Thoughts on Teaching & Learning by Betsy Rogers 2003 National Teacher of the Year How would you describe your philosophy of teaching? All children learn differently and at a different pace.  It is my job as a teacher to find the best methods and materials for each child to master needed skills as well as aid in social and emotional development.  Taking a quote from my own first-grade teacher, “Children, like rosebuds, bloom at different times.  However, the last bloom is just as pretty as the first.” When I read my philosophy that I have been sharing with parents for the past 18 years in my class handbook, I know that it is actually more complex than it reads.  My first sentence agrees with the Existentialist view of the learner as a unique and free choosing responsible creature made up of intellect and emotion.  The role I describe for a teacher, “to find the best methods and materials for each child to master needed skills as well as aid in social and emotional development,” is a combination of Realism and Existentialism.  This quote that is so dear to my heart is also a part of the Existentialism philosophy. The essence of my philosophy and classroom climate are best described by the poem that is on my classroom door which begins, “You are entering the world of a child...”  I believe that children need to learn in a safe, caring and intellectually engaging environment with a teacher who is responsive to the needs of the children.  I believe the teacher must embrace the whole child in a caring and positive manner for learning to occur.  I believe the classroom environment should foster a climate that provides children with experiences that assist in developing the whole child.  I also believe that the teacher must acknowledge the varying pace of each child's development. My philosophy and teaching methods go back to my opening quote, which states that it is my role as a teacher to find the best methods and materials for each child.  As a teacher, the one pet peeve I have with other teachers is the statement, “I taught them, they just didn't get it.”  I believe that my role as a teacher is to find out why “they didn't get it.”  I use as many methods as needed to assure that my students do “get it.”  As I have matured as a teacher, I have found that I strive to validate the learning experiences used in my classroom.  I am no longer satisfied with the “how to's” I want to know the “why's.”  Lessons taught in my classroom acknowledge the diversity of my students so each child experiences success. As a professional, I believe I should set an example of lifelong learning by continuing to seek improvement of my own teaching skills and by being knowledgeable of current research and trends in my field.  I believe I should at all times show respect to my colleagues, parents and students.  I seek opportunities that enable me to work cooperatively with colleagues and parents that will help make our school a collaborative enterprise. Are there issues that create barriers to quality student learning?      Today in schools across America, all students do not have the same opportunity due to the lack of equitable funding and the mismanagement of funds.  The federal government funds less than seven percent of elementary and secondary education.  Therefore funding is left up to the individual state and there is quite a large gap among the states concerning per pupil spending.  In a federal study, the General Accounting Office reported that more money was spent in wealthy districts than poor districts in 37 states despite federal and state efforts to narrow funding gaps between poor and rich districts. This study also found that poor districts in many states actually tried harder to raise money than wealthier districts.  Poor districts in 35 states made greater efforts to increase educational taxes than wealthy districts. The negative impact on students attending schools in these poor districts has been documented with numerous studies.  Several studies found that money alone would not solve the educational woes.  It is how money is spent that will make the difference.  For example, in Kansas City, Missouri a massive investment was made in repairing schools, but the dismal test scores did not rise because no parallel investment was made in improving teaching.  A good physical plant is needed for the child's safety but the plant alone cannot make the difference.  The same holds true for technology.  Supplying poor students with computers does not insure they will be prepared for the workplace.  A study in the Hartford and Minneapolis school systems found after computers were installed in every school, some test scores actually went down while others were unchanged.   Studies have found that money does make the difference when used to reduce class size.  The state of Tennessee tracked three kinds of kindergarten classes and found that the students in the smallest class of 15 students with one teacher made the greatest gains even though these students were from low-income families.  Tennessee now is heavily investing in reducing class size. Improving staff development has also been proven to be one of the most effective ways to improve schools.  When Kentucky initiated its reform plan, one of the most controversial parts of the plan was the amount of money allocated for required intense staff development for teachers.  This paid off as students' reading and mathematics scores doubled from 32.4 to 63.8 for elementary, 38.4 to 49.2 for middle schoolers, and 20.2 to 54.0 for high school students.  Money does have an impact, but it is how it is spent that can make the difference for poorer schools. For all children, including those from low-income families, to have safe, healthy and comfortable school facilities with qualified teachers and quality curriculum and learning materials, we all must work together.  The federal, state, and local governments along with educators, parents, and citizens all need to become stakeholders in our schools.  More incentives are needed to recruit the best teachers to teach in the poorest schools.  We need businesses to adopt schools and assist small communities in writing grants for additional funding. College and universities need to become instructional partners with schools and we need citizen volunteer groups.  Many low-performing schools are being successfully transformed into quality learning communities through identification of the school's challenges; establishment of standards for learning and behavior; an increase in professional development; and the building of relationships with parents and the community.   It is our responsibility to provide students in low-performing schools with the highest quality of education to secure for them a bright future as productive citizens.

Council of Chief State School Officers
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW · Suite 700
Washington, DC 20001-1431
voice: 202.336.7000 · fax: 202.408.8072

Legal Conditions · Feedback · Sitemap

document last updated 6/16/2006