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Ms. Kenesha Allen's Georgia State University Graduation Portfolio
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. " -Nelson Mandela
Philosophy of Teaching
As an educator there are many steps that I plan to take in order to create an environment that foster intellectual growth and an atmosphere of thinkers. One thing that I will be sure to do is to study and implement various educational philosophies and theories so that I may continuously gain knowledge on how to effectively teach a diverse range of learners. I believe that different theories equip educators with distinct tools to enhance the success of students’ acquisition of knowledge.
I believe that the best way for me to foster intellectual growth and an atmosphere of thinkers is to practice culturally responsive pedagogy. I love the idea of this theoretical approach because the students’ personal sense of self is intertwined into their learning. Validating the students’ sense of self, personal lives, and cultures will provide students with more pride in themselves, their education, and their peers and thus will contribute to the creation of an environment that fosters intellectual growth.
In fostering an atmosphere of thinkers, I will be sure to use the knowledge, skills, and strengths that students bring to the classroom to assist them in reaching new mounds of knowledge. I will challenge students to question the “why” of the contents and not just the “how” of the content. In teaching the students to question the “why” I am also suggesting students to research for themselves and not to just take the information that is given to them. One thing that I will not do to my students is “teach to the test.” In my opinion, teaching to the test creates boundaries to student’s intellectual growth and does not foster an atmosphere of thinkers. Teaching to the test is when educators only give students information in which they will be tested on. Some educators may feel as if they cannot afford to go in depth about certain topics or let their students look at issues analytically because they will not be tested on it. Essentially, the teachers are adjusting classroom instruction to produce high scores. Even though teaching to the test may ensure higher test scores, with this practice, there is no room for creativity.
Finally, I will differentiate instruction in an attempt to create an environment that fosters intellectual growth and an atmosphere of thinkers. All students learn differently yet they should be equally allowed to access and master of information. In order for that to effectively happen, it is essential to develop students’ learning through the medium in which they will be most successful.
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