UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SOUTHEAST

THE CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE

A TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

SUBMITTED TO JEFFREY L. LOFTHUS, Ph.D.

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE LEARNER AND THE LEARNING PROCESS

ED 333

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

BY

JOHN ORSBORN

12/3/2010
 Introduction

As a future educator in today’s world it is important to not only understand the basics of

classroom management and child development, but the theory and practice of it as well. Along with

these ideas the comprehension of state standards and the ability to assess myself, my peer group, and my

classroom, and to be able to communicate that information to children and parents, as well as accept

criticism for growth and improvement is vitally important. Finally, it is important to be able to work

with and understand cultural differences in a diverse and growing world regardless of the state I will

work in.

I believe that to be a successful teacher in the classroom you must follow the basic rules of life,

be engaged, have a plan, practice communication, set goals, stay organized, be proactive, and believe

that every child deserves the best as if it were your own. These basic rules can be used for any career, in

any field, but in education they mean so much more.

I grew up in Central California Served in the Navy, worked in corporate America and now fully

understand the importance of education and the development of children as citizens of this country. We

are the stake holders of their future and it is our responsibility to provide them with the knowledge and

understanding of this world and all it has to offer. The only way to do that is to first understand the

development of the child’s mind and how they learn from pre-kindergarten through adult hood.

Foundations

As a teacher I want to be able understand the children in my class, but to do that I must

understand the way they think, live, act, and cope with the stresses of life that go with it. I believe that

the community plays a huge role in education, and the way children think and act comes from that.

Children are our future and we as educators have a duty to them as well as the stakeholders of that
education, the community. I believe that children should not only be educated from books but from the

environment they live in, along with the issues of that environment.

I believe in the concept of standardized testing, and the goal at which it exists, but I also believe

that there is more to life than just basic education. I believe that children should be introduced to the

arts at a young age, and that involvement should continue through adulthood. I also understand that at

some point things must be sacrificed due to a budget, however I don’t agree with it being the arts,

unfortunately, that is not the world in which we live. To compensate, I believe that every teacher

including myself can make room for the arts even if it’s only an hour week, if those programs do not

exist. I believe that children can become anything they want if they want it bad enough and I also

believe that the community, in which the school lies, wants the same for the children. I believe in

bringing in elders, firemen, scientists, policemen, doctors, the list goes on and on, to teach children that

there is a whole world waiting for them when they grow up.

Along with teaching children how to grow we have to hold them accountable. I believe in

servant leadership, time management, and setting ground rules at the beginning of the school year. I feel

if parents are involved early and kept up to date weekly or monthly on their children’s growth, behavior,

participation, and learning, children will have a better chance at not only growing mentally but

becoming better students in the process. As a second or third grade teacher I do not agree with letter

grades. I do agree with a point system like the Sitka School District uses, and the use of points in not

only the subject category but for behavior, group participation, attendance, and ability to follow

direction. This will allow me the ability to go deeper into explanation with the parents when it comes

time for parent teacher conference. I feel the best way to do this is through the use of journals. I am a

firm believer in daily journals and it also helps me remember small but important things.
 Finally, I believe in subject integration with lesson plans and group work. I believe that if we

can move children from one subject to another seamlessly there is less time lost in transition. I believe

that moving away from traditional ability grouping to ungrouping allows children of different ability

levels to feed off each other and with that children will be better motivated and skilled in moving from

one subject to another in a seamless fashion. Ungrouping also allows me to teach to everyone, to be

able to go fast or slow and to ensure that each child understands what is said. All of these ideas and

theories only work if we as teachers understand how children develop mentally and are able to use those

theories to the best of our ability. I believe that if children are sat in a sterile environment the practice of

learning shuts down, but if the desks are grouped together, children moved throughout the year, and

children allowed to work together, the learning and the transitions of lessons go smother.

Understanding Child Development

As future educators we have learned that Piaget, Vygotsky, Erickson, and Kohlberg all agree on

stage development, and that children will continue to grow mentally as they age, but the one constant

that I have found is Vygotsky’s theories rely on social interaction as well as predictable stages of growth

when it comes to development. I believe that social interaction and a child’s home life are just as

important for growth as an individual but more importantly the building blocks of learning. If a child

does not have positive role models with ample communication their ability to learn and focus will be

diminished. According to Vygotsky the zone of proximal development is the stage where children

cannot do things on their own but with the assistance of peers or an adult will be able to complete the

task (Slavin, p.42). If we understand this theory, then it is easier to teach a child in a group setting.

I sat in a class room and watched children read, most were able to read the sections, some had to

sound out a lot of the words and some seemed totally lost. As I watched the groups, I thought these kids

are just floundering through this, but as I paid attention, peer groups were helping them to sound out the
words and it seemed that a light bulb would just go, and that ah-ha moment had hit. By the end of the

week the children that were struggling were reading like they had done it all along. This is not to say

that they were advanced in the subject, but the peer interaction allowed them to one, feel safe in the task,

and two, gave them the strength to do the same thing all over again the next week. And through it all,

they not only had the peer group, they had reading specialists that helped them as well. I asked the

instructor if this was going to be like this for the rest of the year, her response was, for some, yes, others

no. There was no family support behind the children, it was only at the school. I asked what was being

done to involve the parents and was told that the parents were notified and given options for help, but

many had no resources to get those options. At that moment I realized that educators had more

responsibility than just pushing information out to be absorbed by growing minds. I realized that the

best laid plans would have to be changed on the fly to get all children engaged and motivated and that

communication was the key to success. I also realized that children didn’t learn the same way and that

you may have to say the same thing five different ways to get everyone on board.

Learning Theories

As Slavin states learning happens in different ways, some people need repetition to understand

the concept, some can read a theory once and fully understand it. In reality educators today usually have

to use some sort of behavioral learning tool to help children comprehend and retain the topics.

As a child I was always told that I didn’t apply myself, in reality I was bored. I was never

challenged by a teacher because I never put out “grade A” work. I knew that if I blew threw it finished

it and received at least a passing grade; people would stay off my back. For me that was a mistake. I

never went above Algebra “A”, past Basic English, or understood Chemistry or Biology. When I

decided to go to college, I failed the basic entrance exams, however, upon completion of one semester in
each basic class I jumped to a 101 level the second semester. The point is I challenged myself because it

was something I wanted.

As an educator I know I must challenge the children in my classroom, I must challenge them all,

push them to the edge of what they know then add more. This will allow them to grow; this is what will

keep them engaged. Positive and negative reinforcement along with primary and secondary reinforcers

is the method I feel will best be utilized in my teaching skills, however no reward can be assumed to be

a reinforcer for everyone under all conditions (Barnhill, 2005). Again, this is where communication,

assessment, peer assessment, and parental involvement come into play. Once we know where a child’s

learning level is, we can work to increase the level of activity he or she puts forth by using simple words

like good job, way to go, and I am proud of you, words they may never hear anywhere but in the

classroom. Another good reinforcer is vicarious learning, praising children who perform so those not

paying attention realize that if they do what they are supposed to, they will be recognized as well. And

the key is to recognize the children acting out when they do something right and be consistent.

Being firm, fair, and consistent with children is the same as adults, once they realize that you

hold them all to the same standard, they will all perform to that standard.

Student Standards, Assessments and Evaluations

Every state has a list of standards that students are expected to accomplish, understand, and be

held accountable too. Along with student standards are educator standards, class assessment, and self-

assessment. As an educator I would not only hold my class accountable but myself as well, and the only

way to really realize whether you are holding your students accountable is to have a peer observe and

reflect what they see. One of the most important (and often overlooked) functions of evaluating student

learning is to provide feedback to teachers on the effectiveness of their instruction (Slavin, p.417)
 I believe that keeping a journal of class lessons, student involvement and my involvement as well

will help to build a base line of where the class is, who needs extra attention, who needs to be pushed

further, and what motivates the students. I believe that documenting these findings will allow me to

improve year over year and produce students that want to learn, that want to be involved, that want to be

praised, and that want to succeed in school.

Alaska state standards have been derived to do just that, to provide the educator with a base line

and goals to build their lesson plans and hold children accountable to the goals within them. The

standards that are put in place are for the benefit of all and only help solidify the goals set forth by the

teacher.

I feel formative evaluation for students in the lower grades is better than summative due to the

content studied. First and second graders need to be evaluated constantly to ensure that not only

understand the content, but as a teacher I can adjust the lessons to fit the need of the class. I watched a

class of first graders during a reading and writing period where they each had three tasks to perform in

an hour and a half. Some students were completed in forty minutes and were able to play games, work

on projects that were not completed earlier, or read books. The others were goofing around, not paying

attention, and not finishing their work, and two seemed to be lost with what was going on. As the time

ticked away, the children goofing off realized that their peers were doing other things because they were

finished and were not paying attention to them. The instructor was spending her time with the children

that were having difficulties and no one was really balancing the class. When the class was over, the

teacher said, it was time to move the children around. To split up the kids that were finished the fastest,

place them with the students that were fooling around, and even out the groups. She stated that when

the year started most of the kids were still in the “Kindergarten frame of mind” and she was constantly

moving them around to use peer pressure to get the work done. Now that it is almost halfway through
the year, ninety percent of her class finishes at the same time, and there are still those that need extra

help, however she can now focus on them more knowing that when the children finish the required

work, she has more for them to do to keep them engaged. She learned this through evaluation of the

students, communication with the class, and the use of the Alaska state standards.

I realized that this is how I want to be able to run a classroom. I want to have the communication

with the student and the parents, and the understanding of accountability in the classroom. Being

informed allows me to grow as a teacher but it also allows me to be able to communicate that

information to parents and other educators.

Communication In and Out of the Classroom

Regardless of the job, communication is always the key to success. As a teacher it is important

to not only teach the students the rules of the class, the lessons to be learned, and the consequences for

disobeying, it is also important to teach the parents what is expected once the bell rings. I like the daily

report card for students which can be used for students with and without issues. I think if parents and

students both knew where the child stood on any given day, it would not only help with the reinforcing

of behavior, but it would help those that had the ability to excel. I feel keeping parents involved in the

class is an optimum way to show that education is important, but also that the children will learn from

the parents as well as the teacher. Using real life situations and community involvement in rural areas

will allow children to not only keep their heritage alive, it will allow them to interact with elders during

seasonal activities. Involving the elders in class allows another form of communication to the children,

that of the native language, which is priceless if the language is disappearing.

Diversity

Diversity in the classroom is a common thing these days, in states like Alaska, California,

Hawaii, and Washington there is such a diverse population with a diverse language that goes along with
it. That language will be seen in the classroom and it may be an obstacle that needs to be overcome. I

believe that children who are bi-lingual have more opportunity in life than those that speak one

language. I also believe that because children do not have English as a first language, can still

contribute to the group. Children from diverse backgrounds have the same right to an education and

because they have different backgrounds lesson plans will have to be developed to compensate for that.

On the other hand their diversity provides an opportunity to teach other lessons to children who may

have never seen or heard other cultures. Those lessons can prove to be the best opportunity in Art,

language, and Science where children can meet different idea portals in the community.

Utilizing a diverse community can help children learn from different resources, and I believe in

using those resources to the best of my ability. I believe that children are adaptive more so than adults

when it comes to diversity, and if the class is run with diversity as a key factor there is more for children

to accomplish. As stated in the Alaska Cultural Standards for Students, culturally knowledgeable

students are well grounded in the cultural heritage and traditions of their community. That standard can

play a key role in any state where there is a diverse group of students. I believe as educators we have a

responsibility to provide an outlet for those students and for other cultures to examine and entertain the

standards of each other.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe to be a teacher today we first have to understand our students. I believe

we need to understand the stages of development that children go through, the reinforcers that work on a

group, and the strategies for managing misbehavior. I also believe that we need to manage the class as a

group, allow group work, follow-through on promises, and hold the students to the same accountability

as we would hold ourselves. I also believe that parent teacher, and teacher to children communication is

imperative to a successful classroom. I believe that we need to involve the cultural diversity of the class
and the community in as many lessons as possible to keep traditions alive and positive language flowing

through the lives of the children.

In all I have set some very high standards for myself, standards that I feel are necessary to

develop children into young, productive, educated adults that will inherit the world in which we live.

The children are our future; we are the stakeholders of this future. It is our responsibility to ensure that

they get the best possible education available to them and the knowledge to pursue education for the rest

of their lives. They don’t all have to want to be teachers, they just have to want to be something, as long

as we can fuel that fire, we will not only learn from them, but teach them as well.

References

Barnhill, G. P. (2005). Functional Behavioral Assessment in Schools. Intervention in School and

Clinic, 40(3), 131–143.

Burns, M. (2005/2006). Tools for The Mind. Educational Leadership, 63(4),48-53.

Burns, R.B. (2004). How Time is Used in Elementary Schools: The Activity structure of Classrooms,

Time and School learning. Theory Research and Practice. London: Crown Helm

Slavin, R.E.((2009). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice. Saddle River, N.J., Columbus, OH:

Pearson.

Mason, D. A., & Good, T. L. (1993). Effects of Two-Group and Whole-Class Teaching on Regrouped

Elementary Students Mathematics Achievement. American Education Research Journal, 30(2),

328-360
Turner, S. & Johnson, B. (2003). A Model of Mastery Motivation For At Risk Preschoolers. Journal of

Educational Psychology, 95(3), 495-505