English language. Whether it is because they recently immigrated from another country or whether it is because they have fallen behind, those students need a special amount of care and attention. Falling behind at a young age is a terrible thing and it is important to get them caught up as quickly as possible if that is practical. This may require a one-on-one approach with the parents, a special education situation or something else like that. However, that is not always configured and put in place as it could or should be. For what is possible and actionable, students need to be given initial or remedial training and in a way that does not make it obvious that they are behind the curve. Of course, students should be controlled if they bully or label such a child. However, limiting the chance to stigmatize the child in the first place is a better way to proceed (Al-Khaiyali, 2014).
Conclusion
If there is a singular takeaway or thesis to take from this report, it is that students should be prepared in terms of knowing what they need to know about history and their world, knowing how to craft and wield their ideas and knowing how to properly interact with other people. The arc and pattern that is being seen in society is quite concerning and there needs to be action taken to bring up people that do not even entertain acting in such a way. Correcting such anti-social and negative behavior is a lot harder to do once a person is grown. Thus, the role of teachers and administrators is very important because school is where children spend a great amount of time.




















References
Al Khaiyali, A. S. (2014). ESL Elementary Teachers' Use of Children's Picture Books to Initiate
Explicit Instruction of Reading Comprehension Strategies. English Language
Teaching, 7(2), 90-102.
Brown, E. L., Vesely, C. K., & Dallman, L. (2016). Unpacking Biases: Developing Cultural
Humility in Early Childhood and Elementary Teacher Candidates. Teacher Educators'
Journal, 975-96.
Guala, E. G., & Boero, P. B. (2017). Cultural analysis of mathematical content in teacher
education: the case of Elementary Arithmetic Theorems. Educational Studies In
Mathematics, 96(2), 207-227.
Hernández-Bravo, J. A., Cardona-Moltó, M. C., & Hernández-Bravo, J. R. (2017). Developing
elementary school students' intercultural competence through teacher-led tutoring action
plans on intercultural education. Intercultural Education, 28(1), 20-38.
James, P. C., & Benson, D. (2014). School chaplaincy, secularism and church - state separation
in a liberal democracy. University Of Queensland Law Journal, The, (1), 131.
Lotherington, H. (2017). Elementary School Language and Literacy Education for Civic
Engagement: An Evolving Playbook for Postmodern Times. Language & Literacy: A
Canadian Educational E-Journal, 19(3), 4-20.
Ray, D. C., Huffman, D. D., Christian, D. D., & Wilson, B. J. (2016). Experiences of male
counselor educators: a study of relationship boundaries. The Professional Counselor, (2),
107. doi:10.15241/dr.6.2.107


Teasley, M. L., & Nevarez, L. (2016). Awareness, Prevention, and Intervention for Elementary
School Bullying: The Need for Social Responsibility. Children & Schools, 38(2), 67-69.
doi:10.1093/cs/cdw011
Thunman, E. & Persson, M. (2017). Boundary practices and social media: The case of teachers’
use of Facebook to communicate with pupils. Human IT, (3), 24
Ward, R. (2017). ‘I Just Want to Be Myself’: How We Can Challenge Homophobia,
transphobia and racism in Australian Schools. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 38(4),
469. doi:10.1080/07256868.2017.1341397