My philosophy of teaching revolves around the central idea that service is the key to impacting our educational system, and thus impacting young lives and minds. It is essential for me to view service to others in order to promulgate what I believe are necessary components of a successful teaching philosophy. By being service and action oriented, I may translate a body of knowledge necessary for not only a well-rounded social studies education, but I may also prepare young people to be well informed, helping them to make independent decisions. This view of service in education will also translate into a future world citizenry that can function, operate, and thrive in the “smaller” global world in which we live. Globalism is happening right before our eyes; in our families, neighborhoods, cities, states, country as well as the world, we are surrounded by people of diverse beliefs, creeds, ethnicities, religions, and worldviews. Social studies educators have the perfect platform to have an impact on society as a whole. We hold the keys to transmitting the body of knowledge, changing society by educating its future citizens, and making a difference in the global world in which we live.
In the classroom this can be achieved by approaching the education of the pupils as a service to them, to society, and to ourselves as teachers. We interact increasingly with the global world, and so we all benefit from this service we are providing for the aforementioned groups.
With that in mind, a good background of the history of issues must be provided so that we can help the students realize where we have been. This includes differing perspectives on history. We have western history, but there is also other rich traditions of history that need to be examined from another point of view than we are traditionally taught as history. These will also further building cultural bridges in neighborhoods and beyond. We need also prepare the students for being responsible citizens by informing them on how our republic works. The “nuts and bolts” of government, bureaucracy, and our voting and economic systems will prepare our students to be active participants in the world. They may choose not to be involved, but our responsibility is to give them the option to participate in society to the best of their ability and their wants, needs and desires.
Another concrete step that can be made in action planning a current and future classroom strategy to carry out this philosophy is to make the learning engaging and enriching for the students. It is not an easy task, but by being creative with assignments, using theory, proven (and maybe some unproven) strategies to add to their existing schema of knowledge. We need to turn to Bloom, Gardner, Maslow, Rosenblatt, Vygotsky, Piaget, Mathews and meld all sources available to us to create exciting classrooms, lessons, and learning. The classroom should be the “situation room” of students’ lives. My goal is to make my classroom the “situation room.”
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
This I Believe
Service to others with my talents is one of the main things that brings real joy to me in life. One of my talents and loves is cooking. I often just cook for entertainment. My friends often laugh at me and call me Old Mother Hubbard, not because I live in a shoe, but because my pantry stays stocked just for any occasion to make food for people. Food is one of the ways we enjoy life and fellowship with others. Often the most fun I have in a day can be making key-lime pie for a neighbor, or sharing a big pot of soup with my “second family” down the street.
I grew up in a home with two working parents. I got home from school, took care of myself and mostly stayed out of trouble, because I knew my parents would arrive home at 4:45 pm. I remember growing up with my mother who did not like to cook, though she made some things in only the way a mother can, she mostly didn’t enjoy cooking as it was a chore: another thing to do before getting on with the rest of the day. So I realized early that if I wanted the food I loved, I would have to learn to make it myself.
I remember one summer, when my folks were working, and I was home for summer vacation, I made hot dogs for them when they came home from work for lunch. I think I boiled the hot dogs for an hour before they came home to eat them all split and mushy from over cooking. They loved it though, and never criticized my effort. Once, I made “supper,” ready just when my parents arrived home from work. Part of our family lore is that I had used half a container of cloves in that pot of sauce. It was just awful, but we all ate it anyway. I remember thinking I was a gourmet chef, using a new spice in this dish. I learned three lessons that day. Cooking for people made them feel special, and it made me feel happy to prepare for others. I also learned that cloves didn’t taste so good in spaghetti.
When I was in high school, I would have luncheons for the women in my church and neighborhood. I found I was developing my skills and loved to please people with food. That is when I learned I enjoyed the way I felt when I was preparing meals for others.
So many years later, I have supported myself with a catering business doing weddings, funerals, garden club luncheons, and other affairs, large and small. I have catered for 350 people with my full staff for a fundraiser netting $3M for a building project. I have also prepared dinner parties for people in their homes, acting as chef, server, and dishwasher for small and large gatherings for intimate and relaxed settings.
The service is where the joy is. I have cooked for many using one of my talents to offer pleasure to others. I even have some friends that named my collard greens, “Better than Paula’s [Deen] Collards” when some of my recipes were published in a local cookbook. It is an integral part of my life. The best part is, I can whip up a sour cream pound cake for the elderly folks that just moved in next door this afternoon. I will experience the joy, and they will experience receiving a gift truly made out of kindness. I expect no accolades, because I am the one receiving the gift, really.
I grew up in a home with two working parents. I got home from school, took care of myself and mostly stayed out of trouble, because I knew my parents would arrive home at 4:45 pm. I remember growing up with my mother who did not like to cook, though she made some things in only the way a mother can, she mostly didn’t enjoy cooking as it was a chore: another thing to do before getting on with the rest of the day. So I realized early that if I wanted the food I loved, I would have to learn to make it myself.
I remember one summer, when my folks were working, and I was home for summer vacation, I made hot dogs for them when they came home from work for lunch. I think I boiled the hot dogs for an hour before they came home to eat them all split and mushy from over cooking. They loved it though, and never criticized my effort. Once, I made “supper,” ready just when my parents arrived home from work. Part of our family lore is that I had used half a container of cloves in that pot of sauce. It was just awful, but we all ate it anyway. I remember thinking I was a gourmet chef, using a new spice in this dish. I learned three lessons that day. Cooking for people made them feel special, and it made me feel happy to prepare for others. I also learned that cloves didn’t taste so good in spaghetti.
When I was in high school, I would have luncheons for the women in my church and neighborhood. I found I was developing my skills and loved to please people with food. That is when I learned I enjoyed the way I felt when I was preparing meals for others.
So many years later, I have supported myself with a catering business doing weddings, funerals, garden club luncheons, and other affairs, large and small. I have catered for 350 people with my full staff for a fundraiser netting $3M for a building project. I have also prepared dinner parties for people in their homes, acting as chef, server, and dishwasher for small and large gatherings for intimate and relaxed settings.
The service is where the joy is. I have cooked for many using one of my talents to offer pleasure to others. I even have some friends that named my collard greens, “Better than Paula’s [Deen] Collards” when some of my recipes were published in a local cookbook. It is an integral part of my life. The best part is, I can whip up a sour cream pound cake for the elderly folks that just moved in next door this afternoon. I will experience the joy, and they will experience receiving a gift truly made out of kindness. I expect no accolades, because I am the one receiving the gift, really.
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