I have spent enough time on the receiving end of a lesson to know how to be a good student and succeed academically but it is an entirely different experience being the one facilitating students’ growth. Based on my experience as both a student and an intern I have developed a philosophy of teaching and learning that uses project-based learning as a foundation to make knowledge memorable and meaningful to accommodate the different learning needs of students, and to promote collaboration amongst students in the classroom. The purpose of the following summary is to articulate a brief overview of my teaching philosophy.
Upon reflecting on my own experiences in the classroom as both a student and an educator, I quickly realized that my most meaningful learning opportunities were those that challenged me to study a particular topic in depth. For this reason I chose to articulate my philosophy using the umbrella as a metaphor to illustrate how project-base learning (the over-arching theme) can simultaneously foster students’ imagination, accommodate their various intelligences and create collaborative teams while maintaining an inquiry-based approach to learning. Project-based learning has the unique power to constructively piece together a wide range of skills to create a positive learning environment where all students can succeed and grow.
While many scholars such as Lev Vigotsky, Peter Doolittle, Alfie Kohn and Mark Prensky offer invaluable perspective on educational pedagogy, Kieran Egan’s imaginative education philosophy truly resonates with me. I am keen to embody his positive and engaging views that imagination and creativity should play an active role in the classroom. Some, like Sir Ken Robinson, believe that school kills creativity. This is troubling because imagination and creativity should be central features of elementary education. There are numerous ways we can integrate and promote students’ critical thinking skills and encourage them to think outside the box, but as teachers we have to be willing to do the same.
In conclusion, I believe students should be actively involved in their learning and that through project-based learning elementary students can develop their imaginative and teamwork skills; they can also gain necessary knowledge that is meaningful and memorable to them. Learning does not have to occur at a desk with a piece of paper and a pen- it can and should be interactive, student-centered and inquiry-based.