Osins Educational Foundation Inc.

Balaoan, La Union

Human Resource Management

Master of Arts in Educational Management

Educational Philosophy

Norma G. Pulido

MAED

Dr. Rowena R. De Guzman

Professor
Abstract

I believe that it is my duty as an educator to serve as a guide for students to be able to think

critically, to be able to interact and communicate positively with others in their local and global

communities, and to be able to acquire authentic and intellectual tools that will help them

throughout their lives. In this paper, I provide rationale to support my beliefs, along with how I

will directly apply concepts as an English Language Arts teacher.

I believe that it is my duty as an educator to serve as a guide for students to be able to think

critically, to be able to interact and communicate positively with others in their local and global

communities, and to be able to acquire authentic and intellectual tools that will help them

throughout their lives.

Thirteen years ago, I was an English major at Augsburg (for the first time), and I was

considering a career as an educator. I took a class called Orientation to Education. For one of the

assignments in the class, I had to observe a high school classroom. While observing a classroom

full of eighteen-year-old students, I remember thinking, then as a twenty-year old student, “What

can I possibly teach these students?” Because of this experience, I had serious misgivings about

my ability to be an educator at that point in my life, so decided to put the idea on hold.

Ten years after my experiences at Augsburg, I had a job working in a management position.

At times I had to mediate turbulent staff conflicts, and I found myself thinking, “I wish that I could

have helped this person develop interpersonal skills when he was younger.” When our staff had to

navigate cultural differences within the group, I found myself thinking, “I wish that I could have

talked to the group about diversity when they were younger.” When I had to handle situations

where an employee didn’t show up to work on time or didn’t contribute quality work, I found

myself thinking, “I wish that I could have helped this person appreciate the value of quality work.”

When I sat down to read a poorly written resume or cover letter, I found myself thinking, “I wish

that I could have helped this person communicate effectively with her writing.”

These experiences as a manager were affirmation that, ten years after deciding I wasn’t

ready to teach, I was indeed in a position where I had enough experience and competence to help

people. While I did what I could to help my colleagues as their manager, I came up against two
big obstacles. The first obstacle was that my staff, like many adults, had formed their paradigms

and biases for how they were going to operate by the time that I had met them. I found myself

wishing that I could have encountered them when they were younger and at a time when it would

have been more appropriate to impart these values to them. The second obstacle that I came up

against was the relevance of training my staff on some of these soft skills in a fast-paced,

financially-driven work environment. I found it nearly impossible to be successful enough at my

job while teaching my staff the things that I really wanted them to learn: how to think critically

and independently while contributing to their community in a positive way. Eventually I realized

that my roles as business manager and teacher of life skills were mutually exclusive. It was at this

point that I took the long and winding road back to becoming an English teacher, where I could

help shape students into productive and thoughtful adults.

No matter what class I am teaching, there are three objectives that I want to accomplish

with students: to help students to be able to think critically and independently as they continue to

grow as learners and people, to help students to be able to interact and communicate positively

with others in their local and global communities, and to help students to be able to acquire

intellectual and applicable tools that will help them throughout their lives. I will go through each

one of my desired outcomes and explain the importance of each topic. Each section of rationale

will be followed up with examples of how I will do this in my class, under the heading: What this

will look like in my ELA (English Language Arts) classroom. These examples of activities are used

to illustrate teacher strategies for how students can develop the desired outcomes.

Objective 1: Students will be able to think critically and independently as they continue to

grow as learners and people.

Our world is constantly evolving. Students will need to be able to collect information and

data and then be able to do something with that information as new ideas and technology evolve.

In our ever changing world, it is imperative that students adopt a growth mindset to adapt to

changing circumstances, and it is possible to cultivate this mindset as an educator (Dweck, 2006).

Part of learning is making mistakes and being able to learn from those mistakes. In my classroom,

I hope to create an atmosphere where students know and see that it is OK to make mistakes because

mistakes often create some of the best learning opportunities.

There is a Japanese term that illustrates how I want to live and grow as an educator, and a

good example for how students can do the same. Shoshin translates to “cherish your beginner’s
mind” (Perricone, 2005, p. 62). As a teacher, I always want to demonstrate to students that we are

always in situations where we can learn, including teachers. If we all operate with the

understanding that we all have something to learn from others, we will set ourselves up to be

lifelong learners and independent thinkers.

Learning tends to happen when people can use inductive and deductive reasoning (critical

thinking skills) to synthesize information (Dewey, 2011). In real life situations, we use inductive

and deductive reasoning to synthesize information and make inferences to situations. These are

skills that students regularly use, and if we can devote time developing these skills, the benefits

will transcend throughout students’ lives.

What this will look like in my ELA classroom:

There are so many great ways to integrate critical thinking into an ELA classroom. The act

of effective reading should actually be a critical thinking exercise. Students should be shown that

reading is an active process, and they should be shown reading strategies that help them make

predictions, ask questions, make connections, and monitor their understanding of the text (Beers,

2003). I will discuss the conventions of rhetoric, so that students can be aware of the devices, and

use them when appropriate (Jordan, 1996). I will make appropriate use of ever-evolving new

literacies like social media and modern music to enrich a deeper understanding of old literacies

(Connors, 2012; Lewis, 2011). As often as possible, I will use problem-based learning activities

so that students can practice “higher-level thinking” to formulate their own conclusions (Arends,

2012).

Speaking from my own experiences, the most meaningful and memorable school

experiences have been when I have been involved in activities that have forced me to think
critically. In general, students will be more motivated to work hard if the work they are doing

fulfills their needs (Glasser, 2012). If students are motivated to work hard on meaningful projects,

they will be continuing to develop their critical thinking skills.

Objective 2: Students will be able to interact and communicate positively with others in their

local and global communities.

One of the primary settings for students to learn how to interact with others is in school. If

done correctly, school can be an excellent place to show students how to positively interact with

one another and live with empathy and compassion. To clarify, when I suggest local communities,

I mean the immediate, regular interactions that students will have with family, friends, co-workers,

and employers. Students will benefit from being shown effective ways to communicate with one

another, and it is clear that these skills will carry beyond the classroom. It is also important to

allow for open discussion in class as topics arise, as those can be some of the most opportune times

for students to learn (Harman, 2011).

When I say global communities, I am referring to issues and topics that force us to examine

our own beliefs and how we interact with one another. As I hinted at earlier, the landscape in a

democratic society that permeates our lives is constantly shifting, and school can provide valuable

moments to address these important topics in our global community (Neubert, 2010). When it

comes to addressing important topics like equality and social justice, I think that it is important to

allow students to explore these topics in safe environments. Students should be allowed to interact

as they explore these topics in designed conversational formats like peer editing groups and

socratic seminars (Thayer-Bacon, 2011).

Literature presents a very unique opportunity for students to interact with one another and

also to interact with social issues and topics that affect all of us. To piggyback on what I mentioned

earlier, an ELA classroom is a great place to incorporate conversation in the classroom. Students

can practice interacting and working collaboratively in literature circles, where students are given

opportunities to choose a text that they will read and discuss as a group (Brabham, 2000; Daniels,

2006). Students feel empowered when they are given opportunities to facilitate their own learning,

and literature circles provide a very direct way for students to practice sophisticated interactions

with other learners. Since learners within the same school often come from different cultural

backgrounds, literature circles are also a way to promote multicultural awareness and interaction

(Lloyd, 2006).

One of the best ways to introduce and create dialogue about race, class, and gender in a

classroom is to introduce students to literary theory (Appleman, 2009). Literature presents students

with sometimes foreign and new ideas and concepts, and it can be a great way to give students an

opportunity to consider things they haven’t before. Reading texts, and particularly practicing using

different lenses, provides for a transactional and a reflective process that will help to broaden their

understanding of once unfamiliar ideas (Connell, 2008). In my classroom, there will be many

meaningful ways where students can interact with one another as they explore concepts that they

will find challenging and engaging. I will work hard to make sure that students will work in a safe

and productive environment.

throughout their lives.

Even though the argument can be made that there is little to support the age-old narrative

that “If you will pay attention in school, and do your homework, and score well on tests, and

behave yourself, you will be rewarded with a well-paying job when you are done” (Postman, 1996,

p. 27), certain skills and knowledge will be a way for people to establish common ground

(VanTassel-Baska, 2015). What I mean by this is that it is valuable for students to come out of

school with common threads of knowledge that will form a basis of understanding among other

people. As public education “creates a public,” it has an opportunity to create “the existence of

shared narratives and the capacity of such narratives to provide an inspired reason for schooling”

(Postman, 1996, p. 18). Education, particularly the humanities, provides an opportunity for our

culture to have a shared identity and sense of community. In order to make these narratives

equitable, it is important to utilize a multitude of perspectives to point to higher truth.

Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are lifelong skills. The bottom line is, good

teachers are able to figure out what motivates students (Glasser, 2010). If students are doing work

that gives them immediate tools that they can use, makes them feel good, or powerful, or free, or

(heaven forbid) is fun, they will be more open to learning in that environment. Teaching students

vetted skills and facts is an important objective, but that does not mean that we need to use methods

which will sabotage students’ abilities to think critically and independently (Dewey, 2011).

What this will look like in my ELA classroom:

literary canon in school curriculums because of it’s relevance (or lack of) in today’s world.

However, many historical pieces of literature have timeless themes that have transcended the ages,

and they are good illustrations of the significance of some problems that affect humankind (Beach,

2011). If students are shown how a text can be relevant to their lives, these historical texts can be

powerful vessels to illustrate timeless themes. To Kill a Mockingbird has always been one of my

favorite texts because it has such a powerful social justice message that continues to echo in

modern-day news stories. Similarly, a link can be made about how Romeo and Juliet may not be

that dissimilar from modern struggles that students face. It has also been my experience that many

college programs operate under the assumption that high school students are acquainted, at least

at some level, with these texts prior to entering college. As I design curriculums for my classes, I

may choose not to read an entire classical piece of literature because it may be more appropriate

to use a piece of young adult literature with students. Depending on the situation, what I may find

preferable would be to share excerpts of classical texts to invite students into the ongoing, time-

tested conversations surrounding a text.

I believe it is important to select texts that students will be motivated to read. One of the

best ways to do this is by incorporating young adult literature into a classroom. There are many

great pieces of literature within this genre that students will often find more accessible than

canonical texts (Glaus, 2014). Young adult literature serves as a great way to approach important

and mature topics by using text that students will be motivated to read (Beach, 2011). For example,

I see great value in incorporating a book like Speak into a literature curriculum because students

will find the characters, setting, themes, and plot accessible because, one could argue, they closely

resemble many aspects of students’ lives. Speak also serves as a good vessel to approach important
social topics like gender, violence, and trauma. In our culture, we benefit from a large breadth of

literature that we can use, and I think that there are many appropriate and challenging texts that

can be used that meet students halfway.

I hope that I can be in a school environment where I have support to chase after my teaching

objectives: to serve as a guide for students to be able to think critically, to be able to interact and

communicate positively with others in their local and global communities, and to be able to acquire

authentic and intellectual tools that will help them throughout their lives. I know that I may have

constraints with Common Core Standards and district curriculums, but I do not think that this will

mean that I can’t accomplish my own agenda as an educator at the same time. If I can operate with

even a little autonomy to promote the objectives that I have laid out in this paper, I believe that I

will continue to stay engaged as an educator for a long time. I know that as a teacher, my class will

be little more than a minor pit-stop for many students, but I think that if I accomplish what I intend

to do as a teacher, I will leave a lasting impact on my students that will help them for the rest of

their lives.
References

Appleman, D. (2009). Critical Encounters in High School English (Kindle Edition). New York:

Teachers College Press, National Council of Teachers of English.

Arends, R.I. (2012). Learning to Teach (Ninth Edition). New York: McGraw Hill.

Brabham, E. G., & Villaume, S. K. (2000). Continuing conversations about literature circles.

Reading Teacher , 54 (3), 278-280.

Beach, R., Appleman, D., Hynds, S., Wilhelm, J. (2011). Teaching Literature to Adolescents

(Second Edition (Kindle Edition)). New York, NY: Routledge

Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Can't Read. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Connell, J. M. (2008). The Emergence of Pragmatic Philosophy's Influence on Literary Theory:

Making Meaning with Texts from a Transactional Perspective. Educational Theory , 58 (1), 103-

122.

Connors, S.P., Sullivan, R. (2012). "It's That Easy": Designing Assignments That Blend Old and

New Literacies. The Clearing House , 85 (6), 221-225.

Daniels, H. (2006). What's the Next Big Thing with Literature Circles? Voices From the Middle ,

13 (4), 10-15.

Dewey, J. (2011, September 14). How We Think [Kindle edition]. Boston, MA: D.C. Heath & Co.,

Publishers. Retrieved from www.gutenberg.org

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine Books.

Glasser, W. (2010). Quality School (Kindle Edition ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Glaus, M. (2014). Text Complexity and Young Adult Literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult

Literacy , 57 (5), 407-416.

Critical Questions in Education , 2 (2), 93-104.

Jordan, W.A. (1996). Crossfire Education: Metaphor, Cultural Evolution and Chaos in the

Schools. Lanham: University Press of America, Inc.

Lewis, E. C. (2011). Friending Atticus Finch: English Teachers' Perspectives on Myspace as a

Contemporary Framework for Literary Analysis. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 55 (4),

285-295.

Lloyd, R. M. (2006). Talking books: Gender and the responses of adolescents in literature circles.

English Teaching: Practice and Critique , 5 (5), 30-58.

Neubert, S. (2010). Democracy and Education in the Twenty-First Century: Deweyan Pragmatism

and the Question of Racism. Educational Theory , 60 (4), 487-502.

Perricone, J. (2005). Zen and the Art of Public School Teaching. Baltimore: Publish America.

Postman, N. (1996). The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Alfred A.

Knopf.

Thayer-Bacon, B. J. (2011). Nurturing a Democratic Community in the Classroom. Studies in

Philosophy and Education , 30 (5), 491-497.

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2015). Arguments for and Against the Common Core State Standards. Gifted

Child Today , 38 (1), 60-62.

Make a copy of this rubric (this command is found in the File menu above) then add your

evaluation, add your name to the name of the document, then share it your completed evaluation

with the instructor.

I. Introduction None Weak Adequate Well written, Introduction has a 5/5

present but not clearly clear topic

parallel with sentence/thesis

the structure statement and all

of the rest of major ideas to be

the paper discussed in the

paper are previewed

II. Content Does not Weak, not Semi- Well Each topic discussed 5/5

cover the well organized organized with in the introduction is

topic organized detail addressed in the

body. Each section

has a clear

descriptive header.

Each paragraph has

a clear topic

sentence. All ideas

are fully discussed

and arguments are

consistent

III. Spelling and Not Many Several Substantially Entire paper is 5/5

Grammar proofread major errors (6- well written carefully edited.

> 9 errors errors (8- 7) (4-5 errors) Fewer than 4 typos

9) or grammatical

errors

IV. Use of APA APA Style Many Few Correctly APA formatting is 5/5

Style not errors, errors, placed correct and

followed, poorly good consistent

sources placed support throughout the

not quotes paper. Citations in

attributed text, references, and

overall writing

structure conform to

APA format

V. None Hard to Several Clearly stated The paper 5/5

Personalization present determine expressed and supported consistently reflects

your personal

philosophy,

illustrating with

personal stories,

examples, and citing

needed

VI. Conclusion None Weak Adequate Clear, but not Conclusion and 5/5

(including present parallel with abstract have a clear

abstract, and the structure topic sentence/thesis

title) of the paper statement and all

major ideas in the

paper are reviewed.

Paper has a unique

descriptive title

Comments:

__30____

out of 30

points

possible