There are many philosophies on which teachers may choose to base their teaching style on, such as the ideas of: Idealists, Realists, Pragmatists and Existentialists. I can imagine using some views from each philosophy; but the one that really focuses on the values I would like to represent to my students is the pragmatic point of view. The pragmatic view states that children need to be aware of the society around them, and that children need to experience life.
I hope to be teaching third or fourth grade, therefore I would be responsible for teaching many subjects. It is important to teach these subjects in an interdisciplinary fashion. I also think that is important for students to realize how the different subjects relate to one another. The student may have to master a particular area in reading before he or she is able to do word problems in math. It is important to point out and reinforce that we utilize these subjects in our everyday lives. Education is all around us.
It is important to teach based on your experience (and the experiences of students). Hands on activities, as well as inviting open discussions are equally as important as standard lectures, but by getting students to actively participate there will be less of a tendency to lose their attention. It is important to make the students understand that their opinions and various views are vital to the educational process.
By providing a variety of stimulating, diversified books and posters one can provide a warm and socially friendly classroom that allows students to learn properly. Focusing on the environment the students work in, is important in the learning process. By arranging seats in clusters, students can experience a closer bond with their students thus allowing them to learn by sharing their individual knowledge.
In assessing student progress, rubrics come to mind. Telling students what you expect from them is important.
