Essay Sample on Teaching Philosophies

Introduction

Philosophy and teaching and learning refers to the teaching model used by instructors and is directly related to what they know. Most of what the teachers know and believe comes from their past experiences as a student and as a teacher. The primary goal of this essay is to address the theoretical considerations affecting children's growth and development. Explains the roles of a teacher, and give a personal reflection about what I have learned in the course and my experiences as a teacher.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Theoretical Perspectives

Several theoretical considerations affect growth and development in children. Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development primarily focusses on development rather than learning and behaviors in children (Follari, 2015). According to Piaget, there are individual stages of development which contain qualitative differences. Other philosophers believe that the development process is a gradual increase in the number and complexity of concepts and ideas. Piaget disputes that intelligence is a fixed trait and he explained that cognitive development occurs after biological interactions and maturation. For instance, if I give children a test involving logical thinking and I ask them to give reasons for their wrong answers, the students show an essential difference between the mode of thinking of children and adults.

The Maslow hierarchy of needs is a theory represented in a pyramid and has the most basic needs at the bottom. The hierarchy is used to study how human beings are involved in behavioral motivation (Follari, 2015). The pattern represented in the pyramid includes self-actualization, esteem, love/belonging, safety, and psychological. For motivation to occur at every level on the pyramid, every level must be satisfied by the individual to complete the hierarchy. As a teacher, I must ensure that all psychological needs will be met and which include basic amenities such as food, sleep, shelter, and water. Examples of safety needs are personal, emotional, financial securities and well-being. Children need peace of mind in their development process to reach-self-actualization. I will ensure that the children are fed properly and protected to encourage behavioral motivation.

Erikson identifies eight crucial stages that are essential for psychosocial development. He agrees that every human being has their unique identities and the eight stages of psychosocial conflicts are crucial when it comes to solving conflicts and adjusting properly to the environment. Every crisis in a child's life contributes to their psychosocial growth since the challenge must be solved. Failure to solve a crisis may have a significant impact on the child's psychosocial development. For instance, a child who is bullied at school should devise a way to stop the vice against him/her to positively impact on their psychosocial development.

NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) has influenced my planning for children's learning experiences by promoting their optimal development. The two principles that I will use for developmentally appropriate practice are play and attention. During games, children develop imagination, creativity and boosting their cognitive capabilities. On the other hand, giving children adequate attention in and out of the classroom encourages them to feel secure in the learning environment.

Teacher's Role

Teachers play a significant role in early childhood education to support the latter's growth and development. Not only do the children gain physical strength, but they also develop their imagination, emotional, and cognitive capabilities (Follari, 2015). At the early stages of life, these children interact with each other and the world around them during play. Children are given an opportunity to explore the world and conquer various issues like fear while assuming adult roles on the playground. With time, the kids learn new competencies which enhance their confidence and resilience. As a teacher, I will encourage play since it assists children to learn how to work in groups, solve conflicts among themselves, and develop negotiation skills.

Children are involved in active learning where they build their unique understanding based on the existing knowledge (Moreno, Nagasawa, & Schwartz, 2018). Some of the classroom practices that encourage active learning in children include learner-centered, experimental, and discovery or problem-based learning. In the learner-centered approach, children are actively involved in the learning process in the presence of a teacher who is an activator agent. Experiential learning refers to children learning from their experiences.

Physical environment plays a crucial role in supporting learning, and it has a significant impact on academic progress. Factors such as color, classroom organization, cleanliness if present can boost a child's achievement (Moreno et al., 2018). As a teacher focused on children's growth and development, it is essential to give special attention to the kids with special needs. Learning styles may be adjusted to ensure that disadvantaged children are involved in active learning. In my career, I have dealt with several cases involving children with special needs and responding to their differences is tiresome but crucial. Parents also play a significant role in child learning and development. As a teacher, I always involve parents in the classroom to assist the children in doing their homework, be organized, and enforce disciplinary actions.

Personal Reflection

As a teacher candidate, I have learned a lot concerning early childhood development and the roles that I have to play to have a positive impact on children's lives. Some of the characteristics that I have as a robust early childhood educator include excellent communication skills, creativity, flexibility, patient, a sense of humor, and having an understanding that all children are different. One of the most challenging areas in my practice as an early childhood educator is enhancing family engagement. Most parents are hesitant to be actively involved in learning, and the entire job is left to the teacher. I try overcoming the challenge explained above by urging parents to assist their children with their homework. I firmly believe in early childhood principles and concepts such as the Maslow hierarchy of needs, the Erikson's, and Piaget's theories as they are essential in learning and teaching.

References

Follari, L. (2015). Foundations and best practices in early childhood education: History, theories, and approaches to learning. Pearson Higher Education AU.

Moreno, A. J., Nagasawa, M. K., & Schwartz, T. (2018). Social and Emotional Learning and Early Childhood Education: Redundant terms?. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 1463949118768040.