Abstract:

             Education is not something that should be the same for everyone. Students should be able to focus upon what knowledge they find most useful to them and what interests them the most.  Teachers should not only help guide the students in their quest, but also help them be better equipped to make a difference in the world.  The philosophical approach I intend to take when teaching is not only existentialism but also a flare of social reconstructivism.

 

             Knowledge is power.  That one sentence alone should be enough to want a child to come to school every day and learn, but that is simply not the case; I relate to that thinking.  I always questioned why we were learning about linear graphs or the insides of a frog.  I couldn’t understand how that could possibly help me in the future, but when I got to Chemistry it was different.  I no longer asked those questions, because I could feel in my heart that’s what I wanted to do every day for the rest of my life.  I believe that every person has that moment when they know that what they are learning is something they want to learn for the rest of their life.  That is why I’m a firm believer in the philosophy of existentialism. 

              I believe in order for a student to succeed they have to have the desire to learn the subject at hand.  You cannot teach a student who does not want to be taught.  As educators it is our job to link our content to the outside world and make it plausible to the student.  They have to want the knowledge to gain it.  I intend to build that emotion in my students by showing them the importance of chemistry in their everyday lives with experiments and real life examples.  I once was tutoring a girl and she could not understand exothermic reactions.  I took an empty pot at work filled it with water and then put a lid on it and allowed it to simmer on the four burner for over an hour.  I then told her to step back as I removed the lid, a huge flame shot into the air.  An exothermic reaction had occurred and suddenly it all made since to her. 

              Through existentialism every student has a chance to find that one subject area that changes their lives; that shows them that they are remarkable at something in school.  Emotions like that drive students to succeed and prosper in life which is what every teacher wants their students to do.  To me a student does not have to come into my class room every day and learn if they have a greater thirst of knowledge for English.  If they did, they should take the entry level Chemistry course and then focus primarily on English.  I want what is best for my students, so they can go out in the world and make a difference. 

              I was also given the opportunity in high school to be a part of one special little girl’s day.  Her name was Haley; however, she was not exactly a little girl.  She is the reason I am writing my credo today.  I knew through my Chemistry courses that I wanted to go into the science field, but Haley was my sign that I belonged as a teacher.  She was a student in the special education room that was assigned to me especially by the principal and guidance counselor, because of how well she responded to me.  When I first met Haley, she could barely write and hated to write down what she was thinking.  One day I brought her a journal and told her to write me a story.  She wrote a few sentences and was done.  So, I began to tell her stories and we would work on it day after day.  A popular sub in the school hunted me down one day mid-year and said, “Paige I need you to come quick.”  I followed him to find Haley typing out on the computer her first story ever.  She handed it to me and would continue to hand me stories every week for the rest of the year.  She showed me how I could make a difference by teaching someone something as simple as writing a story.  I still have every single story she has ever written me.

              Knowledge is power.  That is one universal thing I will hold true in every single one of my classes.  It’s the one common phrase that ties the whole entire educational process together and existentialism helps bring to life the meaning of that phrase to students and shows them why they should learn a certain content area.  It also helps pinpoint my second philosophical approach to teaching, Social Reconstructivism. 

              I firmly believe that it is the duty of teachers to transform society and bring about strong citizens that will make a difference in the world.  Classrooms should be filled with new ideas every day as there is always a new topic to broach.  By always filling the students minds with the most updated information then they will be better equipped to go out into the real world and compete with other citizens to change the world.  Teachers hold all the cards in the deck and it is our responsibility to make sure that we are graduating strong prepared leaders that can make a real difference in today’s society.

              One way that I plan to use Social Reconstructivism in my class room is to utilize technology.  The Educational System is currently going through an evolution.  The way that teachers are teaching is changing, and I plan to adapt with that change.  You cannot simply just teach with technology for the sake of technology, but instead must utilize it to further relate the content to the students.  They have to be able to utilize technology with today’s every progressing technological society.  And as a teacher I cannot only use technology to simply drive home my content, but also give the students tools they need to become an active member of society.

              I intend to utilize the philosophical approaches of Reconstructivism and Existentialism in my classroom to mold well-prepared, strong, individuals that can make a difference in the world and promote a healthier way of life for tomorrow.