PhilosophyofTeaching
Philosophicalstance:WhatisEducation,thepurpose,andendof
Philosophyisthescienceofunderstandingthroughhumanwisdom.Understandingand usingthegainedorlearnedknowledgetoknow,andtoseekout(Schulze,2020) Thatis philosophy!Philosophicalstanceformeregardingeducation,orpedagogy,isapparent.Itis basedonChristianvaluesorprinciples.Theseguidemyunderstandingofphilosophicalthought processes.
Whatiseducation?Educationistheprocessofimpartingknowledge,andlearned wisdominasocietalacceptedmanner Thiseducationalprocessmustbedonetoensurethatboth theeducatorandthestudentbenefitfromit.Educationisactuallyadialoguebetweentwoparties (Merriam,2020).Theknowledgeandwisdomimpartingbeginswhenonespeaks,theother listens.Afterlistening,thelistenerasksquestionstothespeaker,askingforclarification, restatement,summary,etc.Thisbackandforthlisteningandtalkingiswhatconstituteseducation (Schulze,2020).Thisdialogueiswhatlearningtruly is.Everythingelseisjusttools,techniques, theories,methods,andsuch,toeasethelearningprocess,andnottheprocessitself.Thepurpose ofeducationisknowledgeimparting,andteachingsoundwisdom.Theendthereofiscivilization building.Withouteducation,therecan'tbeanycivilization.Imagine,thereisnomore engineeringbeingtaught,tested,andtrained.Howcananationcontinue?Canitsurvive?
Goals,expectations,realitiesofeducation
Goals,andexpectations, arethefollowing.Thegoalistoteach,andtheexpectationis thatboththelearnerandthestudentwilldowhatisright,anddotheirbestinaccomplishingthe task(Schulze,2020)Themostimportantistorealizetherealitiesofeducation.Educationisvery intensivework.Teaching,learning,andre-learningisnotaneasyjob.Thisinvolvesteam-work,
frominstitution,department,students,andeducators.Whenthisteam-workbreaksdown,then youwillfindthatmanystudentsfail,orareunabletoproceedanyfurtherinfinishingtheir degrees.Thiscanhaveaprofoundeffectonthesociety,economy,anddemography.Manyplan toopt-outofeducation,andinsteadseeklow-paywork.Thisisnothelpful,educationiskey Education,unlikewealth,life,riches,influence,andthelike,cannevereverbetakenfromyou. Educationisoneofthefoundationalpillarsofcivilization.
Learningenvironment,relationshipbuilding,charactergrowth
Foreducationtoflourish,thereneedstoberespect,mutualtrust,guidelines/rules,and well-definedboundaries(GCU,n.d.).Thesecanhelpalleviatefrustrations,anddifficulties arisingfromlearningnewthings(Tombrella,2020).Itishardtodonewthingsatfirst,but graduallyonegetsaccustomedtoit.So,studentsshouldbeprovidedwithcounselling,tutoring, andextratimetodotheirbest(Schulze,2020).Compassionisthekeytostudentsuccessinany learningenvironment(Schulze,2020).
EducatingChemistry
Educatingchemistryisdifferentfromtraditionalsubjects.Chemistrycontainsmath, theories,andprocedures.Itissignificantthatthesethreecomponentsarepairedtogether,and workinasyncretizedprocess.Onlythencanthestudenthopetosucceedinchemistryclass. Chemistryisabroadfieldofsubject,andneedsspecializationforteachingadvanced sub-branches.Chemistrycanbedividedintosixbranches,theseare:Analytic,Organic, Inorganic,Medical,Physical,andBiochemistry
Inaddition,chemistryrequireslabtime.Itissimilartobiology,physics,engineering,and otherlab-orientedsciences.Mainlythecontentareadealswithchemicalcompositions,its inherentcharacteristics,thelawsgoverninginteraction,andproceduresforcalculatingthose interactions.Inchemistry,atleastone3-4hourlabissetasideperweek.Thisisrequiredforall chemistryclasses,thoughnotforintroductory101chemistryclasses.Asachemistryteacher focusingoncollegelevelchemistry,theeducatorisonlyrequiredtofocusononeparticular aspect/branchofchemistry,likebasicgeneral(inorganic)chemistry.Gradingcanbecome complicatedbecauseoftheamountofcontentthatneedstobecovered,materialsgraded, assignmentsreviewed,andlab-workscompleted.Though,allthiscanbedifficult,butstillthe loveoftheparticularfieldyouchosecanbearejuvenatingenergeticsurgewhichcanhelpthe educatornavigatethroughdifficult,andsometimesuncertaincircumstances.
Andragogy(pedagogicalgoals)TheoryofMargin,andConnectivism
ThetheoriesmostsuitableforChemistryinmyopinionarethese:andragogy,theoryof margin,andconnectivism(Merriam,2020).Andragogylaysthepedagogicalfoundationforadult learning.AsIplantoteachatcollegeoruniversity,thisisanidealtheory(Merriam,2020).This theoryisnotperfect,soadditionaltheoriesliketheoryofmarginandconnectivismneedtobe included.Connectivismfocusesononlineteachings,andtheperfectionofsuchdistantlearning (Merriam,2020).Whiletheoryofmarginisanad-hoctheorythathelpstounderstandthe difficulties,thestrengths,andthemarginalpowerrequiredtoovercomebarrierstosuccess (Merriam,2020).Combiningallthreetheoriesgivesoneimmenseunderstandingonhowwellto dealwithstudentswhoareadults(20-up).
Personaltheoryofeducation:Dan’sLaw
Granted,alltheabove-mentionedtheoriesdoprovideafunctionalbasisforeducational teaching,but Ifeeltheneedtoaddonemoreelementintothisendeavor,andthatisspirituality (Tombrella,2020) WithoutGodtherecanbenothing. Itisofprimeimportancethatweas ChristiansincludeGod,namelyLordJesusChrist.Withthepower,grace,wisdomoftheLord Jesus,wecanovercomeanydifficulties.Andthatisthegist(core)ofChristianity,withoutChrist thereisnothingofvalue.Heisthealpha,theomega,thefirst,andthelast.So,tomeGod, educator/teacher,andstudent/learnermakeuptheeducationaltriangle (Tombrella,2020).
Tosumup,weneedGodtolift-upusandgrantusallthenecessaryandessentialthings forsuccessinlife.EducatorsneedtocallonthenameoftheLordJesusChristforsuccess(GCU, n.d.).Thetheoriesemployedfailbecauseitdoesn’tcontainspiritualityorGod.Enormouseffort needstobeimputedbybothparties,educatorsandlearners,tocreatedialogue (Tombrella, 2020).Anddialogueisessentiallythecoreofeducation (GCU,n.d.).Andeducationcanonly takeplacewiththegrace,power,wisdom,andknowledgegrantedbytheLord.Amen!
EducationalDiagram:Dan’sLaw
References
GrandCanyonUniversity.(n.d.).StatementontheIntegrationofFaithandWork. One Foundation.Retrievedfromhttps://www.gcu.edu/Documents/Statement-IFLW.pdf
Merriam,S.B.,&Baumgartner,L.M.(2020). Learning in Adulthood (4thed.).JosseyBass
Schulze,J.(2020,June12). Teaching Philosophies: Your Teaching Soul in Document Form [Fact sheet].FacultyFocus.https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/philosophy-of-teaching/ teaching-philosophies-your-teaching-soul-in-document-form/
Tombrella,A.(2020,May18). Revising Your Teaching Philosophy for This Crisis [Factsheet]. Edutopia.https://www.edutopia.org/article/revising-your-teaching-philosophy-crisis