I submitted in my Histo and Philo of Science MAed 2009-2010 Experiences and Outdoor Activities My Philosophy as a Teacher

Imagine walking down a green path
On an unknown journey
With not a care in the world
Other than exploration of one’s self
And one’s connection to a world beyond time

Let us start the task of education with the task of understanding a student’s experience.  We need a theory of experience, in order to get some structuring and sequencing experience. John Dewey (1938/1997).

A teacher's personal philosophy of education is a critical element in his or her approach to guiding children along the path of enlightenment. A teacher has different philosophies in teaching. As a young educator and new in my profession with almost two years of experience I tried various ways and experimentation on what is the best teaching belief I should observed. Science for it to be more realistic should include nature and its environment I use Dewey’s philosophy that we need to take into consideration the experiences of the pupils in order to show varied but sequence learning. Another essential philosophy that I follow is progressivism. It is believed that people are social animals who learn well through active interplay with others and that our learning increases when we are engaged in activities that have meaning for us. Progressivism's last branch is logic and that what is learned in the classroom has relevance to the real world. Science so there is plenty of opportunity to explore the reasoning.

As a teacher I act as guide for students to construct knowledge, they need the opportunity to discover for themselves and practice skills in authentic situations. Providing students access to hands-on activities, environmental exploration and allowing adequate time and space to use materials that reinforce the lesson being studied that creates an opportunity for individual discovery and construction of knowledge to occur.

Based from personal experience I give experiments outside the laboratory since the ages of my pupil’s lies in the primary level. I had a hard time with one of my pupil. I have a slow learner in class that cannot follow any of our lessons when we have discussions in the classroom, never will she raise her hand and recite nor get high scores during exam for she cannot fully understand our lessons. When I tried to use experiences in discussing Character Education subject and ask her about the things she experienced in her former school in Hawaii that’s the only time she talked. That gave me an idea to use nature and experiences in most of our lessons. In Science she can cope up if I include experiments using their usual games in the method. I noticed that she is very active if she is familiar with the activities. Now, She is changing she can share lots of things and learned to be more sociable in the things she is doing. She solve problems in the classroom similar to those she encounters outside school, which provides her with the tools needed to become flexible problem solvers in preparation for her adult lives.

Each teacher has their own philosophies in teaching so with learners own way of accepting lessons. I believe that each child is a unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. Equally important to self-discovery is having the opportunity to study things that are meaningful and relevant to one's life and interests.

Helping students to develop a deep love and respect for themselves, others, and their environment occurs through an open sharing of ideas. When the voice of each student is heard, and environment evolves where students feel free to express themselves learning is more relevant. Teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth. In our competitive society it is important for students to understand the role of society in enriching and making them a productive individual as well as their role in making the environment a safe place to live in.