Philosophy of Education

It is no surprise that when students think about their favorite subject from middle school

and high school it is not Social Studies. More often than not, Social Studies is seen as a subject

that is concerned with immense amounts of reading, extreme forms of memorization, and taking

pencil and paper assessments that make students dread coming to class. Effective teachers,

however, know that Social Studies is a subject where students knowledge and creativity can run

wild. A subject where students can look at an image or a text and infer multiple perspectives

using a variety of disciplines. But how do we get students to understand that Social Studies is not

a field they should fear or dislike, but rather a field that promotes critical understanding of ones

past to create a future they can be a part of and proud of? As a teacher of Social Studies, it will

be my goal to create a classroom where students do not simply gloss over an image or a text, but

rather become immersed in the story by using critical thinking techniques to promote

engagement with students interests. Students will also learn real skills historians use such as

synthesis, contextualization, and historical writing,

While I want students to enjoy the subject of Social Studies, I know that not all students

learn best with one style of instruction. As a teacher, I will foster comprehension by having

students learn about past experiences and making connections to our present-day society through

both student-centered and teacher-centered instruction. Students will critically analyze primary

and secondary sources to understand multiple viewpoints, and will work with material in ways

that incorporates all multiple intelligences. I believe each student has something to offer to the

class, and it for this reason I will implement Socratic circle discussions, team-based learning,

simulations, interactive lectures, projects, and other instructional tools to cultivate an

environment where students assist in peer learning and feedback. It is my goal to gather
feedback from these lessons, and actively seek out new ways to engage learners in complex

material, while making students responsible for their overall learning.

Assessment is a critical aspect of any classroom, and I want my students to be evaluated

on authentic assessment strategies so that they can measure their progress by reflecting on their

own learning. Assessments I plan to use in the classroom range on Blooms New Level of

Taxonomy and will be both traditional and performance based. Some assessments I plan to use

are: Document based questions, differentiated assessment strategies, acting out historical events

and debating them, and discussing and evaluating why students think something happened based

on what they learned. With this being said, there will still be a standard for students to uphold. I

will evaluate students using rubrics, and students will be informed of what is expected of them

prior to completing an assessment or activity. These grading systems will allow me to grow as a

teacher so that I may see what styles of instruction and assessment work best for my students,

and how to adapt to different types and levels of learners. I will also continuously track student

progress using multiple indicators for feedback such as the student growth objective, my

professional development plan, and data collection to adapt learning strategies to maximize

student potential.

Overall, my goals and aspirations are to create a classroom where students are engaged in

and enjoy learning about Social Studies, and understand the importance of this subject. I want to

integrate critical thinking lessons where each student is encouraged to bring their own

background, and reach beyond mere comprehension of text through traditional and differentiated

assessments. I look forward to being part of a dynamic professional learning community to

contribute to and gain new insights.