Background and Philosophy of Education
Introduction: a non-traditional
student Before attaining my History/Education degree, I completed
a military career, retiring from the U. S. Army in 1996, where I learned
definite traits necessary to be successful as a professional soldier and
leader. My military experiences were invaluable in my development as a
reasonable person. I grew up in the Deep South in the Sixties. My mother was
an elementary teacher. At times, we lived in rural communities; we were
never affluent. I have experiences in most socio-economic situations and
am comfortable working with any ethnic or social group. My objective(s): teaching history I desire to teach History in either Junior High or High
School. There are many reasons. Having worked in varied situations
throughout my military career while managing to maintain my sense of
humor, I am flexible enough for the vagaries of life adolescents
experience; I also think that fourteen-year-olds are fun. And lastly,
history is my passion. Why study history? Why not? History answers the question: "Why?" No other
discipline can explain why something happened. We can examine current
events, but how can we know the underlying causes? We can observe the
immediate results of the actions of persons and nations, but we cannot
know "why" with reasonable certainty until most of the facts
become evident. The task of the historian is to delve into the private
lives of people to discover the foundations for public actions. Someone once told me a long time ago that good history is
about telling stories. Who cares for names, dates, and places? Students
memorize minutiae in the name of
history only to regurgitate it for an examination, never to be recalled.
But, tell a good story; and the period, the characters, the sequence of
events, and the reasons why come alive in the telling–droll facts become
interesting anecdotes. And, the story might possibly become a story that
someone else would want to tell again. Thus, history lives in telling and
retelling. And, I love to tell stories. Teaching: I believe curriculum should be student centered, tailored
as much as possible to the individual student's abilities. Definite parts
of the curriculum must be attained for successful completion of a public
education, and these "nuts and bolts" are the minimum standard.
However, most students are capable of more and should be encouraged.
Additionally, students whose natural curiosity might lead them to pursue
their studies even further require extra challenges. Inclusion w When I began my pursuit of a degree in earnest, one of my
first classes was World Regional Geography. I was struck by the
instructor's application of educational philosophy where he stated that
the purpose of higher education is to learn to think critically and
communicate effectively, period. He taught me learning is universal and a
student's strategies and abilities transcend interdisciplinary boundaries.
Therefore, encouraging success in my classroom necessarily encourages
success in other academic endeavors and, hopefully, throughout the
student's life. By employing multi-modal teaching strategies and ensuring multi-tiered learning through
individual, small group, and class-wide application of the curriculum,
students of all learning abilities can enjoy the learning experience
together. Conclusion: How would I like to be described as a teacher? I would like to be described as a good teacher--knowledgeable, passionate, patient, and compassionate. I know that this is a tall order, but this is my ambition.
Charles E. Lewis |
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